The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-01-02
From the Chicago Journal.
LETTER FROM ROCK ISLAND.
Two Hundred Years Ago and Now--The
Island and the Island City--Man-
afaciures of Rock Island and
oline--Crossing on the
Ice--A Shadow Of
sEg the Past. ~ II j.

From Our Own Correspondence.
Rock ISLAND, Dec. %.
When that pious and adventurous mission
airy, Father Marquette, about the year 1878,
after having made the tour of the lakes 10 an
open boat, entered Green Bay, in Wisconsin,
sscended Fox river to what is now Portage
City, and carrying his boat across the narrow
neck of land between the Fox and Wisconsin
rivers launched it in the latter, followed it to
the Mississippi, and hoated down that great
stream, tarrying awhile with the numerous
Indian tribes that rendez voused on Rock Is
land, it could scarcely have entered his i'm
agination that LEES than two hundred years
would produce such marvellous changes, and
that the savage barbarian of the then would
be almost forgotten in the progressive civiliza-
tien of the now.
The Island itself, that remarkable geologi-
cal or Volcanic phenomenon, presents but lit
tie change In it's general aspect True, a rail
road bridge has bsen thrown across its foot,
connecting it with the Illinois and Iowa
msinlands; and few buildings, among which
is q huge pile of masonry, designed for re-
eeiving depot for the government, are notice.
able. Soon, however, this will all be chang
cd. The strong arm of the governments has
commenced gathering the materials for the
erection Of an arsenal for the manufacture
and storage of arms, which, with its outlying
workshops, etc., will nearly cover the entire
Island, the dimensions of which are 4,56O
yards in length by l,400 in width, covering
an area of about 900 acres. As may be i'm
agined, such an obstruction to the current of
the Mississippi as an island of this size would
naturally produce something of commotion
in the by no means "placid bosom" Of that
stream. The effect is visible in the back wa
ter at the head of the leland, which is nearly
seven feet higher than it is at the foot, and in
consequence there is something Of rush thro'
the narrow channels, sffording magnificent
wster-power. --..-.-. -..
This natural facility. so temptingly held
out, has been seized and harnessed to the SPIN
die, the loom, the lathe, the forge, and q va.
riety of mechanical agencies, by the good
people of Moline, at the head of the Island,
one of the trio of cities Of which Rock Island,
on tao eastern, and Davenport. on the west
ern shore, are the others, and sill within sight
of each other. But Moline, more greedy, or
more ssgscious has all of the water.power
and most OF the manufactures. Tho humble
headstead manutectory, put in operation IN
1874, was the beginning of better things and
the germ OF Rn enterprise that has developed
itself 10 immense Touring mills, lumber mills.
paper mills, wooden mills, and factories which
turn out agricultural machinery, wooden
ware. furniture. and next to everything, be-
side driving the machinery in enc of the iarg.
est pillow factories in the world. AS speci-
men Of the business done in THE last men.
toned line, over fifteen Thousand plows are
turned out in year, besides as many hun.
dred corn eultivators. The wooden mill man
ufaosures about FIVE hundred yards of cloth
daily, and EN- pioys in the neig h borhood of so
operatives. The population OF this Briming.
ham of Illinois is between four sad five thou
sand, aad is rapidly increasing.
The CITY of Rock Island, named after the
Island in the river. is situated upon the east
bank of the Mississippi, directly opposite that
beautiful Iowan city Davenport. Rock Island
boasts of her mannfaot,a-,ns antA-r-isn, ard
not altogether without reason but ss steam
power is scarcely match for water power,in
point of economy, at least it was not to be ex-
pected that Rock Island should make very ex
tended strides in manufacturing while the
water power of her neighborhood was in the
market. But Rock Island has made begin
ming such "a many an older city might envy.
Steam mills, factories and foundries betYsy
their locality here aud there, by white puffs of
vapor that mount antastioally skyward.-
There are tanneries, dis,illeries, mstch-me-
king concern mot hymeneal which turns out
over thousand boxes per day, breWeries. a
paper mill, several lumber mile, wooden
mill which manufactures over ten thousand
yards Of cloth per month, Touring mills, car.
rage factories, piow factory and many Sim
liar "institooshuns," as Nasty would term
them.
Rock Island is growing city of ii 900 in
habitants. It was incorporated In 1885 under
the name o. the city OF Stephenson, but, six
years thereafter, the Legislature, in comph
ance with numerously signed petitions, chang
ed the name to Rock Island. It shares with
Davenport the benefits of the Mississippi riv-
OF, and like that city stands on one of the high
ways to she great west, the Chicago, Rock Is
land & Pacific railroad.
The commerce of the Mississippi at this
point is immense. As great q number as
twelve hundred steam boats ply upon the riv-
or here, and intelligent gentlemen say that
this is not one-tenth of its capacity.
The weather is very cold hero, the mercury
dropping two degrees below zero yesterday,
The big river is sealed for the season. The
ice ceased running between Davenport and
Rock Island last Sunday, but kept running
in the western channel tlll Wednesday, night,
when it closed mp. Thursday afternoon the
current wore away n narrow channel and the
ice went rushing and grinding down the
stream again. During the night it again
yielded to the dominion of winter, and 10 now
30 fast locked that G man crossed upon it
from Davenport to-day, watched by hundreds
of spectators upon both chores, all of whom
regarded the attempt as being extremely has
ardous.
Ore Of the institutions of Rock Island is q
ricketty stage-n is called hack" here
which plies hourly between this city and Mo.
line Engrafted upon this by brid is a feature
of the long ago, a something which falls upon
the ear OF the easterner like half-forgotton
dreau-a "reminiscences of by.gones and boy
hoods days among the hills and mountains
of New York, Pennsylvania and New Eng
land. This wonderful shadow of the past is
nothing more nor less than the stage horn
whose merry or cracked notes-varied by the
kill of the perform ers--pesl through the air
as the stage hack proceeds through the city.
gathering its load of dimity, broadcloth and
homespun.
Regretting that time will not permit me to
visit Davenport, lovely city of20, 900 inhab-
itants, just across the river. which is nearly q
mile wide at this point, l must close this for
the night mail. g.H.P.