The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-17
A SUCCESS.
The Meeting for the County
Hospital.
Full account of the gathering
and its proceedings.

was in every respect mSst successful
affair
The attendance was large while the deter
mination manifested by those present
argues we'll for the success Of the project.
/ Among those present were the Rev. A.
B. Allen, DIR. @. G.. Craig, DR.. Carter Ii.
G. Blackburn, Rev. T. A. Reynolds. Dr.. 5.
c. Plummer DR.. G. L. Eyster, Oliver Olsen,
| Alanson Sinnett, T. J. Robinson, Levi
OF. Soper, j. Clark, o. j. Dimock, SUI
pervisor Ritter, r. Champion, A. K. Philleo,
M. Holcombe, DR.. c. B. Kinyon, Rev. j.
B. T. Patterson, Alex. Steel, r. I'll. Curtis,
Dr. c. Truesdale, W III. Lundy, City At
torney Parks, Thos, Thornton, and others
from Rock Island; DR.. P. III. VESSEL,
Moline; Mayor Henry and Aid. w. O..
Schmidt, of Davenport
ORGANIZATION.
The meeting was called to order by Dr.
George IT, Eyster, who stated the first bus
mess to be the election of a chairman.
Mr. Alexander Steel was chosen to fill
that position and briefly stated the object
of the meeting, after which DR.. G. G. Car
ter was chosen secretary, and the meeting
was ready for business.
Dr. Craig spoke briefly of the purposes
of the meeting and thought that the pres
ent assembly was more an initiatoryone than
/ for practical work. He understood this
meeting was to devise ways and means,
and was ready to do his proportion of the
work necessary to make it a success. Tile
need of a public hospital was acknowledged
| by every one who had any idea of the ben
| efits therefrom, and in 4 community
| like this he thought it ought to be estab-
! lished and he believed it would be. 1t had
| been suggested that the county be asked
| to build it, and that the poor farm sick be
| transferred thereto and cared for If the
county would help the citizens, there
would not be a necessity for any
new buildings at the poor farm, and this
alone ought to be sufficient inducement for
the county to help. He then quoted fig
ures from the oyerseer Of the poor of this
city; going to show the cost of supporting
the sick and wounded of this city at the
poor farm and other places, and demon
strated the economy of caring for such
cases at a hospital such as was sought to
be established. He concluded by calling
on the Rev. A. B. Allen for his views,
whom he stated had been an earnest work
er for the hospital and had also had much
experience in the workings of such an insti
tuition.
REV. A. B. ALLEN
said he had come to the meeting as a citizen,
to take part as such and to do as every
other one would, help the project to the
best of his ability He had been persuaded
from the first of the necessity for hospital,
and now that the matter was being agita-
tated he hoped to see it succeed. In all
el, 1a
stitution, and certainly in localities
such as this, where accidents
are constantly occurring, and in cases
where careful nursing is required. There
is a bond of human sympathy between in
dividuals and communities. Let it be
known that citizen has met with misfor
tune, and the sympathies of Others are
aroused. Or if calamity befalls cities,
the sister cities respond, and as in the case of
the Chicago fire, when the whole country
extended the helping hand. And again
when the calamity befel President Garfield,
and the whole civilized world responded in
sympathy for the unfortunate man. So it
is with communities and individuals; one
sympathizes with the other for society is
but human, after all.
In ancient times such thing as hos
pital was unknown, but as the world has
grown, there has been advancement, and |
now these public homes for the wounded |
and sick are found in all quarters of the |
globe They are necessity everywhere, !
and especially in such a locality as this, |
where there is SO much manufacturing and |
in a railroad centre, such as this, sickness
among strangers is constantly occurring. |
Many are wounded in the shops or by the |
cars, and had we an hospital all would be
cared for better than anywhere else, The |
hao haar trr
for l believe the community needs just
what is proposed, and every citizen should |
encourage il"
Mr.. Allen then referred to the work of
the medical profession in the matter, and
was glad to see such unanimity of opinion
among them. for when they are unanimous
there is hope, for they know the necessity. |
Mr. Allen then paid high tribute to the |
medical fraternity of the three cities, and
specially commended the Sanitary Society
lately formed. He pictured the many ad
vantages to this locality in providing a
hospital and closed with an appeal for
continued, unremitting labor in the hui
manitarian cause. His remarks We're close
ly listened to by all present
DIR. s. C. PLUMMER.
Dr. S. G, Plummer, fully Endorsed all
that Mr.. Allen had said and could testify
to the benehcent results from having a
hospital, where wounded and sick could be
cared for He called TO mind several cases
of recent date happening right in this city.
Two of these cases required amputation,
and both were sent to the Mercy Hospital,
at Davenport, for care. He then paid a
high compliment to that institution and
said: II have never been in hospital
anywhere, that is better conducted than
Mercy Hospital across the river. 1t is one
of the best places of the kind / ever saw.
He concluded by calling on His Honor
Mayor Henry, of Davenport for some
remarks on the subject and especially IN
relation to the working of the hospital over
the river.
MAYOR HENRY
responded to the call, and related an Incl
cident of man in Chicago who had been
taken suddenly i'll with small pox, and was
ordered to the hospital He did not want
to go but was made to do so, and was
cured After that the man was one of the
staunchest advocates of hospital treatment /
for serious cases AS for Mercy hospital,
be must say he felt proud of that
institution, and Davenport would be {
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