, 1875-04-03
Zachary 1aylor's regiment hnl participated in
tho ca'npaisn Of 1Sa3. rcceiylng wound It, tho
leg st tho battlHof had Axr.

Zachary 1;aylor's reglmcrt. nn'l participated IN
lea st tho battl6of lad Axr.
| THE AHMoRH AND ARSENAL rRofEcTEn.
Tho project OF Western or central artrlnrF and
sr.en., seems To havo boon cntcEtasnHl BY ,he
War Department at an carly day. Tho rnniti
growth Of tho country n'Il Tho lacs
tlla+ 1t was fn tho Woet uni Southwest
TINT our artny was chiefly noslcd naturally slG-
Eetted tho economy II not tho actual necessity
that Rock lsiand wns Tho hest location for tho
fntnso great arnonal Which prevented ia sale anil
held 1t AZ n military reservation. Excepting d
quarter eocl!on sold 10 Col. George Davenport.
q Inn Island passea out Of the rorsres'on Of
tho Government Tho nboro talos wore anthor-
tzod by !rpocial act Of Congress. and tfsc lands
t'ta sn'd wero rcrIreha*csl br tho tfnYcsnmcnt
wien s9 9;s at building tns 1es H1n tn
tiie original aato waa moi good speculation for
t4o GpvaEntnont, financially.
THE ISLAND lou Sale.
In 1850 tho island had remarkably narrow
eteapet. Tho Secretary Of War cenel,t!cd to
was fcnt ont TO execute tho orsior md conduct
tho sale. Tho iauds wcro surveyed nnd adyor-
tfscd and tho uay fixed for Tho Baip. Gen. Ala-
ron, howcyer, was 50 tccply Impressed with Tho
liberty Of ro1uonatratinR against tho sale. Tho
surrounding settlers also sent rctno,btraneo 10
Esalinston and asked that tllo ssls be a1an..
doncd or ut least postponed. Tho day, Of
Tho hour for tho salo had conc: and witi,
great reluctance Con. aEasou startc1 to Tho ID
land to oxocnto lila order. when. fortunately. lc
Was intercepted BY q telegram from the Recr0tary
lock Island was saved 10 tic nation for lho
grand tlaa to which It Is how being appropriated.
In 1911. military commission, composed Ut
Gen. Armietcad. COL Long, and snrgeon-den-
cral Lawson, Mas sent out TO o1atnsno aud report
upon
-, BITE ron WESTERN Arsenal.
visitol Roei 1sian,I. ino ci.y roaix.
cd tho Importance cf cenltiya'lnE
tions sot up srand and i Iaagaet III II ther bei,ai:
prominent citizen OF Rock island wns ar-
pointed to preside and mako u snltabfc address
to tho distinguished gucrts. 1f's REMARKS wsru
Driof. and wero somewhat ns foowai
c1HcEAx ELoQUExCE. ...
GEsTtr,Ex: Wo arc III the midst oF ra!lry which
call rsosrlnn tho world. Wo lIaYo wnier-ioWer which
can turn tie spsnt!cs Of ation We have coal mil
c.,nal to tl9 Valley Of IN !le IN richness, and
climate Which as1Ta death Of its terrDrHt Wn hava
fsss, ss i. liz y.s sa'f + st q
portray tho beauties an ayanlagts q: tha locality,
would 10 like casting ioarL before swino.
Tho Commission smiled at tll!s burst Of olo-
quencc, but maintained \ dtgnillcd silence. Noxt
day tho spokesman Of tho occasion met tho Hon.
Joseph Kuox, an old aud lonorsd resident OF
this city, now pracl'cius attor,iey Of Chicago.
What did yon thtnk Of my speech?" WAS the
i1rss qucry. "It waa very ilno," said Knox.
'ontyI thonght YOU n,a,1o little nIstako."
"Wl,at was thnt2 SWELL" said kno1. "you
alluded to your address aa casting pearls beforo
s"sns.-dosl't -you sec. you made peasls OF your
Icmarks, and id hoGH of tho Conmission?h ~
Tho npeaIier, 1t IL presumed, eAw tho point.
The hnnqnot evidently failed OF it's Intended
6ifcct. Thu Commission returned to Washing
ton md reported in favor u Fort Anssac, Oh tho
Ohio River, "a the site for tho Western Arsenal,
In accordance with Ibis renort wo understand
work WAS actually begun ut TINT pnint; but wiser
cornscls subsequently corrected the mistake OF
tho Communication. md racognizeh thu superior
advantages of Rock Island aB tho ritc or tho
great contral arnory and arsenal Of the country.
Asking tho pnrtlon Of tho reader for this
nomowhas opgtl1y prelude, detailing tho earfior
iatory Of Eock Island md tho Indirect oventa
which finally catnbshel It as tic ste of tho ua-
tiona grand central arnory aud nrsannl I, at tho
samo time, beg tho privilege Of aaotller letter,
giving tho present condition Of the work aud tho
designs OF tho Ordnance Department in col-
rect,ou Herewith. While tho enterprise is ma
uonal In character md Importance, tt IL practi-
calty local to tho great Northwest, and no infor-
nation concerning it eau fall to bo interesting to
our pepplo. L. II. uAyEtSrlCK,