The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-07-19
Big SEWERS HALF FINISHED.
Should Government Decide to Take the
Equipment of Contracting Company
Work in Kenosha Might Be Held
Open Many Months, Even Years.

People Of Kenosha and especially
those who live in the sections where
big sewers are being built may have a.
chance to get better and more COM
prehensive idea of what General Sher-
man meant when he made his famous
declaration as to just what war is as it
is rumored in Kenosha today and even
whispered in official circles about the
city hall that the United States gov
eminent is going to commander the
sewer building outfit of the James
Kennedy company. This would mean
the stopping Of all the big work in Ke-
nosha and for how lolg no one would
be able to predict.
8 Yes / have heard it, = said City En-
gineer Brennan when he was asked to
tell something about the possibility of
the war putting an end to sewer work
in Kenosha feThe rumor came to me
through the men employed by the Ken
nedy company, How much they know
I am not able to state but they have
been advised that the United States
government may feel that the equip
ment now being used in Kenosha can
be used to aid the work of the nation
at war. Of course if the government
wants this equipment bad enough to
commander it Kenosha will have to
find some other way to build her
sewers. I suppose the people of the
city are patriotic enough to stand for
Inconvenience if the nation needs a
sewer digging equipment. The Ken
nedy equipment is modern and first
class in every way and know that they
have been taking similar equipments
for government use. There has been
no official notice served on me that
Uncle Sam needs this equipment and it
is hardly possible that there would be.
The Kennedy company has been
working in Kenosha for lot of months
and many cf the sewers are just at
the point where the big work must be
done with big equipment. It would
greatly handicap the work if the con
tractors were forced to 60 at it with
hand labor and eliminate the machines.
The possibility Of the sewer work
storm of protest from people on the
west and southwest sides of the city.
Nearly every road leading out of the
city at the present time is closed on
aoooun+ az oo1xar 11yarly onJ ~ bold +b;s
up until the close of what may be
long continued war would be a great
hardship to the people and real test
of their patriotism. The time has al
ready expired for the completing Of
several of the contracts. It is highly
improbable that under conditions exist
ing it would be possible for the city to
take up the work and complete it even
If the contractors would surrender their
claims.
Of course, the government may never
| feel that it needs the Kennedy equip
ment but the city engineer feels that it
will be made by government agents.
Camps for the soldiers are being con-
structed all over the country and a lot
of this sort of equipment is being de
manded. If the Kenosha contractor es-
capes it will be all but remarkable.
It is declared that even with favorable
conditions it will take no less than six
months to complete the sewers now
under contract in the city and many Of
these are now in the open ditch stage.