The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-09-09
TIMES CHANGES.

A few years ago the amount vi HolSh'
md passenger money taken by the North
,rn Line of steamers ut Rock Island, was
compared with the sum taken
at Davenport. All that is changed now
and it is stated, on the authority OF an Oh
fee of that company, that the amount OF
money taken, last year, for freight and pas
sengers to and from Rock Island was great
er than at Davenport This year the differ
ence is vastly in favor of Rock Island, and 1t
willcontinue toincrease in our favor. There
are many reasons for this change IN the
ebb and flow of the tide of travel and com
merce the first of which is the building
of the Davenport & St Paul Railroad
now called the Duck Greek x st. Paul.
Before that road was built hundreds OF
farmers brought their grain in wagons to
the river to sell, and .as they had then
such euterprising buyers as Burroughs q
Prettyman and others, the grain was sofa
in Davenport The principal reason why
the farmers brought.it there was that they
eould Immediately cross the river TO TINS
side. on the ferry or the ice, and load back
with coal. They must come here Tor their
fuel, and they brought grain, thus loading
each way. They came from distances
sometimes 40 or 50 miles away. We can
remember to have seen from so to 80
Iowa teams at time waiting at Cable s
coal ward, on our levee, for coal, and on the
arrival of coal train the teamsters would
mount the ears and empty every one OF
them in 80 minutes So great was the
rush that policemen were necessary to pre-
serve order and prevent fights. Since the
building of the. Duck Creek & St. Paul
road all this has been changed. Now, the
farmers sell their produce at the nearest
station, and buy their coal (which Is shlpp-
ed from here at the same place. Dayen-
rort has lost al! that trade, and the coal
trade of Rock Island has been greatly ln-
creased Once. thousands OF dollars
worth of produce came TO Davenport
which ought to have gone to MuSeatlne'
simply because the farmers wanted to loao
hack with coal Now that produce Is sole
and coal bought as on the other road-t'
the great injury of Davenport, and to thu
great benefit of Rock Island. Once, pay
epport was increasing in population ten Il
our one. That has changed, too
now Davenport has less population THAI
: she had four years ago, and tits growing les
every month, while Rock Island has NOR
and is increasing every month. Once
more business was done on the opposite SD
of the river than on this. Now, more tina
twice the business Is done in the sam
territory on this side Of the river than o
that Once. we had no hotel worthy III
i name, and all people who wanted goo
t hotel stopped on the other side OF tn
5. river, even il their business was on thi
> That. too. has been changed by Mr.. Hal
! per.-and now the Harper House Is dom
from 6 To 10 times the business of any hous
over the the river, and business IN Roc
Island feels the benefit of it. These al
few straws which everybody can st
floating in the air. Greater changes al
- coming. Soon the greatest engine hous
-. of the Chicago, Rock Island x Pacit
Railroad will be completed here, in OF
/ city of Rock Island, work on which is no
going forward. And soon will follow Il
:, great shops and toundries which will, vii
-. their operatives. make solid city fro
Moline to Rock Island And soon, to
~ with the factories built, building and pr
80 jected at South Rock Island and Mia
-. the line of both roads to South Rock l.
:, and will seem like continuous city tru
Milan to Moline.
But our people must work il they Wa
to see this vision. What we want, mo-
H. now, is fine large wholesale stores. W
&C. will build them? VIII our wealthy III
T. see business driven away because emit
'o' prising young men can find no stores
eel rent? Some other things are wanted, T.
on Are our socalled leading men equal
no the needs of the hour? let them ausw