Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-18
DOWN ON THE WHISTLES.
A strong Protest Against the Early
Morning Si:na,s in the Tri Ci,ies-.-
DIAaStrOus Re Aul "a ID clared


Morning siGna,s in the Tri Ci,ies-..
Disastrous Results Declared.
The Davenport Democrat Gazette under
the head of "howl towns" makes a Wig.
orous protest against the early morning
whistles in the tri-cities. asserting tina,
they drive the sick to death and the ner-
vous to insanity. In Rock Island where
there are as many gong whistles as there
are in Davenport, the people have be-
come accustomed to the noise and din al
day break, and very little attention is
paid them, but over the river different
state of affairs seem to exist and the
Dem ocrat- Gazette says:
Must it DO endured all the spring,
summer and autumn again-this early
breaking, agonIzing blowing of gong
was the greeting reporter received as he
entered the office OF Il leading physician
this forenoon. The medical societies on
both sides'o the river ought TO take
action concerning it-and ask the Busi-
ness Mems associations in both cities TO
do the ssme-and both appeal TO the city
councils. 1t is an outrage. They com
mence sounding those whistles at
o'clock IN the morning and keep IL up at
intervals until o'clock. 1t isn't the saw
mills alone. though they do the chief part
of it-but there are some other manu-
factories that do it, Every physi-
clan of good practice in both cities will
tell you that il Is disturbance 10 sick
and nervous people that is painful
and dangerous. 1t breaks sleep, and
produces irritation of the nerves and
brain that oftentimes arrests allefforts to
benefit them. | have no doubt that II
has caused death. and know that it has
been the means of making people insane.
There is nothing worse for i'll people than
sleeplessness when patients ought to
sleep. Often they will be restless and
wakeful all night, and in the morning
fall to sleep only TO we awak e ned by the
Internal whistles. 1t is such useless
practice too. 1t can't be justified in this
day OF cheap clocks And why the man.
ufacturers will persist in it, can't see. /,
is absolutely inbuman. l have teen told
nav 'uS SNSuSV 10 thaI ~ iuhheS the TWO
cities appear lively-as if they were
booming. What folly such an operation
is. Does't everybody know that it isn't
a city practice at all. In the prosperous,
manufacturing cities no such disturb
ances are allowed. Chicago has
not a factory or mill whistle OF
bell from one years end to the
other - nor Cincinnati. Detroit Pitts,
burg, Philadelphia. New York. OF
any other place of importance. Instead
of the early morning claugor being city
like, 1t is very country like. You cam
hear such a din in Minneapolis or Omaha
1t shows We are green horns, and dom
know how to enjoy the comforts of life
1t creates the worst kind of an impress
sion on strangers at the hotels. Com.
mercial travellers have told me that they
hate to stop here over night, because OF
the horrible din about daylight in the
morning. 1t damages the business OF
the two cities. Who wants to visit city
for business purposes which matt tains
such nuisance? | was at the Kirkwood
in Des MONIES last fall, and heard one
gentleman tell another that he was il
Howltown the morning before. Howl
town. where is thar WHY, Daven
port. They have bowling whistles in
their factories there and across the river
and SIT them at work at daylight.
wouldn't stay there a night if | wanted &c
rest If they would give me my hotel fare
for nothing"