The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-05-20
Waukegan and Kenosha
Furniture Dealer Bids
$4,000 for Building.
GETS POSSESSION SOON
Historic Old Structure Long
Home of Fraternal Organiza-
tions May BE Rebuilt.

He who hesitates usually pays for
1t. This was shown on Tuesday even
ing when Samuel Schwartz of Wauke-
gan, owner of furniture stores in
Waukegan and Kenosha, paid $115,000
for the knights of Columbus building
on Main street. Three years ago the
same purchaser sought to secure the
building. 1t was offered to him at
ffty-fve thousand dollars. "pll give
you fifty-three," Schwartz told the
committee in charge of the sale Of the
juilding, and / won't give another
cent" The deal was dropped at the
time but Schwartz aid not give up his
desire for the building and his hesita-
ton cost him a little over 100000.
The sale Of the building was sane
toned by the Knights Of Columbus
Building Association on Tuesday
evening after the report Of the asso-
citation had been presented to the
members Of the local council and Mr..
Schwartz will take possession Of the
property on the first Of June. The
purchase price will be paid in install
ments with the understanding that the
whole cost is to be paid within peri
cd of five years. Fifteen thousand
dollars was paid to bind the bargain
and another ten thousand dollars will
be paid when the deeds to the property
are executed.
Three Bids for Building.
There were three bids received for
the building Epstein Brothers, own
ers of the building at the corner of
Market Square and Main street offered
S85,000, Demos Brothers of the Elite
offered $4,000 and Schwartz has the
best bid at the price at which the
year the bargaining for the sale Of
the building has been going on and
many purchasers for it have been sug-
gested Under the terms Of the sale
the Knights of Columbus will continue
to occupy the building as a hall until
the first of March, 1921, and if the
council desires plans may be made for
an extension Of the lease.
There are no leases to any of the
rooms on the ground floor or the sec
ond floor Of the building, but Schwartz
HdS dBItGA 10 give FLtlC pItoGnL JSIdllLS
of the building reasonable time to
secure other places before he starts
to carry out elaborate plans for the
remodeling Of the building
1t is the plan Of the purchaser of
the building to make it one of the fin
est furniture stores in Wisconsin. The
plans include an entire rebuilding Of
the ground floor of the building with
new front which will be one Of the
handsomest on any building in this
section Of the state It is possible
that on account Of the abnormal build
ing conditions at the present time that
the changes in the bsilding may be
laid over until next year but if posi-
bic they will be carried out shortly
after the new owner takes possession
on the first Of June.
Association Has Big Profit.
The members OF the Knights Of Co
lumbus Building Association have
reaped a handsome profit on the prop
erty. 1t was purchased by the assoc
citation in 1907 at cost of $43,000 and
only small amount had been ex-
pended in the improvements on the
building. The profit Of the association
in the property is estimated al close
to sixty five thousand dollars This
profit will be divided among some eigh-
ty stock holders of the association.
Among the more prominent Of the
stock holders are John C. Slater Willis
Weiskopf, Mrs, Patrick Friel, Patrick
Dougherty, Thomas Hoban and Mich
ael Isernann.
Knights Have No Plans.
The members of the Kenosha Coun-
Gil Of the Knights of Columbus have no
immediate plans for building club
home. The matter has been discussed
at length among the members and
with the sale Of the building it is ex-
pected that the plans will be whipped
inc some definite home. 1t has been
suggested that a great club house be
erected for the housing Of all Of the
Catholic Fraternal organizations and it
fS possible that this plan will be work
ed out later. 1t is certain that he
Knights will take no action to build
during the present building conditions
Historic Old Building.
The building rs one of the historic
old buildings of Kenosha. 1t was built
in three sections some forty years ago
by the late Frederick Robinson, the
late John B. Kupfer and the late Ed
ward English. Later the entire upper
portion of the three buildings were
leased by the Masonic order in Ke-
nosha and it became known as the
masonic Temple" The late John
ODonnell was father" Of the knights
of Columbus Building Association and
it was largely through the work OF
Mr.. O'Donnell and John c. Slater that
the building was purchased for the
organization.