Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-17
TAKING II In TINE.
Rock Islands 1888 Boom Com
mences Early,
Important Meeting OF the business
Mems Association Liberal PROPOSE
tions TO the Des Moines DistiIIery
and a Big shoe Factory.

A very important, and in fact one o
the most generally interesting meeting
the Rock Island Business Mems associa
ton has held for some time, was tina
which met at President Fergusons offic'
at o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr.
Ferguson presided and Mr.. w. G. White
head was called upon to act as secretary
There were about twenty-five representa-
tive citizens present. The main objec
of the meeting was to take steps relative
to the proposition of the great Des MoineF
distillery to locate in Rock Island. A
from Mr.. G. w. Kidd, of New York, owner
of the immense distillery, stating that
| lowa's prohibitory law had so restrained
the sale Of spirits in that state that it vas
necessary to remove from the state; that
many sites had been offered from points
east of the Mississippi and west of
the Missouri, but that the writer
was inclined to be more favorable to
| Rock Island than any other city ConsidS
cred. In view of these facts he sought
DEFINITE information in regard to what
inducements Rock Island could offer, and
as to what advantages the city possessed
in the way of cold water supply. cost of
slack coal and railway and river ship.
ping facilities The capacity of the dis
tillery was 5000 bushels of grain daily
in other words ten car loads, it would
employ $50 men and consume 100 tons
of coal daily. The city of Des Mones
Mr.. Kidd said, had in 1882, not only
granted part of the land free on which
to construct the works, but released the
distillerV from five years city taxes. Mr..
Kidd was particularly anxious to know
as to the supply of cold water and aces
sible transportation. which, he says, are
the leading factors in the successful ops
GRAFTON of a distillery.
1t was stated by the mayor that he had
already replied to Mr.. Kidd's letter. set
ting forth that without question the
three principal factors mentioned as most
desirable in operating a distillery-coal,
water and accessibility of railway and
river transportation, could be had at Rock
Island with as much ease and certainty
as in any city in the state of Illinois, and
a full investigation of the
city's advantages before deciding upon
the question of location. A proposition |
of Ex Mayor Bailey Davenport, setting |
forth the conditions under which he |
would donate a desirable site on the river |
aforementioned in last evenings ARGUS |
was received, but the requirements
Incidental to the offer were such
hat the association did not
give it consideration. The old distillery
property most admirably located for
both rail and river shipping, and cons
Drising ten acres with a smokestack
worth $500, well and cistera, was sug.
gested, and all were impressed with its
to the wants of the enter.
prise. Capt. Peetz thought the site
could be purchased for SO 900, and nas-
much as Mr.. Peter Fries, one of the
owners, had made a generous PROPOSE
lon concerning the land a year ago, he
night be prevailed upon to renew it now.
Messrs. Henry Carse and B. Winter
we're on motion delegated as a committee
% wait upon Mr.. Fries and confer with
llm in the matter. The committee retired
md soon returned in company with Mr..
Fries, who made the liberal offer of his
ialf interest in the property for $1,000,
md 1t was intimated that Weyerhauser &
Oenkman, owners of the other half,
Supt. Sudlow, of the X. l. & P,
Dad assured the association that his COM
'any would, if the property was accepted
~ the distillery, extend track to the
listlllery premises in order that coal
night be delivered by car load from the
mines on the Gable branch of the r. /. &
}. road. Mr.. A. c. Dart then entered a ,
notion that the site described be rendered
he International DistilIery company free !
I charge, and that Mayor Blanding and
President Ferguson be authorized to
to Mr. Kidd all the informa- 9
on he desired.
President Ferguson then read one of 7
lumber of other letters he had received 9
'om enterprises anxious to locate in
Jock Island, the writer being Mr.. A. A. \
ross of Chicago, whose communication 7
as in the interest of a shoe factory EN-.
Toying at least one hundred hands, and
pom the Kohn 81 Adler building on First u
venue being suggested as suitable for i,
,ctory purposes, Mr.. Dart moved that if r
lch was the csse and the shoe company
resented proper guarantees, it be also r
and presented free of cost to h
lie incoming industry. The matter was +
so referred to Mayor Banding and Pres
lent Ferguson to investigate. fl
1t was grand evenings work and the y
usiness Mems association meyer before T
scharged more important business in
lie same space of time. These proposi> !,
ons are certainly both as liberal as any =,
ty could have made, and there is rea- y
enable ground for assurance that the dis
llery at least, may accept of the propo>
ton rendered. The three important :.
oints mentioned in Mr.. Kidd's letter are
ct. There is abundance of coal and =
alter, and it is only necessary to bore to
ct more. AS to commercial facilities,
Their by rail or river, Rock Island cannot v
2 excelled. The distillery property
res the hest natural landing on the en>