Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-05
The Rock Island Arsenal.

Much car be and ought to be said re-
specting Rock Island and it's National
armory and arsenal. Containing a
thousand acres, this is the most beauti-
full island of which the Mississippi River
can boast, and lies between the two
cities, Davenport and Rock Island. 1t
was purchased from the Indians at the
close of the Black Hawk var in 1882.
The island, to begin with, is a paradise
for birds. No bird or squirrel here Eek
cept the vicious little English SPARROW
is ever allowed to be shot. There are,
q cording TO General ID. w. Flagler,
commandment of the post, owe eighty
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 out for half a mile or more.
And how | wish all the little children
OF our country could, on such a charm
ing morning as we saw them. see these
squirrels and pheasants, the gorgeoM
orioles and al! the rest, peeping forth
SO tamely and with such a human-like
sympathy, as if never nor anywhere in
this world had ''war's rude alarms"
Geen heard. And yet this lovely island.
owned by the United States Govern
ment, IS devoted to this one thing, the
manufacture Of the murderous imple-
ments OF war Of every sort. Ten enor-
nous shops, designed to constitute the
largest National armory and arsenal in
the world, are in process of erection.
The Government appropriates for the
purpose about S2OO,O 900 q year. 1t is
especially interesting to note the COM
bined grandeur and grace which belong
to these structures.
And still General Flagler, who car
ries the whole affair in his mind, as
sures me that everything is being done
with exact economy. Any new device
or method by which labor ma be
saved and cost lessened is to his mind
what a line strain of music or a noble
picture would be to an artist. And his
argument for the entire enterprise is a
good one It is wholly in the interest
Of peace, and to avoid the necessity
of the horrible standing army system
of other countries. It is not the pur-
pose to manufacture vast stores OF
arms to be kept on hand. That would
not do. 1t would not answer to equip
an army with what may have been the
best implements q year ago. The best
then may be only second-best to-day.
But these shops are to be kept in the
best possible working order, and a
sufficient corps of educated, trained ex-
perts secured and 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, obedient
to the latest and most highly per-
fectcd patterns, and SO, as it were,
flash into being as demanded, the va
ried equipments for half q million men
or more, fit for ''the tower of David,
buiIded for an armory, whereon there
hang a thousand bucklers, all shields
of mighty men," The estimated ca
pacity of this arsenal will lee over two
and one-half times that of all the az
senal, which we had during the late
war. Thus the Rock Island Arsenal
is to be the natural complement to the
West Point Academy. If, now, our
National Government would only dis
| play something OF the same noble sa-
gacity and prudence, with a like blend.
ing Of economy and liberality, in pro-
vlding for the defenses of the country
against the lawful invasion. generation
after generation, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
millions of illiterates!-L0ch Jslua1t Cor.
MicuJO Inter- Ocean.