The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-07

RAILROAD REQUEST.
The G. B. & @. and their
track over First Avenue.
Serious Opposition Raised to
the Proposed Move.
What. the Citizens are doing
TO Defeat it.
THEY OBJECT.

! for right of way over First avenue, fol
the purpose of crossing that avenue with 6
railroad track, is meeting with considera
BILE opposition from the citizens generally
and especially from those who reside OF
own property in the immediate vicinity Of
| the proposed round-house.
This contemplated round house is to be
located, provided the right of way across
First avenue is granted on the north hall
| of block 8, which is bounded by First and
Second avenues and Fourteenth and FIT
seenth streets. The different lots in the
north half of that block have already been
| purchased, it is stated, and the erection OF
the round house depends only upon the
ing the desired right of way across the
avenue.
The residents of the property in that i'm
mediate vicinity contend that the round
house will prove nuisance, and that there
is no necessity of the company crossing
First avenue to erect such an adjunct to
their railroad business, when sufficient land
has already been granted that corporation
on the river front for machine shops, round
houses and other necessary buildings. The
members of the Central Presbyterian
church located in the same block, the mem
bers of the Catholic church, the Christian
church and the United Presbyterian situated
short distance from the proposed round
house seriously object to such location, as
they maintain that the engines, and work
incident to such building will interfere
materially with worship every Sunday,
both morning and evening. The residents
and property owners urge that the noise
inseparable from such q rendezvous will
render their homes unenjoyable and will
have a tendency to depreciate the value of
property, not only in the same block, but
also in the ones adjoining.
They also claim that there is no necessity
for placing the round-house where it will
prove detrimental, as the city council orig
inally granted the road now leased by the
c., B. & Q. all the necessary land to the
north of First avenue for the erection of
shops, round-houses and buildings. The
city also gave the road the right to fill up
the river and thus create additional land for
building purposes, and such being the case,
the citizens feel that the c., B. s. @. are
rather imposing on good nature when they
seek to increase their landed possession in
Rock Island by coming south of First ave
nue..
The most serious objection urged against
the proposed move on the part of the c.,
B. s. Q. is that against giving the company
the right to cross First avenue. That ave-
nue. is already supplied with a number OF
railroad tracks, but a roadway for vehicles
is still preserved. II the c., B. s. @. track
is placed across that thoroughfare, travel
by the street will be seriously interfered
with, if not practically stopped.
If there was any absolute necessity for
such track across the avenue, if the
erect round house, this encroachment
upon public street might be submitted
to with better grace, but under existing
there can be no valid reason
advanced for such surrender of right and
property on the part of the city authori-
ties. The citizens of Rock Island do not
object to the erection of round house in
this city by the c. B. s.. Q. managers
They strongly favor such an Improvement,
as it is well known that machinists and
generally, are thereby brought to
the place, but they do object and with
good reasons, to a road attempting to
block up a street by crossing the same
with track to q round house, when am
pie ground, either actual or by filling ID the
river, remains in the roads possession
where the proposed round house can be-
located without injury to property or in
to the citizens.
A number of citizens state that if the
of the city council represent the
feelings of the citizens and the best inter
.sts Of Rock Island, they will, at their
meeting, this evening, refuse the right of
way prayed for across the avenue, and
lefeat the ordinance granting such privi-
eyes.