The Streetcar Shuffle: Who Gets to Run Tacoma’s Rails?
A federal judge hands a Tacoma street railway to a new co-receiver—and a Portland buyer’s Point Defiance line may swallow the route.
Receiver For a Tacoma Railway. Tacoma, March 16.—Special.—On the application of the New York Guaranty and Indemnity Company of New York, Judge Hanford, in the federal court today, appointed S. Z. Mitchell, of Portland, co-receiver with O. W. Bird for the Tacoma Railway Motor Company, and fixed his bond at $10,000. Bird was appointed receiver of the line by the superior court some weeks ago, and then the case was transferred to the federal court. The suit on which Bird was appointed was brought by Paul Schulze for the object, it is believed, of avoiding paying a $35,000 judgment for personal damages secured against the line. Mitchell some time ago purchased the Point Defiance street railway line for $82,500 at sheriff’s sale. It is now expected that under Mitchell’s management the two lines will be united.
“It is now expected that under Mitchell’s management the two lines will be united.”
Tacoma’s street railway fight was really about who would control the tracks, the fares and the route map. Modern transit debates over receivership, consolidation and public control of service still turn on the same question: who gets to decide where the line goes.
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