The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-05-02
MILWAUKEE, co. TO OPERATE
North American Company Is Named as
the Purchaser of the Property, but it
Is Stated that it Will Not Operate
the Lines for Some Time.

morning that the North American
i Company, owners of the Milwaukee
Electric Railway and Light Company,
| the Kenosha Gas and Electric Com
pany and several other similar COM
lpanies in Wisconsin, had taken over
the property of the Kenosha Electric
Railway Company. The operation of
the lines of the company and of the
lighting plant connected with the
street railway company has not as yet
/ passed into the control of the Milwau4
kee company, but it is understood that
this company will be in complete pos
session after the rst of May. 1t is
falready announcer S. A. Lough-
fridge, the general manager of the Ke-
nosha Electric Railway Company, will
leave Kenosha in the near future to
Ego to Atlanta, Georgia, where he is to
{ have charge of a big company owned
/ by the Investment Registry Company
Eof London, England.
Formal announcement of the pur-
chase of the railway and lighting
| plant in Kenosha was given out by
~. ID. Mortimer, vice president and
general manager of the Milwaukee
Electric Railway and Light Company
Neither Mr.. Mortimer nor any one
connected with the Milwaukee Elec-
tric Railway and Light Company
would discuss the financial side. 1t is
understood that the North American
Company acquired the property
through taking over bonds of the
/ Wisconsin division Of the Chicago and
Milwaukee Electric Company which
were held by the Investment Registry
Company, London, England. The
value Of the property taken over is
estimated at $50O,OO0
/ "The operation of the Kenosha com
pany has not yet passed into the con-
troll Of the operating officials Of the
Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light
Company, said Mr.. Mortimer. 1--WE
endeavored to secure trackage rights
for our interurban cars into Kenosha,
and following our endeavors to secure
such rights the North American com
pany acquired the property. In time
| it is expected interurban cars of the
Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha line
will operate into the center of Keno
sha, instead of stopping at the north
ern limits of the city, at which point
the passengers are required to trans
fer to the local Kenosha line.
EsThis change will prove great
convenience to the interurban pas
sengers, and will complete the plans
for the operation of the Milwaukee,
Racine and Kenosha line, as originally
laid down when the road was built.
cit will be of direct advantage to
/ the people of Racine and Kenosha in
giving easy communication between
these cities and the intervening terri
tory. The construction of the Macon
Der and Whyte Wire Rope plant is
nearing completion north Of Kenosha
and the employees of this plant will en-
/ Joy single fare from points within
the city of Kenosha to their working
place.
s9The taking over of the Kenosha
city lines by the Milwaukee system
will mean that the service, tracks,
equipment and personnel will receive
the same careful attention the larger
company gives the service and equip
ment of it's Milwaukee and Racine city
and it's extensive interurban lines.
ssAfter the operation of the Keno
sha company is taken over by the
Milwaukee company tine employees OF
that company will be eligible for mem
bership in the Employees Mutual Bene-
fit Association and entitled to the
benefits of the pension system.
nThe taking over Of the Kenosha
}company will add to the Milwaukee
system seven and one-half miles of
single track and sixteen cars.
/ The formal announcement of the
transfer Of the property did not come
/
as a surprise to people lin Kenosha
who had been following the reported
negotiations between the two compan-
| les and these people knew two months
ago that the deal was practically clos
ed Six months ago when the city
asked bids for new lights to be in
SCALED in the city the Kenosha Gas
and Electric Company declined to bid
on them and at that time it was stat
led that any arrangements made by
the Kenosha Electric Railway Com
pany would be entirely satisfactory to
the Milwaukee company
1t is not known just how the new
deal will appeal to. the people of Ke-
nosha. OF course it means the end of
competitive public utility companies
and this will bring with it the settle