The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-08-14
THE HORSE RAILWAY BUSINESS.

| regard to the transfer OF Mr.. Hathaway
stock in the Rock Island & Moline street
railway, to Mr.. j. 8. Hutchins, we stated
that the latter owned q controlling interest
| in the road. This was sn error which we
can only account for on the score Of haste
What we should have said, is, that he is the
larqest stakeholder in the company, and
owns the heqrieSt interest Having heard
parties contradict even this statement, We
called on the President. Of the company, Mr..
Ben. Harper, this morning, and made in
quries on the subject. Mr.. Harper gave Us
the following estimate of the. amounts held
by the largest stockholders j. 5. Hutchins,
$l2,OOO; Porter Skinner, lO,s00; Capt
Robinson, $1,000; Ben. Harper, $1,000
VIM. Brooks $4,000; ]. s. Keator, $4,000.
The balance Of the stock is held in
amounts from 81, 500 down to 800. The
capital stock OF the company 10 SG8,OOO, OF
which Mr. Hutchins owns nearly fifth.
With the exception of Mr.. Skinner, he owns
$4,000 more stock than any OF the heaviest
holders. The fact Of Mr.. Hutchins' pur'
chase being made known through the col.
umns of the ARGus, Of course the first to
publish the news Of the city, our neighbor of
the Rim was thrown into state Of intense
excitement. That sheet being published
simultaneously in two cities IT'D editor vas
Immediately appalled, with the idea that Mr..
Hutchins was attempting to cut his lines OF
communication. The more he thought Of
the matter, tho more startlingly apparent
seemed his adversarys strategy. 1t Is well
known that ever since the proprietor Of the
Rodman declined being "sponged on" by
L. that worthy, he has been the recipient of
the vilest kind ofabuse through the columns
Of the Rim. The profits of the Moline
concern have Cor long time past
been figured down to pretty fine
, point The only way to make
A the books balance, was to "deat beat a
passage back and forth between the two
branches Of this mammoth printing con.
oern, on the Rock Island and Moline street
railway. This has been successfully done
. for some time. The proprietor of the Rod
man may have detected this weak point Of
hi, adversary, and may now be 'goiEg for
him" in the worst kind Of style. We don't
pretend to know anything about it, but the
recent move looks suspicious. Military mel
. always endeayor to cut their enemys linei
. Of communication. This same attempt NAY
: now be going on, and while the Rim solemn
4 ly assures the public that it need have ne
apprehensions that the horse railroad il
about to pass into the hands of Hutchins,
we think its editor is in worse fermenteC
state than ne has been for many a month.
At all events, until Mr.. Hutcbins makes
another $4,000 purchase our neighbor can
reflect that every time he takes "dead
beat ride to Moline, to hunt up his little
items up there, he is riding nearly one.ffth
OF the distance on the road of the man he is
daily abusing he will be comfored by the
thought that while he can't sponge any
longer at the Rodman House, he can YET
sponge" on its proprietor by riding on the
cars of which he owns so largely to man
Of independence this will be consoling in
the highest degree, and lead TO frequent
Moline excursions.
After getting through with his TRADE OF
the railway stock business, our neighbol
closes as follows;
His (HutehinsY lease of the Rodmar
House expires May LIST next, and Mr.. Harp
err has wisely refused to continue it longer
: so that this is probably the last institution
; in which he will have "a controlling inter
est hereabout.
n To use the Rims own language, 1--WE are
informed that the above statement is false il
every particular Mr.. Hutchins has neve,
applied for another lease of the Rodma1
House, and consequently Mr.. Harper ha
!. never wisely refused" to give it to him.
The Rim may be better posted in regard Il
this business than most men, and may pro
10 nounce this statement "false in every par
|" tcu!ar," but for our own consolation, W
have the testimony Of Mr.. Hutchins given t.
!. US in the presence of Mr.. Harper, and en-
a dorsed by the latter gentleman, which wa
done THIS morning.