The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-22
The Eosk Island Arsenal.

Much can be and ought to be said re-
speeding Rock Island and its National
armory and arsenal. obtaining 3
thousand acres. this is the most lea It'll
full island of viii the Mississippi kiver
can boast, and lies between the two
cites, davenport and ko K Island. 1t
was purchased from the Indians at the
close of the black Hawk war. in 1882.
The island, to begin with, is a paradise
for birds No bird or squirrel here Tex
cept the vicious little English sparrow)
is ever allowed to be shot. There are,
a cording TO General ID. w. Flagler,
C )mmsldant of the post, over e ghty
varieties of birds. and the woods are
full of them. Thousands OF these were
passed sitting nearly close together on
the telegraph wires, all in a string,
stretching odt for half mile or more.
And how wish all the little children
OF oar country could. on such charm
ing morning as We saw them see these
squirrels aud pheaSants, the gorgeous
orioles and al the rest. peeping forth
so tamely and with such human-lik
sympathy, "a if never nor anywhere in
this world had ..war's III lie alarms"
been heard. And yet this lovely island.
owned by the United states Govern
ment. Is devoted to this one thing, the
manufacture of the murderous impie-
ments Of war of every soct. Ten enor-
nous shops, designed IT, constitute tho
largest National armory and arsenal in
the world, are in process of erection.
The Government approprIates for the
purpose about r1Oo.0U a year. 1t Is
e.pe tally interesting 10 note the COM
! bined grandeu: aud grace which belong
! to these Stru lures.
And still General Flagler, who car
res the whole aeair in his mind. as
sures me that everything is being done
with exact economy. Any new device
or method by which labor may be
saved and cost lessened is to his mind
what Iine strain o. music or noble
picture would b. 10 an artist. And I'm
argument for the entire enterprise is a
good one. 1t is wholly in the interest
of peace, and to avoid the necessity
of the horrible stan ing army system
of otner countries. 1t IS not the pur-
pose to manufacture asst sto. es OF
arms to be kept on hand. That would
no. do. 1t would not answer to equip
an army with what MAJ have been the
best implements a year ago. The bes!
taeu may be only second-best to-day.
/ rSut these shops are to be kept in the
best possible working order, and 8
su fcient corps of educated. trained ex
perts secured ana sustained, who, di.
recting any number of skilled work
men. could on short notice, set every
every foundry, every lathe and anvil
every tool IN motion, obedien
to the latest and most highly per.
fected patterns. and so, as it We're
Is h into beng as demanded, the va
red equipments for half a million mel
or more, tit for 1.-The tower of David
bui ded for an armory. whereon there
hang thousand buckters, all shield.
of mighty men" The estimated ca
pacity of this arsenal will lie over tw'
and one-haif times that of all the ar
senal. which we had during the late
war. Thus the Rock Hand Arsena
is to be the natural complement to thu
West Point Academy. If, now, oul
National government would only dis
play something OF the same noble sa
gacity and prudence. with a like blend
ing of economy AID berality, in pro-
vIding for the defenses of the countr,
against the law.u. invasion. generation
aftergeneration. hy constau1y-recr.ite'
millions of iiliterateS.-R6ek IstdnL Coz
Chicd 10 Later Ocean,