B & O and W. U. Telegraph litigation over Texas lines

ELECTRICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

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TELEGRAPH LITIGATION IN TEXAS.

A press despatch from Texarkana, Ark., Oct. 15, says: The contest between the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Co. and the Western Union Telegraph Co. over the attempt of the former to extend its rival system of telegraphs into Texas has been raging with more or less violence for the past 30 days. The general telegraph laws of Texas are very favorable to competing telegraph lines, and under those laws the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Co. instituted proceedings to condemn a right of way between Texarkana and Sherman over the Texas and Pacific Railroad. The court awarded the railroad company $10 per mile damages, but gave the Western Union Telegraph Co. nothing. The Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Co. deposited with the court the amount of the award and constructed its lines upon the Texas and Pacific Railroad. The Western Union Telegraph Co. then applied to Judge Gaines, of the Texas State court, for an injunction to restrain the Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph Co. from occupying the Texas and Pacific Railroad Co.'s right of way through Lamar County until further adjudication of the condemnation proceedings. The injunction has just been denied, the court holding that commissioners having made an award, and the amount been deposited with the court, the construction of lines could proceed without further hindrance. The Western Union also applied to Judge Gaines for an injunction to restrain the Baltimore and Ohio from prosecuting condemnation proceedings in Fanning and Red River Counties; also to Judge Estes for a similar injunction as to Bowie County, on the plea that they should be protected from a multiplicity of suits. These applications were also denied.