Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-06-10

convention was held here last month, and |
thatA considerable sum of money was raised,
BY voluntary subscriptions of citizens, to
enable the committee of arrange ments (all
Rock Island men, we think, but cannot now
recall their names) to do the genteel thing
BY strangers from all parts Of the State, com
ing here. One of the delegates to this con
vention-Dr. Geo. J. Monroe, Of Leland,
after returning home, had q violent disrrheA
of words, which he published IN the
Ottawa Republican, of the 9th, in the shape
of very long letter, telling "What he knows
about Rock Island" First comes a very
long paragraph devoted TO puts of the c.,
B. & O., and c., r. l. l. P. railroads, lover
which he probably had passes), and to
abuse of the Illinois Csntral--over which he
was probably refused pass. He then de-
votes FIVE lines to q description Of the inter-
vening country-in which he probably never
bad and never will have e patient. This
brings him to Rock Island, which he de-
scrbes as follows:
Arrived at Rock Island about seven o'clock
| in the evening, expecting to find beautiful
/ 10 wn, but was greatly disappointed. Although,
! pefhaps by nature one OF tee prettiest ooAhties
I for a % Wn in the West, yet the town is dilaPi-
dated and old looking. Sidewalks are in bad
ooaditiou. The fences around lots are broken,
/ resembling those sufrou udlng drunkaTd's prem
ises The dwellings lack the appearance that
thrift and enterprise produce. Nature has done
a great deal for them, but should say that ar t
has done but very little.
Readers can make their own comments,
but we would like to know whether DR.. Geo.
J. Monroe, when sSgely and philosophicAily
remarking that mature has done great
Gsal for them" means them fences OF
chem dwellings"
The next paragraph Is a long one, putting
the Harper Houss-where DR.. Geo. }. Mon
roe probably get off without paying any bill
The balance of the letter-more than I
column, 10 devoted wholly to describing snC
> putting Moline, the Island, and Davenport
, over which places the Doctors were showr
, at the expense Of Rock Island citizens, whil'
their own city was wholly neglected. Th'
mills and water power and enserprisnG PEG
pie Of Moline get = splendid nosice-whicl
!. they deserve. The Island also. While OF
, the description Of the Island Doctor Monroe
! gives his paragraph the following nice iajec
5 ton:
1--WE we're nicely waited on by the fair an
beautiful dAmssls of Rock Island, and here pei
1 bt To hat thay
dsemiug trait to the town. These ladies sml
i iugIy attended our wants. Many of them wei
beautifully and extensively alfred.
:! tits quite doubtful if any of these"besut
: fol damsels'w bring out their "besutifl
!. and expensive stlire''or "smilingly attend b
wants" If DR.. Geo ]. Monroe we're to sh0
himself here again.
It is some satisfaction to know thu
- this son Of Escuspius, who trsduct
= a people and town he is almost ignoraE
: Of, was repulSed, by the guar
. on the Island, from an attempt to invad
ID and examine TIE Conmandant's pr
y va;s residence, into which be ignorant
> supposes he has the same right to eI
ter as a hotel. Out OF pure cusseduess, b'
" cause the guard simply and properly enforce
; the rules of the Post, Dr. Geo. J. Monroe b
nevoleu,ly expresses a desire Ito give II
commander a dose Of pills" Il would, I
- doubt be the end OF that commander, as
/, probably is of al people whom he doses
1t is learned from bis letter that al
: MeCaig is surgeon Of the Post ~ This real
\ is news!
The last half column OF this polite al
:, intelligent letter describes Davenport,
=. opera house, its fine residences, and its Eel
=. OF onions then log raft then the excu
!, sion aown the river, and closes as follow
"The ply sicians of Illinois for long til
IT. will remsm Der with gratitude the hearty VI
IN come which they received from the cItIze-s
q Rock Island and Davenport
:. Some Of the subscribers to the doctor
&c fund" will probably ask "Wbst did the CT
=, zeus Of Davenport do about it, that th,
-. should be thanked? How much did III
! subscribe ?" II it was necessary that Da
;. export should be exhibited, let Dsvenpo
,o pay for the exhioi;ion-noi tax our busine
men 10 advertise their rivals.
!, lis Just barely possible that the su
=. scribers may be Of the opinion that the
money Was poorly expended that the cot
mi,tee should have first shown the strange
our own town, our mills, aud factories, g,
shops, and residences, aud drives, and e
- desvored to have left upon the minds
these strangers aud professional gentem
u from all parts of the State good impressl
VI in regard to our own town,-slso OF hoiI
Of the Isluud and Milsu--but first, our oV
ee town, where money was freely given INC
We than was wanted to entertain the strange
~ But tie committee neglected. this, and c
" pended the money in such q way rs to Z
~ our town slandered, and our neighbc
10 pulled. AS it has turned out, it would ha
~ been much better for Rock Island if t
10 convention had not been held here at all.
I'd this DR.. Geo. J. Monroe ia fair specimen
-e those 10 attendance, these people went Aw
u from here in b.issful ignorance that we b
ct such institutions as pillow works, wool
On factories, glass works, stove foundries, II
- chine shops, Touring mills, lumber mil
''' water works, public schools, churches,
4 even q decent residsncs,-or that su
}" places as Milan, Searstown, or the Wat
y Tower, are in existence at ali. Certain
none of them are noticed in this elegant a
;" elaborate letter Of the refined DR.. Geo.
c" Monroe.
:" No one attributes to the committee or
~ any member Of it any Intentional Degle
of Rock Island or the interests of her pc
Gu ple-but there is feeling that the comm
10 tee simply made a bosch of it, for want
81, proper thought on the subject. Nor is Il
Vi the 6rst or only com mittee which has ma