The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-06-02
South Street Property Own
ers Anxious to Know
What BY. Co. Will Do
LINE NOT NOW IN OPERATION
Company May However Seek to Hold
Line as Safeguard Against Posi-
BILE Eviction of TRACKS From Part
Of Elizabeth Street.

Now that move has been made to
secure the paving of South street the
property owners on that street are
seeking to find out just what is to be
done with the tracks of the Kenosha
Electric Railway Company between
Ashland avenue and West Main street.
The operation of this portion of the
line of the company was abandoned
some time ago, but the company has
taken no steps to have the tracks re-
moved and it is thought probable that
it will be the intention of the company
to hold this track as a part of line
running to the deport. At one time
the South street line was operated in
connection with the line on West Main
street to connect with the depot, but
some time ago the use Of this line was
abandoned and the depot car has been
run over several different routes. 1t
has been operated spasmodically and
in fact the company has made little eff
fort to keep the so-called depot car in
operation. However, at intervals these
cars have been run over West Main
street. They were run over this line
during the time that the tracks on
Ashland avenue north of Market street
were torn out for the building of the
sewer and it is possible that this opera
ton of the line would be sufficient to
save the franchise rights of the COM
pany. The company has not operated
cars over West Main street from South
to Elizabeth street since the Ashland
avenue Elizabeth street route was open
ed and in fact the tracks Of the com
pany are not at this time connected
on West Main street and it would be
impossible for the company to operate
cars without putting in portion of the
track at Prairie avenue.
The question of the tracks on South
street has been raised by one of the
property owners who wants to know
just what the company is to do in
regard to the paving Of the street. If
the tracks are to be left on the street
there is no doubt as to the liability
of the company for "a portion Of the
cost of the paving and some of the
property owners believe that even
should the company decide to withdraw
the tracks it should pay some portion
of the cost of the paving Of the street
on account of the former operation of
the line.
This will probably be question for
the courts to settle if the company de-
cides to pull up it's track. At the
present time suit is pending in the
circuit court to GUST the tracks of the
company from portion of Elizabeth
street and should the property owners
be successful in this action it would
be, necessary for the company to re-
turn to operation on South street and
for this reason it is thought that the
company will be very slow to give up
any rights which it may have on this
street even though these rights may
be of questionable nature.
In the last few weeks theS has been
considerable activity among the pro-
meters of the Chicago, Kenosha and
Milwaukee line and the officials of that
company declare that that company
will seek franchise rights in Kenosha
before the end of the present summer.
There is no doubt but that this COM
pany is looking enviously at West
Main street as through route in Ke-
nosha and that this company may seek
to show to the common council that
the rights Of the Kenosha Electric
Railway Company on that street have
been terminated on account of the fact
that the company has not operated the
lines in keeping with the demands of
the franchise ordinance.
The Chicago, Kenosha and Milwau-
kee has a petition before the state rail
way commission for certificate of
convenience and necessity for the
building of a line from Kenosha to
Waukegan and it is declared that this
will be pushed just as soon as the com
pany sees it's way clear to securing
a right of way thrOuph Kenosha