The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-01-20
Company Lines up Poles
and Puts Wires Under
the Ground.
CITY MUST DO PART
Expect Order of Commission
Will Be Handed Down with.
in the Next Few Weeks.

the elevation of the tracks through
Kenosha. A force Of men is busy lin
ing up telegraph poles along the track
all the way through Kenosha where
there are no street pavements and
without any storm or buster the COM
pany has been busy for some time
placing wires leading to the station
and arranged for new and larger
station under the pavement on West
Main street.
It is declared that the company is
now clearing all of the property which
is to be used for the elevation of the
tracks and that it is expected that the
order of the railroad commission di-
recting the work to go forward will be
issued, possibly within the next month
and certainly by the time the building
season of 1921 is fully opened. That
the company will have money to pro
vide for the expenditure contemplated
in Kenosha, seems certain.
On Thursday the company made an
appeal to the interstate commerce
commission for government aid to the
amount of many million dollars and
it is believed that portion of this
great fund will be used to carry for
ward the work of elevating the tracks
in Kenosha which has been planned
ever since 1913 and which was ordered
by the Wisconsin railroad commission
in an order handed down more than
year ago.
Real Estate Men Busy.
Real Estate Agent Gibson Of the
company has been spending much of
his time in Kenosha in recent weeks,
but ne has given out no statement as
to just what work he was doing 1t is
believed that all arrangements have
been completed by which the company
is to secure the right-of-way for the
elevated tracks. The company has
made no effort to settle for damages
which may be claimed by property
owners as it is understood that such
claims will be joint claims against the
company and the city of Kenosha, and
it is understood that these claims will
not be settled until actions are
brought in court. 1t is said that the
cost of the work planned for Kenosha
will be in the neighborhood of six
million dollars and it will take four
or five years to complete the work.
Many of the officials of the city are
anxious to, have the work go forward
in order to make, employment for Ke-
nosha workers this year.
City Has No Option Now.
81 have been given to understand
that the Northwestern has completed
practically all of the work preliminary
to elevation Of the tracks" said Alder
man Fred Palmgreen, member of the
council railway and transportation
committee and former chairman of the
committee. Alderman Palmgreen has
handled the matter for the city during
the past year. "The city has no op-
ton, according to my understanding,
but to go forward with the work and
my understanding is that the city will
not stand in the way of this great i'm
provement being made. | was at the
office of the railroad commission some
time ago and while there, was inform
ed that all of the orders relating to
the Kenosha work were ready to be
sent out and that the work was to be
ordered started at an early date. The
impression gained at that time was
that the order of the commission
meant that the city must carry out its
part or appeal to the court and al
though the order was originally hand
ed down many months ago, there has
been no action on the part Of the city
to appeal"
Don't Know City's, Cost.
Alderman Palmgreen admitted that
he did not know what the cost of ele-
walton would be to the city Of Keno
sha. The matter has been figured by
engineers and it is expected that the
cost will be considerable. Some guess
es have been as high as million dol
lara, this amount including certain
sums which have been designated as
damages to be paid to property own
ers. II do not believe that the amount
will be that much" said one of the
city officials today. Gwen If it is q
million dollars, the work is going to
be done for several generations and
the city can afford to meet the cost
We want the elevation to go forword
just the minute the railway company
can see its way clear to finance the
proposition and understand that that
time is just about here"
Must Issue Bonds.
If the city is called upon to make
expenditures this year in connection
with the carrying out Of the elevation
plans, it will be necessary to issue
bonds in order to raise the money. Il
is not expected however that any great
amount of the work could be com
pleted this year and it is possible that
it would not be necessary for the city
to make any expenditure until the
next tax levy is made. In order to
issue bonds it would be necessary to
submit the question to a referendum.
Mrs. Northam, superintendent of the
Milwaukee county hospital at Wauwa-
tosa, addressed nurses of the first Wis
consin district at the Kenosha hospi-
tai Saturday afternoon. She is also