The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-26
rHREE MILLIONS OF IDLE HONEY.
What il Can Do for Rock Island.

~AAS SAsy ihS A~soSo i10"SAs~N'
there is lying wrapt up in greeubscks, indo.
lent securities, government bonds, that benefit
only the owner, and are thus q monument
to the genius of sel6shness, not less than three
millions of money unemployed. This esti-
mate is in round numbers, and under the
probable maximum. Let us estimate what
good the above amount would accomplish In
the interest of humanity, or if that were an
impractical motive to business men, IN re
duplicating our aggregate wealth, II the loie
force bound up in it were loosened to work
the common veal For 100000 of the three
millions, four embryotic zinc works, en-
ploying an aggregate of two hundred opera
tives could be set in active operation. Four
glass works, employing the same number OF
workmen, could be established for $ioo'ooo
more. Four pillow works, of first class '''''
cou Id be set in operation for $ooo'ooo, e"-
ploying an aggregate of LOU men, -Four
cotton mills. with working capital sufficient
to run them successfully, would require
$500. 900. Foundrys and machine shops,
four in number, would require the putting
out of 100000. And the train of rolling
mills, button and buckle factories, wooden
mills, ribbon factories, rubber factories,
chemical works, zinc paint works, etc., etc.,
could all be set III operation with the
rest of the three millions OF
unemployed capital. This three millions OF
capital invested in manufactures would in-
crease our laboring population to 5000,
and they would bring here, of necessity,
| their families, and merchants and trades.
men to supply them, an additional popula.
ton of .fuA fifty thousand souls. All this
we ourselves have at our command to do
/ We have no call to bring in outside capita
to assist us il the work. In ten years, were
there no assistance vouchsafed US from
outside capitalists, this three mil
! lions Of idle money invested
as above would have been increased to TWEEN
ty millions, and by our unsided efforts We
would be in fair way to accomplish oul
destiny as the greatest manufacturing city
of the west. But even to reach q populs
ton of $4,000 people, it is unnecessary
! for US to expend more than one of these
/ three millions ofunoccupied money in manu-
/ features That will hold Rock Island up
as it were in a mirror 20 the rest of the
world, and outside capitalists will rush il
here to share our resources and secure 6
permanent foot hold. Let these facts be
conned over by all. Let this idle capita
be brought out, and while it is
made to increase itself,let it add to the gener
ersl wealth and prosperity. of Rock Island
Water works which will be a necessity t,
city of $4,000 inhabitants, car be built 70
$50 900 or $l75, 900, and will be of incal
culable value in Fastening our advancement
In this connection, We mig bit say that at n
other point on the Mississippi river abo-
St. Louis are so many railroads bound 4
center, as in Rock Island. Other town
have one or more railroads passing througi
them along the banks of the river, but rail
roads centering from ell points of the com
pass, like pencil of divergent rays, is onl
to be found on the Upper Mississippi a
Rock Island which is almos
the geographical center of Upper Mississippi
! navigation. This fact is bound to at,rsc
the attention of the world to US, and we mus
show the world that is bound to come hithe
to see, tina, We have infused through on
midst that public spirit which makes grea
cities The $780, spent on water work
in attracting strangers with capital. vii
repay Us more than one hundred told, be
sides being an absolute necessity in OF
future municipal economy. Drag this none,
out, then. Bonds, as g floating speculation
are becoming daily more vslueless. Tn
interest on bonds spent il living, and tn
residue going to purchase more bonds, onl
tends to pile up practically WORTHLESS
bundle of paper. The able bodied man o
funds should hereafter be estimated by tn
interest he takes in manufactures, and a.
who hold to the meaps they have draw
from the city without setting it in motor
and letting it work for the common good an
its own rapid increase should be prescribed 6
narrow minded and public nuisances
Drag this three millions of idle money from
its dusty receptscles at once.