The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-14
FUTURE WORK IN PROSPECTIVE.

| $5u,U 600 The engineers in charge pro
nounce this work one of the most sub,
stantial ever done for that company
About September 18th work was resumed
in the tailrace at Moline, H., for the
Moline Water Power Co This work has
consumed about $4,000 and has Just
recently been completed.
The middle of August, work was com
menced on the Nemaha & Salem division
of the Burlington & Missouri River rail
road, and was finished about December
10Th. This line although but eightet n
miles long is one of the heaviest and
most difficult lines constructed by the
Burlington & Missouri last summer. The
work on this line amounted to S125 900.
The middle of December tracklaying
from Dewitt westward was commenced,
and at this writing is progressing rapidly.
This will involve about $4,000 AT
present they are also doing some grading
for Augustana college, which will amount
to $4,000.
Thus we see that this enterprising and
widely known firm has done in the neigh
borhood of $240, 900 worth of work during
1888. Mr.. J. H. Reynolds has had charge
of the work in the west, and Mr.. Ben
Reynolds Of that in the east, with the
exception of the Sterling bridge.
In connection herewith it would not be
improper to give a short personal sketch
of the members of the firm and some of
their attaches who have been instrumental
in the successful prosecution of these
works of great public Importance.
Hon. f. P Reynolds, the senior mem
Der and founder of the firm, is a resident
of Rock Island, Ills, which place he has
been pleased to call his home for the past
forty years. Mr.. Reynolds is a man of
wonderful foresight and ability, and has
weathered the battles of life for sixty six
summers-his now gray hairs being a good
indication Of his age and work Mr.. Rey-I
noldS is a man who stands over six feet
high and weighs upwards of 260 pounds
Twice he has be9n honored with the high
est office in the gift OF his fellow citizens
"a third time positively and uncondi-
tiOnally refusing the honor. The "old
gentleman, as he is Familiarity known
among his employees is universally liked
and respected by his many acquaintance. |
Mr. ]. II. Reynolds, who has been act
lively in charge of many works of import
ance, is the older of three brothers, and
has personally directed many of the great
works of this firm. Mr.. Reynolds is a man
about 80 years Of age, weighs about 200
pounds, and is Familiarity known among
his men as Black ,Jack-a cOgnOmen caused
probably by his jet black hair Mr. Rey-
nolds, although away from home much of
the time is widely and favorably known in
our city.
Mr.. Ben Reynolds the junior member
of the firm has, like his brother, cOmmenc-
ed at the bottom of the ladder and grad
ually climbed up to the foremost round. A
man weighing over 200 pounds. about 30
years of age, with jet black piercing eyes,
is known among their employees as 'B ull
of the woods, "a name signifying his aDil
ity to carry through what he undertakes,
Notwithstanding obstacles At present
he is engaged in prosecuting the work at
Rock Island
Mr.. E; P. Reynolds, Jr., the youngest
of the three brothers. although not a mem
Der of the firm, is lone of the boys" and
has for two years or more, held the very
position of cashier of this
great association. Mr.. Reynolds is the
larger of three brothers, in fact larger than
his father, and from the fact of his youth
fulness and weight is known as the kid"
and Jumbo although his intimate nc
quaintances know him as JUNE"
Mr.. p. A. Managan has long been with
the Messrs. Reynolds and is almost re
garded as one of the boys by the senior
member of the firm. Patsy" is widely
known from the lakes to the Pacific
The weight of the gentlemen interested
is a remarkable significance of the finan-
cial weight of the firm, and the integrity,
honesty and fairness of the individual
members is merely the Specification of the
qualities of these men as an association
We venture to assert that if honesty and
ability are the two highest virtues of man,
the names and works of these gentlemen
will live long after their mortal frames
have passed away. At present for 1884
they have two contracts in course of con
struCtiOn-one of A. miles for the Chicago,
Iowa & Kansas railroad in Kansas, and
one of SO miles for the Winona, Thera &
Northern railway, in Wisconsin, with pro-
speCts of more to follow These contracts
will aggregate twothirds of million of
dOllars-Mr. J H Reynolds has charge in
Kansas Mr.. Ben Reynolds in Wisconsin,
with the senior member in his luxurious
home at Rock Island with an eye on them
all. We predict for these gentlemen a
glorious future
This firm has all its former subcontract-
Ors now engaged and will without doubt
construct over two hundred miles of rail
way during the ensuing year. Many of
our readers remember the wonderful feat
of this colossal firm during the years of
1880 and 1881, how, in an Incredibly
short period of time, they linked Denver
City and its mountains of auriferous de
posts, to the mighty city on the lakes,
and how, as by waving the batten and
magicians wand, over six hundred miles
of continuous track, from the Missouri
Valley, to the mountains, sprang into
existence, and teeming emigrants and
new channel of commerce was opened up
through Southern Nebrask and Colorado
1t was during the rush of this work
that the greatest feat ever known in rail-
way construction was performed. The
day before this great work was finished,
one set of hands and iron car, laid down
aligned, and spiked every rail ready for
trains, three miles and five hundred feet
of track, in the short space of eight hours
If the aacritv with which this was done,
has ever been surpassed, we have failed to
find record of the feat, any where in the
history of railway construction.
In April, 1881. an average of two miles