The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-12-20
Special Railway Committee by
Unanimous Vote Recommends
Electric R. R. Extension
FROST MAKES CONCESSIONS
ing, Widen Grand Avenue, Give
Universal Transfers and Fur
nish Ten-minute Service

The Kenosha Electric Railway COM
pany seems to have won its fight for
extension of the lines in Kenosha for
at the meeting of the Common Coun-
Gil Monday evening the Special Rail
way Committee presented unan-
imous report recommending the pas
sage of the ordinance proposed by the
company. The ordinance was given
its first reading and President A. C.
Frost appeared before the Council
and stated that while the franchise
ordinance was exceedingly burden
some to the company and while the
company had made greater conces-
sions to Kenosha than had been made
to any other city ia the northwest by
traction company, yet he would &C.
cept the ordinance if passed and be-
gin the construction of the extension
of the lines at once.
The agreement between President
Frost and the committee came only
after a session lasting many hours in
which the committee took up every
phase of the traction problem. The
ordinance which had been prepared
under the guidance Of the committee
was accepted by Frost with the
elimination of the three clauses in
regard to lowering the fares. Frost
produced the figures to show that
such thing would be impossible for
the company and he showed that even
in the city of Chicago where a
great deal of time and money had
been spent in investigating the trac-
ton question the reduction of fares
! had been less than three mills for a
fifty year grant. Frost, however,
consented to make other concessions
which he had declined at other times.
He stated to the committee on the out
set that he was willing to make any
reasonable concessions order to
get the Council to take some i'm
mediate action in order that the COM
pany might be able to make plans
for building at once. When the
ordinance was read to the Council it
showed that the committee had done
good job and it was an ordinance
highly satisfactory to the Council.
/ It provides for double tracks on
Ashland avenue from Prairie avenue
to the south limits of the city; a
single or double track on Elizabeth
street from Crate street to the west
limits of the city; single or double
track on Caledonia ST. from the south
line of the street to the north limits of
the city; single track on Grand ave.
from North Main to Ashland avenue;
single track on Ashland avenue
from Prairie avenue to Caledonia
street. The franchise rights are to
extend to June 1st, 1852.
The franchise demands the following
concession to the city. The paving
of Ashland avenue and Caledonia
streets to width of twenty feet
where double tracks are laid and ten
feet where single tracks are laid.
The widening of Grand avenue so
that the pavement of the street will
be thirty-three feet. The company
agrees TO build culvert over Jerome
Creek on Ashland avenue at a cost Of
$500; to build bridge over Pike
river at the juncture of Caledonia and
Ashland avenue; to repair the Grand
avenue bridge and pav one-half the
cost of maintaining it; to furnish uni
versal transfers; to furnish ten min
ute service in all parts Of the city and
to extend the lines of the com pany at
any time the growth of the city may
demand it. A tabulated statement Of
the concessions made and the esti-
mated cost of them as prepared by
disinterested engineers showed that
the cost would be in excess of $50, OOO
The company also agreed to furnish a
bond to be approved by the mayor to
insure carrying out the contracts
made by the franchise.
The committee declares that the
ordinance as prepared is the best that
could be secured by the city. They
state that the ten-minnte service and
universal transfer clause will mean
much to the city, and will provide for
the city the best street railway serv-
ice to be found in any city of twenty
thousand in the state of Wisconsin if
not in the world.
| President Frost in an address to
the Council stated that the company
would not quibble over any trifles,
and that it stood ready to build for
Kenosha the finest railway system
that money could provide.
| Mr.. Frost stated that four new cars
were now being built for the Kenosha
line, and that two repaired cars would
be in the city within the next two
weeks. He stated that the new cars
would come from the shops on Febru-
airy LIST.