The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-12-26
Home Interests.

The muddy streets of this city ap
pear to have been the subject Of
comment, not only by city residents
but by our country friends as well
The condition of the city business
streets admit of no excuse on the
part of the city authorities. If this
were a new town, just emerging into
a mart of business, there might be
some apology for unfinished streets,
but this place aspired to a village in
corporation in 1910, now about a
half century ago, with village pres
ident and board of trustees; it had
all the needful powers to inaugurate
at least a plan looking forward to
permanent improvements Nothing,
however, during the period Of ten
years of village government was done
by the village authorities for more
than temporary improvements, con-
tributing to the public interests
The general state and county taxes
were collected and applied as by law
directed. After ten years of village
government that form was laid aside,
together with its name Southport,
and what was believed by some, the
more euphoneous name Kenosha was
adopted. In 1850 by act of the leg
islature, it was made a full fedged
city, with Mayor, Council and the
usual officials. What the city has
done through its constituted authori-
ties, and what it has neglected to do
that should have been done, would
make too long a chapter for news
paper. In looking about the city for
the monuments Of public enterprise
authorized by the city, the search is
not an encouraging one; the evil
dences which can be credited to the
constituted authorities are very few.
It is at least thirty years ago that the
improvement of Main street in this
city by paving it with stone, was
proposed and advocated. It was
compromised by hauling on to the
street liberal amount of mixture
of sand ard dirt: this satisfied for a
little time, but it is the recollection
of many citizens, in less than year
the material put on the street became
a mixture of mud and the condition
of the street as bad as ever. Since
then there have been cheap attempts
to improve the street, but without
any permanent effect; its condition
in past weeks has been known at
home and much abroad. Street
crossings have been covered with
mud, and women have been liable to
have their dresses bedraggled IN
crossing the street People coming
to the city in private conveyances,
twenty miles west of here, declare
they find no portion of the road more
muddy than Kenosha's main business
street. The blame lies with the au-
thorities, whose business it is to look
after city interests. Our officials in
the past have done very little for
public interests. They have voted
the inhabitants street lamps of a ca
pacity, which it is conceded each
lamp, reflects a light surprising
tallow candle From what has been
said, it is not intended to convey the
impression that Kenosha is devoid
of enterprise: the city is indebted to
individual enterprise for its present
prosperity and its encouraging fu
ture prospects. Our large manufac-
turing establishments are the out
come Of individual effort, and to
their business energies the progress
of the city in the various industrial
departments compares favorably with
neighboring cities.