The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-06-01

H. s. VAN INGEN WRITES IN FAVOR
OF THE PROPOSED NEW ROAD.
CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED.
Mr.. Van Ingen Thinks That Road Built
by the Milwaukee Company Would
be Great Thing for the De-
velopment of Kenosha.

If one of the old Kenosha settlers,
long since departed, should return to
the scenes of his manhood, what a
change he would find in the attitude of
the city towards the railroads. He
would remember the time when Keno
sha's public spirited citizens could not
open their gates fast enough to admit
that great benefactor, the Kenosha
Rockford r. r. Not only was the
right of way given, but the city issued
bonds to assist this road, and is still
bearing tie burden. He would find
that railroad fallen from it's high estate
of pgblic benefactor, and now running
it's trains in utter disregard of the
interests of the people of Kenosha and
Kenosha County; and he could not but
feel regret that his descendants were
still bearing the burden of debt, that
he had helped to assume while reaplng
meme of the advantages which were
promised.
fOn the other hand he would see the
present administration of Kenosha
carrying on a bitter fight inherited
from the last administration, against
another railroad which asks for no
H'bonus, nor use of private property;
(which proposes to give to the city
| modern railroad accommodations in
'return for the use of certain streets.
He would wonder what had brought
about this transformation this change
from unreasonable encouragement to
unreasonable opposition to railroads..
With his superhuman insight and i'm
partial mind he would soon perceive
that the railroad chat had been the
recipient of so great fawors, that has
like other railroads enjoyed the right
of eminent domain, on the plea 0fTun-
ming it's road for the benefit of the
people, is now running it's road eEclus-
| lively for the benefit it's stockholders.
IrFinally he would discover what the
people are painfully aware of, that
their interests are entirely secondary,
and of little Importance.
The Kenosha- R ockford r. (R. does
not run it's trains to accommodate the
people of Kenosha county, and it has
become of small use to Ken0sha on
that account. No wonder the people
have gone to the other extreme, and
now demand compensation frem rail
roads for the right to rua through their
bounds. 1t is a striking acknowledge
ment of this change of feeling that one
| oF .oi%inaSun h0
has always been so active in public
affairs, who has always S0een Interested
in railroads, should now makeano effort
to encourage the advent of new roads
into iKenosha, from evident disap-
pointment at the present conGuct of
the one railroad that holds Kenosha in
it's grip. have often been asked by
outsiders the reason for Kenosha's
opposition to railrOada, and tho only
answerI could give was her sad ex-
perienGe.
But times have changed We are
entirely on new era-that of Electric
railroads.&c. be run not for local uses
alone, out to connect neighbOring
| towns. And now comes tine MilEau-
kee Street Railway Company, with the
avowed Intention OF building through
/ Zine between Milwaukee and Chicago,
TO be run in competition with the
steam roads. 1t is unfortunate in
imheriting the opposition, rightly stiEved
up, by the Dangling, two-peany policy
of the Milwaukee, Racine & Kenosh
r.. r. But its aims and methods are
entirely different. The former went
out of it's way to get the free use of
cOuntry roads, the latter proposes to
buy its own right of way wherever pos
sible. The former seemed to desire to
run as slowly as possible, and had no
objection to sharp curves. The latter
seeks for speed, and to take out every
curve possible. As compared with
steam road, the contrast is as we'll
marked. 1t will run trains on the
principle of street railways, as often as
the people need them. The Chicago &c
Northwestern never runs train that
does not pay for itself, no matter how
much it may disoblige its patrons.
An electric road will rot expect
every car to pay its way, but look to
general average for it's profits. Steam
railroads were expected to do this, but
have failed. Hence our inability to
leave Chicago more frequently, or get
there by fast train early enough in
the morning to permit Chicago business
men to live in Kenosha and hence our
inability to spend an evening in Mil
waukee or even Racine. The Wander
bilt policy of the people be damned"
is carried out to the letter on the North
Western road, and they are indirectly
opposing the building of through
| electric line at every noint nossihla.