The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-11-02
North Western Hopes to Have
Line to the West Finished
by First Of the Year
MANY GANGS OF MEN BUSY
Farmers are Still Unnotified as to the
Uses the Company Will Make of
the New Road, But it May
be Passenger Line

Work on the new line of the Chicago
q northwestern Railway company,
being built from Chicago to Mi1wau-
kee, through Racine and Kenosha
counties, is being pushed as rapidly
as possible. In this county the road
runs along the country half mile
east OF Truesdel1 and from the county
line on the south into North Milwau-
kee north, hundreds of graders are
hustl1ng with many teams of horses.
In conversation with the foreman
it was learned that he had about one
hundred men at work, with dirt load
ing machines and thirty-five teams.
This gang commenced work four
miles south of Somers and were to
grade and level the roadbed for a
distance of eight miles north; then
another crowd continue the work from
that point eight or ten miles and way
to Milwaukee the crowds changed and
the same conditions prevailed south
to Chicago.
AS fast as the roadbed was ready
the construction men followed and
laid the rails and rails were down to
within point four miles north of the
county line and an effort is to be
made to have the line open for traffic
by January 1st, but this will be hardly
possible, Judging from the character
of the work thus far finished.
Considerable difficulty is being ex-
perienced getting dirt to fill in the
low places, and miniature sidetracks
are built along the adjoining farms
and dirt hauled on the small cars.
Most - the right-of-way bought by
the cJrporation is about 100 feet wide.
ne men engaged in grading and
= srforming other work, live in tents
erected along the roadway. OF course
cooks are employed, and although the
nights are cold, fires are kept and the
best of food furnished. Often these
men, used to the hard work, sleep in
the tents all winter long, no matter
whether the thermometer reaches 1O
or 20 below zero, in fact one of the
contra ctors made the remark that he
had not slept in a house for four
years, always occupying tent. This
man further remarked that never II
his life did he turn a man down who
came to him in search of work. II
there was no employment it was his
custom to furnish the man with money
and send him on, after giving him a
good meal.
Every man employed on the work
is hale and hearty, and few ever ex-
perience sick day. This can be at
tributed to outdoor life, and expert
encing all kinds of weather condi-
tons.
AS yet it has not been positively
stated whether this new road is to be
used exclusively for freight business
or passenger trains. Farmers are not
informed as to this important point.
The line from Chicago is almost
straight as an arrow, calculated for
high speed.
On account of the building of the
road many good and profitable farms
have been practically cut in two,
leaving half on each side of the
tracks. Again corners are cut off and
small fractions of an acre. In the
main farmers are satisfied, having re-
ceived fair price for the land.
Of course the operation of the new
road increases danger to travel and
especially where the small roads will
necessarily have to cross the tracks.