The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-11-23
Main Street Again.

pOnd DuL 1U dOesn lake great
deal Of dynamite to blow up an old
building and if some civic patriot wants
to start on some of the buildings on
Main street we would agree first hand
to go out and raise fund to buy the
explosive and not charge him cent Of
interest on the loan. It's going to be
a great day for Kenosha when some
fellow sends the go-devil down the
tube to explode the charge to blow up
one of those old buildings and make
room for a modern building. True
enough we have couple of them that
have signs of the times written on
them. They stick out like sore thumb
to every visitor who comes into the
city and he stands in admiration be-
fore them and just naturally patronizes
the stores they have in them because
he naturally thinks that the fact that
there is the appearance of modern in
the outward appearance of the building
must reflect something of a modern
stock and modern service on the in
terror. Sure enough the First National
Bank building is being veneered with
Bedford stone. We never had enough
money in the bank to be ''power be-
hind the throne, or it would have
been our idea to have had this great
financial institution blaze the trail for
a new business district in .Kenosha.
However, it can be said that it is perk-
ing up little and may be the re-
Election Of this perking will be seen
on other buildings in its vicinity. Tt
would have been a great example if
the directors Of the bank could have
seen their way clear to put up magni-
ficent pile of stone and granite at this
principal corner of the city. However,
bank must be conservative and it is
just possible that some other man who
has faith in Kenosha can start the ball
rolling. Just one Of those real modern
buildings would GO long ways
toward setting the fashion and toward
exploding more charges of dynamite
Kenosha business property is recog-
nized as a fairly good investment.
Men want to do business in Kenosha
and they are willing to accept handi-
caps in order to get crack at the
city's $12,000,000 year payroll.
Most of the men who rent building
down town know that if the buildings
were better that they could do better
business. Only few of them, however,
own these buildings. The rest Of them
rent them and find it harder to put
progress behind the owners than it is
to sell goods in the old fashioned
stores. New fronts for old buildings
are make-shift at best The squatty
old timers are not in touch with the
modern idea of Kenosha. A lot of
them would have attracted attention in
Southport, but most Of the people now
living in Kenosha would not have
stopped while running through South
port in an automobile.
If traditions of the past must be
maintained why not organize a his
torical society and open historical
museum. There ism t any use of MAX
ing the main business street of the
city this sort of historical collection.
Traditions are great thing, but the
city should get away from the tradi-
tional stage some time.
We are not going to say a word
about the repaving of Main street in
this because we feel certain that Main
street as it stands today is hardly
worth repaving. IF some fellows would
start to make it real Main street it
is going to be repaved even if the
money has to be raised by private
subscription.
Of course the answer to it all is that
present investments are good inves-
ments. That Main street property is
now paying returns worth while and
most of the people are willing to be
satisfied to accept "worth while J"
rather than chang up" Investments
Getting under the hide of satisfied
man with money is hard proposition
and we are simply dreaming little
in trying this on.
New blood is coming into Kenosha
every day. That healthy class of peo-
pie known as the Jewish class, is find
ing place for the investment of real
money in Kenosha. These fellows are
not only builders Of trade, but they are
builders of buildings. In these new
men is a hope that Main street is going
to be better Main street and street
more in keeping with real demands of
a real city. shunting trade away from
the big stores in Chicago may be
hard proposition, but some time when
Main street is more like State street it
is going to be lot easier to get con
verts to the 'FTrade at Home doctrine.
In the meantime il you see any civic
patriot out looking for the stick of
dynamite just send him around. We
will stick to our proposition even If all
decide to blow themselves to the extent
of blowing the buildings.
President Wilson seems to be IN
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