The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-02-13
NEW ORDINANCE PRESENTED.
Messrs. Slush g. Co. Are Still After a
Street Railway Franchise.

At the meeting of the common cOun-
Gil Monday evening A. W. Bishop, sec
rotary of the Milwaukee, Racine and
Kenosha Street Railway company,
made a formal request that the pend
ing ordinance relating to street ra1-
way franchise be returned to the COM
pany. Aid. McGiyern made an objec-
tion to its return and SO Mr. Bishop of
fered another ordinance to take its
place. That in nutshell is about all
the action taken by the council on the
street railway scheme.
Immediately after the council had
been called to order the mayor started
out by wanting to know what the
council desired to do with reference to
any street railway franchises which
might be pending before it. He said
that the VIM. H. Schott ordinance was
still in the hands of the committee of
| the whole and that no report had yet
been made on it. And then there was
the Slush & Co. ordinance. When the
mayor asked what the council desired
to Go there was period Of hesitancy.
No one seemed to be anxious to get to
his feet and for a time the council
chamber might easily have been taken
for meeting of the Hicksite Quakers.
The calm did not seem to be of the or
der which precedes a storm, either. 1t
seemed q sort Of quandary, puzzle.
The Interrogation mark of silence
seemed printed in the atmosphere and
everybody waited. There was no in
tensity in the scene, SO nobody leaned
forward in the anxiety of suspense.
Every body simply rested coolly-and
waited The wait was not a very long
one, for some one dispelled the haze of
the situation by proposing that the
matter of an electric light plant be
taken up. This decided upon, w. Ell.
Wheeler was requested to take the
/ floor
Mr.. Wheeler said he had franchise
ordinance and q proposal to the city.
He turned two. formidable papers over
THE city clerk and requested him to
read them. The ordinance was simply
plain one granting a franchise for an
electric lighting system to cover 100
lights, all night service. and a price
fixed at. about $3.50 per month Mr..
Wheeler said he had not yet got his
plans and specifications ready, but he
wished to say that the plant when built
was to be of the most approved pattern
of the present engineering skill and
practice, and all the materials in it's
construction we're to be of the very best.
The proposal when read gave the
city the right to purchase this plant at
any time after August 5, 1896, at which
time it is supposed to be finished, at a
price of about $36,000 He wanted the
station built in connection with the
present water works power house He
proposed putting in two COrliss engines
giving between 400 and 500 horse pow
er, enough for city Of about 25, 900
to 10000 people.
The ordinance was referred to a COM
mittee Of one alderman from each
ward. which WAS to confer with the city
attorney some time today. The COM
mittee was made up of Aid. Schend,
Yule, McGiVern and Brister This
committee was to prepare the ordi-
nance for it's publication by making
whatever amendments were deemed
necessary.
Then came up the motion OF Mr.
Bishop for his old franchise ordinance
and the refusal of the council to give it
to him. Mr.. Bishop then presented his
new ordinance and it was informally
read by the clerk. Something of dis
cussion followed as to whether this
should be considered the first legal
reading before the council, which was
finally decided not to be- The mayor
recommended the railway people to get
the ordinance published at once, so
that everybody could see what they
wanted and so that the aldermen could
get the ordinance in such form as to be
able to get acquainted with it before it
came up for action. No council action
was taken on the matter.
| At this point G.. r. Mcdowell adj
dressed the mayor and asked what had
| become Of the Schott ordinance. He
was told that it was still liz the hands
| of the committee of the whole and that
no report had been made on it yet.
| Mr. Mcdowell wanted to know if
there was any way in which it could
be got out of the hands of that com
mittee, and he was told that it would
be impossible until the committee saw
fit to report on it. Presenting his re-
spects. Mr.. Mcdowell sat down and the
council then adjourned.