The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-02-14
City Council is Petiti0ned to Change
the Route of the Street Railway
on South Street.
CHARTER IS TO BE INVESTIGATED.
It is Claimed That City Has Adopted Ger
tain Parts of General Charter Law
Which Have Been Appealed.

The city council met in adjourned
session at the city hall last evening for
the purpose of hearing the report of
the special committee appointed to
look into the matter of granting a
franchise to the Northwestern Rail
way company to build a spur line to
the Allen tannery. The meeting was
short and sweet, lasting less than an
hour. The committee reported the or
dinance which had been presented at
the former meeting and it was ordered
to take the usual course. A petition
was presented from the factories in the
city asking that the council act favor
ably on the franchise and this was re-
ferred to the special committee in
charge of the franchise.
While the matter of railway was
under discussion a petition was pre-
scented asking that the Kenosha street
railway company be asked to change
its route. The change asked is that
instead of running west on South
street to Fremont avenue the route be
changed SO that the road will run west
to West on Elizabeth street to the city
limits. The petition proposing the
change in route was referred to spec
ia1 committee consisting of Aldermen
Tu11y, Curtis and Pfennig.
A very interesting matter was
brought to the notice of the council in
the way of resolution asking that the
city attorney take steps to investigate
the methods by which certain provi-
sions of the general charter law had
been adopted by the city. It is alleged
that the city adopted certain articles of
the law after the same had been re-
pea1ed by the state Legislature and this
being the fact the action of the coun-
Gil would not be legal. The case in
question which ca'1ed. up the investi-
cation was the proposed paving of
Milwaukee avenue and it was stated
by the city attorney that once Wiscon-
sin had adopted sections of the charter
law similarly to the manner in which
the Kenosha council had adopted them
and when an effort was made to levy
taxes for paving the supreme court of
the state had held that the council had
no right to make the levy on account
of the imperfect manner in which the
charter had been adopted. The alleged
error offers wide possibilities and the
investigation conducted by the city at
torney will be looked forward to with
a great deal of interest.
In regard to the plans of the Main
street bridge, to be built by the rail-
way company, the committee having
the matter in charge were ordered to
hold another conference with the en-
gineers and with Engineer Warren, of
Milwaukee, representing the United
States government.
The engineer had writted letter to
the city engineer in which he stated
that he did not think that he could see
his way clear to accept any dye
which would leave channel less than
seventy feet in width and that he
which would in no manner interfere
with the flow of the stream.
Mr.. Arnold addressed the council and
stated that he did not think that the
engineer would insist on such a width
of channel but that should a confer
ence be held between the engineers the
matter could probably be arranged.
Mr.. Arnold stated that if no agreement
could be reached the company would
be willing to build on another plan,
providing that the expense did not ex-
coed the original figures of the bridges
cost. If the cost should be increased
he stated that the company would be
willing to meet the city half way and
pay it's share in the building of larger
bridge but the city would be expected
to stand some portion of the expense.
He explained that according to the de-
mands of the ordinance the bridge
would have to be four feet wider than
the present bridge and for this reason
it would be impossible to give the
channel it's present width. Mr..
Arnold insisted that the railway COM
pany desired to deal fairly with the
city and wanted to have the matter
settled as soon as possible in man
ner satisfactory to all.
No other business of Importance was
transacted and the council ad journed.
To the Presidential Inaugural at Washing