The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-02-08
Ashland Ave. Property Owners
and Pres. Frost Discuss Plans
for New Railway Line
MANY WANT EXTENSIONS
South Ashland Avenue is in Favor of
the Railway While Property Own
ers at North End Make Opposi-
tion-Facts are Stated


city hall Thursday night and while
the discussion was not exactly fitted
for a lady's parlor the matter was
pretty well threshed out and as a re-
suit of it several things were dis
covered.
1t was found that many people along
the south end of the avenue are in
favor of the building of railway.
They want it badly. They prefer a
single track but if the company will
not take a single track they will
, stand for the construction of 2 double
track.
1t disclosed the fact that the proper
ty owners north Of Prairie avenue
did not want any sort of a track to be
built, double or single.
From the company's standpoint the
meeting brought an ultimatum to the
, following effect: "That the rail
way company would not force the ex-
tension of the line if the people of
Ashland avenue, after mature con-
sideration, decided they did not
want it. That the railway company
would make no more concessions to
the city. That the company would
stick to the long time clause. That
the company would build the best
line that money and railway ex-
perience could provide and as good a
pavement as the people wanted.
{ Ballot Favors Road
! At the close of the meeting a ballot
was taken for and against the railway
and the decision was for the road by
ing limited almost entirely to people
residing north of Prairie Ave, while at
least one man residing on this part of
the street voted in favor of the road.
The conference was largely in the
nature of a ''get together confer
ence and after the meeting was over
the people who own property on the
street had clearer idea of the mat
ter in hand. There was some ex-
change of personalities and some con-
domination of foreign corporations"
but most of the men present met Mr..
Frost in a business like way and the
matter was threshed out on its merits.
There were about forty people
present and nearly all who attended
the protesting property owners meet
ing on Wednesday met Mr.. Frost last
night.
Frost Tells of Plans
Mayor German started the bali roll
ing by introducing Mr.. Frost, and he
spoke on the plans Of the company.
He stated that the engineers of the
company, after going over the line,
had decided that the company could
place single track on Ashland ave-
nue. between Prairie and Grand ave-
nues, and double track on the ave-
nue. south of Prairie avenue. He
stated that the building of double
track at this time would cost the COM
! pany $35, 900, but that it would be i'm
possible to give good service to the
people in the south part of the city
without having double track sys-
tenn. He stated that the present
growth of Kenosha was such that the
E
the future. Mr.. Frost stated that he
was of the opinion that such line on
Ashland avenue would not pay oper-
ating expenses at this time, but that
in the future it might prove valuable
asset to the company.
J "We are not here" said Mr.. Frost,
"to urge the laying of this track. 1t
is the policy of the company to extend
the lines just as rapidly as the people
demand the service, and if the people
want this line we will give it to them,
but there is no desire on the part of
the company to force the service upon
the people,
| Trenary in Fiery Speech
| Following Mr.. Frost, Prof. O. L.
Trenary spoke, and his address was
the sensational one of the evening.
He stated that the property owners
/ were not willing to have their property
taken without protest, and stated
as a fact that the railway company
had converted South and Elizabeth
/ streets into a back alley. He said
that the proposition from an economic
standpoint was absurd.
| In fiery manner he talked of the
/ beauty of Ashland avenue. of the
coming of the telephone, telegraph
and electric light poles. He
claimed that the people had been sold
out by telephone company. He said
that B. J. Arnold had been considered
as one "whose wings were we'll
| sprouted and yet he had defied the
mayor and the entire city"
/ Mr.. Trenary claimed that the prop
erty on Ashland avenue would be
damaged beyond repair by the coming
of the railway. He stated that the
street was to be the continuance of
! the Sheridan Drive and that as such It
| would be one of the beautiful bou1e-
wards of the city. He claimed that it
was the intention of the railway COM
pany to turn it into a back street.
Trenary stated that the company had
/ plenty of other streets on which the