The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-09-09
MAYORS EMPLOYEE GETS PAY
After Bitter Contest the Council De-
cided to Pay Sewer Inspector John
son-Other Tits Among the Alder
men Make an Interesting Session.

The City Council had one of its old
fashioned orgies last night and while
there was no blood shed the fusillade
of personalities which was fired dur
ing the meeting must have left some
sore spots among the members of that
honorable body.
The trouble all started over the en-
ployment of James johnson as a sewer
Inspector and before Johnson got the
$3.50 he claimed as wages, there came
close to being tuction and the
mayor hammered the table so hard
with his gavel that the latter was dis
abled. The mayor retained his
voice long enough to call the protest
ing aldermen out of order and when
the smoke cleared away johnson had
his money. However, before the
money was ordered turned over to him
several of the aldermen expressed them
selves pretty freely, not only on john
son as a sewer inspector, but on the
action of the mayor in hiring him or
any other man without the consent of
the Council. A record Of the person
alities engaged in and the statements
made might be of interest, but it would
never do for the perusal of the read
ers of a family newspaper with a
Methodist conference in session in the
city at the same time.
The johnson fight furnished a good
part of the pyrotechnics of the even
ing, /but in addition to this Alderman
O 'Brien was in rare form and his little
tilt with Alderman Stemm in regard
to proposed grade for Washington
Island streets was not without inter
est. After O'Brien had told Stemm to
"mind his own business he seconded
the motion to refer the plat prepared
at the suggestion of the Sixth ward
alderman to the streets and alleys com
mittee. Then the Kenosha Railway
Company came in for some of the dis
cussion during the evening and it was
claimed by some Of the aldermen that
the company should pay for a part of
the street paving on Market Square.
General Manager Loughridge denied
+boco cof+ ;rnyooo n |, ~ p4c ond insist a.
that the franchise of the company Civ
ing it the right to put in switches and
cut outs did not imply that the com
pany should pave between such tracks.
This matter will probably have test
in the courts as the city will seek to
collect from the company.
Alderman O 'Brien took a couple of
hot shots at the railway company and
there were couple of loud "Amens -
from other members of the Council.
The opening up OF Elizabeth street
started a new hit at the railway com
pany as Alderman Simons sought to
show that the company had no right
of way for the lines running from
Charles street to the limits and he
urged that this matter Of opening the
street might be arranged as an exchange
of courtesies-the city giving a fran
chise and the company furnishing the
land for the opening Of the street.
This matter was referred to the alder
men of the ward and the mayor with
the city attorney added as a legal ad-
wiser and they will take the matter up
with the railway companies.
The Council decided to borrow ten
thousand dollars for the use Of the
Board of Education with the under
standing that the Board would pay in
terest on it for a period Of ninety
days.
The city accepted the proposition Of
Thomas Donley to purchase hundred
loads of stone at an expense not to
exceed S9oO to place IN the repaired
breakwater on the end of English
court and the property adjoining and
Mr.. Donley agrees to wait for his
money until the next tax roll becomes
available.
The report of the city treasurer
showed that the city had balance
of $19, 261.S1 on hand when the report
was made at the first of the month.
The reports on the paving of Ashland
avenue and Dayton street were brought
from the hands of the street assess
ment committee and the Council will
take final action in this matter at its
next regular meeting. It was inter
esting to note that the cost of repair
, ing the McGovern sewer on Dayton
'street was a urtle over 500 to say