Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 115, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1919 — GENE ON THE JOB AGAIN [ARTICLE]

GENE ON THE JOB AGAIN

OUR “GENIE” BOY CLIMBS INTO PUBLICITY VAN AGAIN UP CHICAGO WAY. Gene Purtelle—the irrepressible Gene—who only talks in millions—the boy who has built billion dollar railroads galprs—the Indiana kidglove king—the promotor of the interurban route which passes through this beautiful little city—plunger—the gent who makes the mayor of Chicago and his subordinatae£ behave is back again, back in the publicity spot-light causing weary scribes to ink and causing weary scribes to work overtime after an absence of—oh, these many months! It’s a lead pipe that any time “Genie” starts anything that he is going to gdt publicity. That bird has Barnum bested for advertising. '.But Gene, dear old boy, we're glad to have you back, we’ve missed you so and don’t want you to ever leave us again. The suspense has been horrible and words can’t express our joy upon flnding’ythat you are safe and sound and still secure on the pinnacle of speculation. Gene, you’re a life-saver and a space-filler. Welcome!

Friends, come with us down the column that you may know what las happened to our wandering son during his months of absence. The Chicago Journal will tell you all about it: lugene Purtelle of “$150,000,000 cabaret subway fame” is having difficulties again in efforts to finance another big public utilities project. This time it is a monorail proposition of the kind that one or two large German cities have the exclusive honor of operating successfully. He says le has practically completed his acquisition of a right of way from Jefferson, Wis. along a curvature route through or near such municipalities as Park Ridge, Evanston, Niles Center, Desplgines and Palatine.

The name of Purtelle’s company is ! the Chicago, Fox Lake & Northern Electric Railway company. Illustrations of the scheme of operation represent an elevated structure, with cars suspended from single-rail trucks overhead. “Under existing condition,” Purtelle, who lives at the Plymouth hotel, 4700 Broadway, prefers to let the organization of his company, which is capitalized at $2,500, remain a mystery. He declined to state who is backing him, although it is said that considerable money has been expended in perfecting the right of wa V- . Recently Judge Baldwin in the Circuit court entered a decree of condemnation in his behalf of a right of way through certain properties along Howard avenue in Evanston and certain farm lands near Niles Center. He must pay $15,000 to the owners of these properties by May 31 or the decree is void. Purtelle said that this money would not be paid until he had obtained a rehearing and a favorable ruling from the public utilities commission, which recently held that his company had no right to construct a monorail system under its certificate of convenience and necessity. . Part of his proposed right of way runs through Coron " * farm near Desplames. Mr. Hoffman said that Purtelle asked for a deed to the land needed for his road, but that he refused. • , “I told Mr. Purtelle that when I saw some tracks laid and some real work done I would give him a nght of way through the land, but not until then,” said the coroner. Not long ago several workmen employed under a contract with Purtelle and engaged m cutting timber along the right of way near Niles Center, got on to land belonging to Albert Harms, which was not yet condemned. Harms, who has a saloon at 4201 North Western avenue, caused their arrest and put a stop to the work,. . ... x i Purtelle’s troubles date back to the old “bucketshop” days. Agitation against this line of business forced him into other lines. He was known as the “kid-gloved Indiana promoter” in conjunction with a traction proposition that never materialized, although much stock was sold. . Finally he attracted wide attention to himself by a scheme for building a subway for Chicago at an estimated cost of $150,000,000. He said he was backed by French capital, but the capitalists could hot be discovered. Former Mayor Carter H. Harrison dubbed the scheme the “cabaret subway,” a name that Purtelle never could lose.