The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-05-21
ASK COMMISSION FOR GATES
Rap Is Taken at Milwaukee Company
When Rails at North End of the City
Are Ordered Removed-Local Com
pany Must Keep to Schedule.

The accident on the Chicago and
Milwaukee road, which resulted in the
crippling for life of little Minnie
Extra, has awakened the officials of the
city to new demand for better pro-
lection Of the crossings of the electric
line and at the meeting of the council
on Monday night the council decided
by unanimous vote to demand from the
state railroad commission an order
which will force the Chicago and
Milwaukee to employ watchmen or put
in gates to guard all the crossings of
the company in Kenosha.
The city attorney was instructed to
prepare petition to the commission
at once and pending the presentation
OF this petition the council directed the
mayor to take the weapon given him
by an old ordinance and force the
Chicago and Milwaukee to either main
tain Waterman at every crossing in
the city or to crawl through .Kenosha
at the snail pace of eights miles ian
hour. The mayor declared that he
would issue a formal notice to the spo-
lice today directing them to put on
plain clothes men to watch the opera.
ton of cars and to arrest the men in
charge of trains which are operated at
a speed greater than eight mikes an
hour. The company is to bel given
twenty-four hours in which to lput on
watchmen at the crossings and the or
der for the arrest of trainmen who
operate the cars at a speed g,greater
than eight miles an hour is to go unto
effect at noon on Wednesday. The
company will be notified of the action
of the council today and'will beugiveni
a chance to meet the demands aof the
city. Rudolph Extra, the fatherAof the
little girl SO terribly injured, was pres
ent at the meeting but he hadtno part
in the discussion of~the plans9to safe.
guard the crossings.
City Attorney Slater will prepare
the complaint to the railroad commits
sion at once and it is probable shat
the commission will sendva representa-
tive to Kenosha within the next six
weeks to take testimony Gina regard to
conditions surrounding the various
crossings of the electric line.
The council was busy with ali lot of
railroad business on Monday night.
Alderman Gundlach, chairman Sof the
committee on railroads. and transporta-
tion, complained that the men in
charge of the cars of the Milwaukee,
Racine and Kenosha Interurban line
were running these cars into thej city
on North Milwaukee avenue. He held
that the cars were run as sfarFsouth as
the switch and that this switch was
used to get the cars on the side track
at the station He declared that the
company had no franchise to operate
cars on Milwaukee avenue.
The council without division passed
a resolution directing, the company to
disconnect the lines at the north
limits of the city until such time as
the company secured a franchise for
city. The outcome of the order will
be watched with good deal of in
terest. The company owns both the
local and the interurban lines and
while it has no franchise to operate
interurban cars in the city it is just
possible that the city will not have
the power to force the breaking of
the lines.
A new resolution was presented from
the Wisconsin Gas and Electric Com
pany for the purpose of having the
company released from obligations in
connection with the building Of the
Grand avenue bridge, but the council
declined to act On it, members Of the
body saying they were not satisfied that
the company had met al tho provi-
sions Of the franchise ordinance in con-
nection with the building Of the bridge.
A rap was also taken at the opera
ton Of the local lines Of the company,
it being held that the schedule was not
maintained on nights when crowds were |
at the Rhode Opera House. Alderman
Kisten held that the cars were held at
Market Square to wait for the crowds
at the theatre and that made it impos-
sible for the company to make the
schedule required by the ordinances.
The police chief was instructed to no
tify the company to operate cars at
all times in keeping with the demands
of the ordinance.
The annual eomneneement eyerciSes