The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-10-22
City Council Demands That Ke-
nosha R. R. Co. Complete
Changes in Tracks
IMPROVEMENTS HELD OPEN
Special Committee Named to Wait on
Frost and Force Company to
Live Up To Contracts
Telephone Bills Wait

A. G. Frost and the Kencsba Electric
Railway Company were under fire at
the meeting of the Kenosha City
Council Monday evening, and the
Council will take vigorous steps to
force the railway company to carry
out its contracts with the city in re-
gard to the improvement IF Newell
and Market streets. Contractor John
10. Jones who has the contract for the
paving of these streets declared to the
Council that all of his men were be-
ing held back on account of the fact
that the railway company had not com
pleted the work of bringing the tracks
to grade. Several times in the past
week the superintendent of the com
pany has agreed to have this work
started, but nothing has been done
and the Council, worn out by delay.
will give Frost one last chance to start
the work by Thursday morning and if
he fails to get busy it is very probable
that the city will appeal to the at
torney general Of the state to stop the
operation of cars in the city pending
the company doing the work provided
for in the contract. A special commit
tee consisting of the mayor, the city
attorney and the aldermen of the
Fourth ward was named to take up this
matter with Frost and the other com
pany's agents today and see to it that
the work is started at once. Frost has
just returned from Alaska and it is
claimed that he has planned to come
to Kenosha tomorrow, but the commit
tee planned to go to Chicago We'd
nesday to have an interview with
him and if possible force him to 90
ahead with the work. Contractor
Jones goes with the committee. Jones
may take contract to 10 all the work
for the railway company and if this
agreement is reached he claims that
he viii be able to complete the pave
ment Of Newell and of Market street
as far east as Rowland avenue this
year. 1t is certain that the city viii
waste no further time with the rail
way company and if Frost and his as
sOciates do not order the work done
at once the city will do everything in
its power to hamper the operation of
the lines until the work is done The
Council has been decidedly patient
with the Frost Company on account of
the recent financial troubles, but the
time is past for delay and it will in
sist on action.
The Council had a long discussion 10
regard to the payment of telephone
bills, the result of it all being that
the bills were not paid. Mayor
Scholey declared that he would not
sign the orders if the bills were paid
by the Council and after a considera-
BILE debate it was decided to allow the
companies to bring suit for the
amounts claimed from the city in order
to get a test case.
There were some members of the
Council, including the finance commit,
tee to whom the bills had been re-
| ferred, who believed that the action
was simply a case of butting up
against a stone wall, but a majority of
| the Council favored laying the bills
over. It is probable that the company
will cut off the phone service of the
city and refuse to install new phones
until after the bills are paid.
In the future every man working for
the city must get his money from the
City Clerk and to this end the street
gang will be let off at four O'Clock
on the day following the allowance of
the bills to allow them to go to the
City Hall to get their money In the
past the orders for these men have
been drawn by the superintendent of
streets and the plan was not regarded
as legal by some Of the members of
the Council
Contracts were let Monday night for
the proposed sewer on Ashland avenue
which will empty into Jerome Creek,
but in letting it the Council passed
resolution shat it was to enter into
the creek only until such time as a
trunk sewer was built.
Claim was made to the Council that
the new paving on Durkee avenue was
being badly damaged by the burning
Of leaves on it and special notice
viii be published ordering ali people
of the city to observe the ordinance
against burning leaves or other rub
bish on the streets and arrests viii Col
low the violation of the rule. Durkee
avenue people arc especially requested
to see that no one burns leaves on the
new asphalt street as it will be badly
damaged by the fires