The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-04-21
SUNDAY TRACK LAYING!
THE G. 3. O., AND THE G. 3. !. & P.
BUILD SOME RAILROAD.
WHAT THESE OPERATIONS MEAN

Sunday morning at about ono o'clock
train of cars loaded with rails, ties, spikes.
and eighty men came in from Beardstown
and commenced to lay track from where
the c. B. & Q. track leaves the street at
the bridge, to the west line of Mr. P. L.
Cables property, just above the old pas
senger depot of the c. r. l. & P road. This
action on the part of the G. B. & Q. com
pany seems to have been to anticipate the
Q. Il. l. & 2. in laying another track to
occupy the same ground, as on Friday
and Saturday they had placed ties along 10
that vicinity, as is supposed, with the
intention of keeping the @. B, & Q from
an independent line into the city, Supt'
Kimball of the c. R. |. & P. was imme-
diately informed and came over at about
two o'clock. After seeing what the other
road was doing he went back to Daven-
port. Doubtless fearing that the G. b.
u q. company would attempt to continue
their track from the west line OF Mr..
Cables property to the section line east of
the new passenger depot, in accordance
with an old contract and between which
points the G. B. & @. does not own the
right of way, the G. r. |. Il 2. company
sent force of men over to occupy the
ground. They amused themselves yester-
day in raising the grade and relaying the
iron in front of their new depot, and were
to- day building a new track over the
ground which it is supposed the G. B. 4
10. wishes to go. This is a good way to
spend surplus earnings, but it will not
change or interfere with the purpose of
the G. B. & Q. company, as knowledge
of the situation will show.
Second avenue extends ap 10 very near
Mr.. 2. L. Cables property, and is IA public
highway and under the direction Of the
city. In 1852 OF So the city granted the
&C., r. |. Il P, r. r. the right to lay two
tracks into the city on that road. When
the old Rockford road was built, the city, by
, ordinance, gave that corporation the same
right to parallel track. For this, and the
privilege of using second avenue down to
i2Oth street, the city was to be paid 500
per annun. This money has been paid
t every year and the right thus maintained,
although the track from Arsenal street, at
the bridge, to Port Byron junction, was torn
up in July, 1874. and the ties and iron
used to build the road from Orion to Brian
S Bluff. From that time until the present,
r the R. r. |. & St. Louis r. R., and its sue
. cessor, the C., B. & O., have run in on the
c.. R. |. & ?. track, paying rent therefor.
In laying track yesterday from Arsenal
street to the west line of Mr.. Cables prop.
erty. the c., B. s. Q. have only occupied
! their own ground. Along Mr.. Cables
: property and up to the quarter sectional
: line, the old Rockford road never owned
the right of way, but we're permitted by
, Mr.. Gable to run over the ground, in con
nection with contract with the c..
!. R. I. & P, which contract gave
them the privilege of fifteen fee
on the south side of their track rather
than to have them cross the tracks and ust
f the right of way, so rods by Is feet, pur
e chased from Mr.. Anawalt, in front o
c where now stands the c., R. l. & ?. rount
: house. The situations now briefly as fol
r lows: From the west line to the east lin
= OF Mr.. Cables property the c., B. Il @
J company will be obliged to condemn RICH
= of way; they can then cross the c., r.
!, & P. tracks to the grounds they purchase,
from Mr.. Anawalt we believe the pric
paid for this at the time was SO, $50; the
e can then recross the c., R. l. & P. track
/ to their own right Of way, where nov
stands the new passenger depot and fror
there to Port Byron Junction there is n
dispute. The meaning of all these opera
tons is that the c., B. & 0. company Pre-
q pose to have an independent line int
B." Rock Island.
To-day the G., R. |. & P. compan
IA have been building the embankment alon
II by the hedge fence, east OF the switch
( doubtless with the intention of laying
, track to the new depot building for the al
- commodation of the c., B. & Q. 1t woul
seem that the next stepon the part of tn
G.. B. & @ company will be to condem
right of way along Mr.. Cables property
when they will have right of way complet
into the city. The officers here seem ret
cent as to the intentions of the company
y although it is easy to guess their ultimat
purpose.