The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-09-03
J. w. Newcomer Looks Over Light
ing Prospect in Kenosha in
View Of New Company
LIGHT QUESTION A PROBLEM
Well Known Promoter Questions if New
Men Would Come Into Kenosha
Under the Present Con-
ditions of Affairs


J. w. Newcomer Of ST. Louis, well
known promoter and builder of electric
lighting and water plants, was in Ke
nosha on Tuesday looking over the city
and incidentally looking into the prop
osition Of establishing new electric
lighting company in the city. Mr.
Newcomer is well known to many Of
the older people Of the city on account
of the fact that he was the man who
secured the franchise and arranged for
the construction Of the present city
water works. The plans for the plant
we're made by Mr. Newcomer and af-
ter the power house had been built and
the pipe distributed about the city for
the laying Of the mains he sold his
interest in the plant and franchise to
the Wheeler Brothers of Beloit, who
completed the plant and in turn turned
it over to the city,
Newcomer has always had an inter
est in Kenosha and he figured that he
might be able to interest some capital
in an electric lighting plant. After
examining into the conditions he adj
mitted that the prospect in Kenosha
was not at this time an alluring one to
the capitalists and that it might be a
difficult matter to have a new com
pany come into the city and build a
plant. elf a company should come
here to furnish street lighting they
would have to either buy the present
plant or have some assurance that they
would get good portion Of the COM
mercial and store lighting business. It
would not pay any company to come
to Kenosha and install a plant for the
simple contract of street lighting. The
cost of such plant could not be less
than 100000 and with the growth Of
Kenosha it would probably be even
greater than this sum. Just at the
present time it would be a hard matter
to get men to come into such a COM
pany, but it might be a good thing
for the Common Council to insist on
making a contract for a short time
just now, as later it might prove an
easy matter. to secure another company
in Kenosha. I am going to return to
Kenosha in a few weeks and I will
think over the matter in the mean
time. +"
Mr. Newcomer declared that the Wis
consin public utilities law seems to
have been passed for the purpose Of
perpetuating the present corporations
in power in Wisconsin and that the
provisions Of tie law practically elimin-
ated competition in most of the smaller
cities of the state. Mr.. Newcomer
stated that he was pretty we'll ac-
quainted with dealings with Kenosha
City Councils as he spent more than
five months here while working to get
the original franchise for the building
of the water plant. He intimated that
he believed that it would be just as
hard a struggle to get a franchise for
a new lighting plant even with the
consent Of the Railroad Commission
The bids for the lighting contract
are supposed to be in the hands Of the
city clerk before next Monday night.
The Kenosha Gas and Electric Company
will have q proposition based on one,
five and ten years contract and it is
now pretty certain that this will be
the only proposition made to the Coun-
GIL