The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-07-07
tFor the Gazette ]
Iowa College Grounds.

Iowa College Gr0unda
MEssRs. EpiroRs:--l think that many Of
the citizens will agree that the City Coun-
Gil have acted with some indiscretion in or
dering forty feet street to be extended
through the College grounds, before the
question has been settled on the injunction
whether they have = right to 60 through
the grounds At al or not. The proceeding
YVES carried through with the same improp.
er haste which has characterized many Of
their acts.
Now think that the citizens have some
interest 10 be consulted In this matter, il
the College has NO rights. And the ques-
tion Is, shall the interest Of two or three, or
half dozen, spectators outweigh the best
interests of this public, now and hcreafter7
Now, all the grades over the bluffs will
be substantially the same. There Is fins
grade on Brady street leading to country
road. There is an equally good grade on
Harrison street leading to country rosd.
Main street has No country road, and will
never need to have one. The citizen, he
yond the College grounds might find il 4
trific more convenient 10 have Z road
through these grounds, but it can never be
very inconvenient for them 10 use Brady or
Harrison street, and ON foot they can pas
through the College grounds without street
as comfortable As with one; and - for the
rise Of their property, the College grounds,
In the years to come. will be of more value
TO them than blocks of houses would be on
the same grounds. II they cannot put up
with the slight Inconvenience that the
grounds would occasion, for the sake Of the
public good, they are not very good citi-
zens.
A few years hence solid mass Of build
ings will extend over wide area, leaving
no breathing place but the dusty street
The open prairie will no longer lie At our
doors, and the people will begin TO ask why
this want Of foresight 2 Other cities have
saved their grounds for these purposes
Boston has splendid park, and when .
few years ago some spectators attempted
TO get portion Of Il sold Cor their benefit,
no sooner was the intilnation breathsd upon
the public ear, than there arose 1 storm OF
indignation from the people which put the
vandals to silence forever.
New York has just expended some mill.
ions Of dollars Cor one Of these breathing
places, and 10 pays for its former want Of
foresight. Let some spsculAior, who hes
lew lots COR sale that might bc improved by
running street through that park, ok the
people to accommodate him. New York
aldermen are not good, but I think they
would not attempt to tribe with the welfare
Of the people as ours have done. And Il our
aldermen have become more currupt than
they, il Is time for the city 10 known it.
But there are other and higher interests
still 10 b. consulted, whether our aldermen
know il Or not. We arc mot al fools. Mon
ey Is not to rule tLi. city always - il docs
absolutely to-day. We must build ND some
counter influence, something higher, nobler.
better for ourselves and for the generations
that are to come after u.. And shall we
now throw away the best advantage we pos
sess 7 Shall We drive from our midst an in.
stituticn that Is already the best In Iowa,
and he's initself indefinite capacities ior wc-
fnlness hereaiter--an institution that has
been Gar more generously treated By strang-
ers than by ourselyes--that is endowed by
Others with money which Is expended in
educating the sons Of our own eitizens-an
institution that in its infancy is the greatest
and best thing to b. found in Davenport
Let W. make no war ON the College. then.
Other cities foster theirs, and will hold out
open arms to ours il we drive il away. Its
interests and osrs are identical. IL will
work while we live, and It's work will 20 on
ceaselesly when We are dead. Let il stand
there amid the marts Of business. in the
heart Of the city, doing its work now and
hereafter. DIS
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