The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-04-18
TURN OVER GENE Terry
Council Places Keeping Of Keno
sha Cemetery In Hands Of
Cemetery Association
IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE
Contract With the City is to Be for
Ten Years and City will Pay $4,000
Annually for the Expenses of
the Association

A new era has been declared for
the Kenosha city cemetery, as the
Common Council at its last meeting
Monday night by a unanimous vote
decided that the keeping of the GENE
terry for the next ten years at least
should be turned over to the newly
organized Kenosha Cemetery Associa-
ton. The action was taken on the
report of the committee which had
been Investigating the plan for many
weeks, and which had arrived at the
dc cision that the best thing that
could be done for the city and for the
cemetery was to turn it over to the as
sociation for the future. Under the
recommendation of the committee the
city will make a ten year contract
with the association to care for the
cemetery and the Association will re-
ceive the sum of $500 annually for
its services. At the end of the ten
year term the Association will beready
to take the entire burden of the Gene
terry from the shoulders of the Coun-
Gil without further pay, or the city
can again take hold of the city of the
dead and care for it as at the present
time.
The action of the Council came
only after hard struggle, in which
some of the aldermen sought to delay
the action. Mayor German, who had
been member of the special commit
tee in charge of the transfer, had de-
clined to sign the report of the COM
some pretty warm words between the
mayor and Alderman Edward Alleman
of the Fourth ward. The mayor
stated that he had declined to sign
the report on account of the fact that
he thought that the price was too
high. The contract is to be drawn by
the city attorney and it will probably
be presented to the Council for ap-
prevail at the next meeting.
Plans Big Expenditure
Charles H. Gonnermann, who rep
resented the trustees of the Cemetery
Association on the floor of the Coun-
Gil during the debate on the question,
stated that the Association was ready
to begin the work of improving the
cemetery at once, and that the Asso-
citation would spend two or three dol
lars for each dollar given by the city.
He stated that the work of putting up
a new fence would be taken up at
once, and that the fence alone would
cost the Associa ton in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000.
AS soon as the contract is made the
Association will put dozen men to
work, and the cemetery will be
cleaned up and put in condition for
the. summer season. The old paths
which are no longer of use will be
eradicated, and it is planned to lay
macadam walks and roads in the Gem
etery at once. The Association will
put man in charge of the grounds,
and it will see to it that the cemetery
is no longer made a by-way for deliv-
cry wagons or happy hunting
8TOunu 1OT hunters.
The plans for the Improvement of
the cemetery have not as yet been
entirely completed, but this work will
be taken up as fast as possible, and
the changes rushed to completion.
AT the present time the city has
been spending about $80Ga year on
the care of the cemetery, but the
aldermen appreciate the fact that the
money has been practically thrown
away as there has been little or no
work done. It is stated that practi-
cally all of the lots in the cemetery
are sold, and the city will receive no
more revenue from it. The Associa-
ton will contract to take care of the
graves of all paupers buried in the
cemetery, and will agree to furnish
new graves for the city in any new
cemetery that may be opened in the
future.
The contract will be made binding
on the Association, and the Associa-
ton will be called on to specify the
work that is to be done under the con-
tract. Mr.. Gonnermann stated at the
meeting of the Council that it was
the plan of the Association to spare
no pains or money to make the Keno |
sha cemetery one Of the most beauti- |
full in the state.