The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-06-24
kenosha Electric Railway Co..
Begins Work of Installing Its
Electric Lighting Circuit
NO SIGN OF BIG CONTEST
Kenosha Gas and Electric Company
has as Yet Taken no Step to
Stop the Advancement of the
Work by New Company

TAe Kenosha Electric Railway Com
pany this morning began the actual
work of putting in the circuit to be
used for the lighting of the streets of
the city and the poles of the circuit
are being set on Market street. The
company has received several cars of
poles and they have been placed in
condition for setting. Contractor
Scott in charge of the work has a
large force of men at work and it is
certain that the circuit will be put in
in record breaking time.
AS yet nothing has been done to
stop the building of this circuit and
the Kenosha Gas and Electric Com
pany has made no move to interfere
with the company in the work. 1t is
expected that the fight will start when
the company seeks to set poles at
points where there are poles owned by
the old company. Thus far no agree
ment has been made between the two
companies for the use Of the poles and
no demand can be made by the city
for the Kenosha Gas and Electric Com
pany to remove these poles until after
it's contract for the lighting of the
city has expired. There is some
doubt as to whether the city would
be able to act at that time as many
of the poles used by the Kenosha Gas
and Electric Company for carrying
the wires used for the street lights
are also used to carry wires of the
commercial circuit. Contractor Scott
declares that it will be possible to
have the new system of wires ready
in time to take over the contract in
August. The manager of the Kenosha
Electric Railway Company recently 4ap-
pealed to the Council for aid in locat-
ing the poles and it is probable that
this will be given later on. The
poles which are now being set up will
be used for the commercial as well as
the street lighting circuit.
There is no precedent for the fight
that is scheduled to be Waged between
the two companies for the rights Of
electric lighting in Kenosha and the
steps taken by the old company are
being watched with considerable in
terest in Wisconsin. The local man
ayers of the Kenosha Gas and Electric
Company seem to think that it will be
up to the Wisconsin State Railway
Commission to protect the rights of
this company on account Of the fact
that the company is registered with
the Commission as public service
corporation. This is the first time
that the Commission has been asked
to meet such a contingency. The
fact that the city Of Kenosha has
granted franchise to a second com
pany to supply electric light in the
city has not affected the financial
standing of the Kenosha Gas and
Electric Company as the reports show
that the bonds of the company sold in
Milwaukee Monday above par and
were quoted during the day as high
as 104
The officials Of the Kenosha Electric
Railway Company seem to be of the
opinion that the Commission will not
attempt to stop the company from sup
plying street light in Kenosha on ac-
count of the claim that the City Coun-
Gil let the contract for this service to
the Railway Co. before the Kenosha
Gas and Electric Company registered
under the public utility law.