The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-02
AS THEIRS SEE US.
Rock island rs Viewed by a Davenport
JOurDal-..A Review OF the
Three Cities.

The Davenport Gazette supplemented
its regular addition this morning with a
general descriptive review of the three
cities, their commercial advantages and
history. The Gazette devotes one page to
cuts of the locality in general, outlining
the natural advantages. coal regions
water courses, etc, probable route of the
Hennepin canal and railroads, tie Dav-
export High school and the Moline High
school and shades of misery!--the Rock
Island court house. What The new pro-
prietors of the Gazette had against the
city and county of Rock Island can not
be imagined. We are not nearly so much
ashamed of our High although
for architectural design it does not come
up to our neighboring cities-as we iust>
ly are of our court house. A cut of An
gustana college, the Harper house, Rock
Island house block, Armory building, or
one of our manufacturing institutions
would have been far better representa-,
ton of Rock Islands public buildings and
far more acceptable to the citizens of
Rock Island
Of what is said by the Ga.eHe of Rock
Island the following is an extract:
The city of Rock Island is most eligioly
situated for manufacturing purposes,
having in like manner. of course. all the
railway and river facilities for travel and
transportation heretofore enumerated,
aud in addition thereto magnificent
water power in Rock river only three
miles in its rear and the famous Daveu-
port coal banks now being operated hard
ly a stones throw outside of its corporate
limits. On either side of the Mississippi
river are quite high ranges of bluffs, but
here owing to the fact that Rock river
flows into the Mississippi just below the
city, the bluffs cease giving to Rock Isl
and n splendid plateau for factory build
ing purposes. especially those requiring II
large area of ground. extending from the
Mississippi to Rock river, directly through
which already runs two lines of op.-
Grating railways and other lines are pro-
jected. 1t is the same plateau which
must in its natural location and peculiar
fitness be the western or Mississippi river
terminus of the Hennepin canal, for it is
agreed that if this great national highway
of cheap transportation is built where ii
should naturally go, and will without the
intervention of local pretudices, the canal
will, striking several miles above, follow
Rock river to the Mississippi at this point
mentioned. The building of this canal
will solve the problem of cheap transport
tation, and in the interests of the north
| western states it should not be long de.
layed. The largest amount ever proposed
to be expended in the building is under
| S6 900 900, while the states of the north =
| west, which are directly interested in ii
as n means of cheapening the transporta>
ton tax on their grain to market have
raised in one year according to the United
| States authoritative reports over 300,
600, 900 bushels. so that the saving of one
| single cent per bushel of only one years
| crop would build this canal with n hand
| some surplus to spare.
After dwelling on the financial and
commercial business of the city manufac
turing institutions and general traffic ed
vocational and reading facilities. newspa>
pers, its hotels, so popular among the
travelling fraternity. the article concludes:
The Business Mems association of Rock
Island is an i'm pOrtant factor in working
to the good of the city and is composed
of over one hundred of the most promi-
nent and thorough going business men of
the city, who at all times are alert to its
interests, giving informa ton in full and
| offering encouragement to reputablem man
ufacturing enterprises, and to prospective
residents desiring to enter business in tins
highly favored locality. Rock Island has
II water works system owned by the city,
built by the celebrated Holly Manufacture
ing company. of Lockport, New York,
the works furnish n more than abundant
supply of water for all purposes, the
water being taken from the mid channel
of the Mississippi, thus insuring both
quantity and quality. The city is lighted
by electric lights from the tower system,
while the gas company furnish fine light
for indoors. The United States engineers
office having charge of all the Mississippi
river improvements from st. Paul to the
mouth of the Illinois river, is located
Ii ere