The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-06-26

exactly where davenport Will be found
We haze had orr slocar' in Davenport for
three days trying TO find out what was GO
ing on about the matter, so that we could
advise our readers and encourage the friends
on this side Of the river. He found nothing
but the old subscription for about $4,000
which had been thrown away because it did
not, on its face, provide that the road should
be built via Moline. He, however, heard a
painful rumor that the "director on that side
Of the river had determined TO take but 8 o,
900 of the stock. Considering ''the dignity
of his official position = the magnificent coal
interest he is said TO have secured, in case
the road shall be constructed on the Moline
route, and his known anxiety to go into the
coal business, as developed some months
ago BY his efforts to buy out our "coal mo-
nopoly," We are not prepared to credit the
report. No one ever had suspicion that,
in case he had succeeded in making the
purchase he would have continued to "grind
the life blood out Of this community By ex.
tortionate prices for coal" An acknowledg-
ed his only motive was to produce "cheap
coal' for this community, and hence all
hung their heads in sorrow when "his wind
gave out" just as he was ready to accom-
plish the object Of his desires. Our people
having actually walked up to the Importance
of "cheap COAL" and having adopted the
Moline route to enable him to transport it to
this point, we will not believe that he will
offer to make subscription which would be
so niggardly, when coming from him. We
never dreamed that he would do less than
he had done when ''his wind gave out" in
his other effort to get Us cheap coal, and we
have determined not to credit the rumor, un.
less we get it from the gentleman himself
We confess, however, that we do not feel as
comfortably as we did before the rumor
reached us, and we hope the Gazette win
put US at ease on the subject by fatty con.
tradicting it.
Our 'local," however, did hear that q
gentleman residing at Gilberttown had de-
terrnined to take : 10, 600 of the stock. That
subscription needs more than passing no.
tice, as it will be made by man who 10
thoroughly posted in railroad matters, and
who has the genius on the stump, or on the
street, and'in the press, 10 demonstrate that
the investment will be paying one,if made
on the Moline route. Besides, Re is the
special friend and chief adviser of the Penn.
sylVsnia Central railroad interest, in this re-
gion and as he has no coal to transport and
no interest in cheap coal it Is evident that
be takes stock as mere matter of invest
ment. His intimate relations, too, with the
Pennsylvania Central, will be of immense
advantage to us in getting that road to en-.
dorse and guarantee our bonds. If any one
can do it, he certainly can convince that
company that it viii be more to its interest
to reach this place By our road than to reach
it and Council Bluffs and all points through
Iowa by the c. r. & P. road.
The question, however, still recurs, What
will Davenport do2 Aud the stubborn fact
still stsres US in the face, that we must have
money and in large quantities. Everybody
knows that capitalist will not loan us money
to iron competing line OF road. We must,
then, secure depot grounds in this city, aud
the right of way, and grade, bridge, and tie
and iron the road, say, for fifteen miles, at
this end of the line. That cannot cost less
than S400, 900 as, We have to build bridges
over Rock and Green rivers. At that point
we are out OF sight of the C. r. l. & P. rail
road, and can reasonably hope to take the
agents of the capitalists, who will be sent
out to examine the ground before they buy
our bonds, over the balance of the route
with comparative safety, provided it is all
graded, bridged and tied The chances are
not one in ten thaIthey would find out that
it was but &c miles further to Peoria by the
c. R. !. & P. road with 20 foot grades, than
by our road with go foot grades; and even
if they should discover that fact and refuse
TO take our bonds we will still be all right,
for we shall have "cheap COAL" and in that
way annually save at least half of our $780,
COO. Besides, by investing our annual saw
ings, on account of cheap coal, in extending
the road, in very few years we can CON-
plete it ourselves, without getting into the
power of cold -blooded capitalists, wAo.are
set of Shylocks, and who loan their Money
merely to get interest on it, and always in
sist on good security, not only for that but
for the principal too and who may even
take the road away from US if We refuse to
charge such extortionate rates for transpor-
tation as will promptly secure to them their
In that point of view it would, per-
haps, be even better to take little more
time and build the whole road our
selves, for in that way we will, for all time
to come, secure "cheap coal, cheap transpor-
tation, and free ride to Peoria"-which are
the three great objects for which we are all
now working. - s...-.
Moline has taken $4,000 by vote of her
people, and she is rapidly taking the other
$4,000 which has been assigned, to her.
Rock Island has voted 900 and is rap
dly getting ready to take 100000 more. 4
: While Davenport, SO far as we can learn,
nas actually taken but So, 900 aud tina. she
threw away before the route was settled, for
ear it would not be located through Moline.
Gentlemen of Davenport We confess
We are recent converts to the Moline route
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