The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-01-14

w tH6 w 1SCOuSlu lOGdGG bOafu VI
Health " is being carried to Madison
this afternoon by DR.. G. Heinka, a
member of the state board, who came
to Kenosha late Wednesday afternoon
and who In company with District At
torney A. l.. Drury and Sheriff Andrew
F. Stahl, made an investigation OF con
dltions in boarding houses maintained
by the Consumers Company and the
Boyle Ice Company on Silver Lake,
Hooker Lake and Camp Lake. The re-
port of the men who made the inves-
tlgation is sensational and when the
full facts in regard to conditions are
made public they will be revolving.
4 never believed that men could be
expected to exist in such places,' said
District Attorney Drury. "You would
not believe that such conditions could
exist anywhere" said Sheriff Stahl.
"lt's the rottenest report ever taken
to the state board of health,' was
the comment of DR.. Heinka.
The investigation is certain to re-
suit in clean up in the ice fields of
Kenosha county and in the installation
of sanitary sleeping places for men
forced to work for low wages.
The report of DR.. Heinka will be laid
before Secretary Harper this afternoon
and Immediately special meeting of
the state board of health will be called
to take immediate and vigorous action.
Under the law the companies must be
given notice to clean up before the
men in charge of these places may be
arrested and charged with violation of
the rules laid down by the state board
of health for housing workmen. This
routine will take at least ten days.
81 wish it was possible for us to
proceed in the courts this morning
against the men who have maintained
these boarding houses" said Attorney
Drury. "They are not only a shame
to Kenosha county, but are crime
against civilization. The war camps
of Europe would be paradises in COM
parison and the men who slept in the
vermin ridden prisons in civil war
times had no experiences that could
not be recounted by the men who are
working on the ice. -
One of the companies declared after
the visit of the investigators that it
would ship its men at ten clock this
morning and it is certain that the ice
harvest on all the lakes will be rushed
to the limit in order to get the houses
cleared of their tenants before the
formal order of the state board of
health can be served on the men at the
various points on the lakes. However,
In another year the officials will have
these buildings inspected before sim
gle man is allowed to go into them.
The members of the investigating
committee left Kenosha after four
O'Clock Wednesday afternoon and went
to Peck s Crossing where vehicle was
In waiting to take them to the boarding
houses of the Consumers Company on
Twin Lakes. In these houses they
found dirt and filth were the prevail
ing, pieces of furniture. In one room
less than twenty-five feet square they
found thirty-six men sleeping on hunks
just wide enough for their body and on
the floors was the accumulated filth
and dirt brought in by the men since
the opening of the cutting season.
Many of the men informed DR.. Heinka
that there had not even been broom
used in the sleeping quarters. In this
and other rooms there was not sign
Of ventilation and the men were Sleep
ing in the clothing that they had worn
all day on the ice and the only wear
ing apparel that had been removed was
the felt boots which omitted a vile
smell that staggered the investigators
as they. entered the places. In another
room an equal number of men were
found sleeping. In a room ten feet
square with low ceiling, hunks had
been provided for eight men. The men
seemed to welcome the coming of the
state official and the county officials.
Some of them stood about scratching
in a manner that indicated the pres
ence of vermin.
II wanted to go home tomorrow"
said one of the men, "but [ must get
rid Of the lice first The condition of
the dining rooms and kitchens was
found to be bad, but at couple of the
five boarding houses visited tidy WON
en- were in charge and these women
declared that they had nothing to do
with the sleeping quarters. The kitch-.
ems in these houses were found neat
and clean In some of the houses de-
caying vegetables were piled on the
floor of the room used as an eating
room and the floors were SO filthy that
they were revolving.
The managers for the ice companies
had evidently not expected the coming
of the state board of health. For
L. 4 n a.