Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-02
OUR CITY.
Rock Islands Past, Present and Flu.
ture Discussed From the Pulpit.
Rev. G. w. Cue Sets Forth Some OF
the Advantages and Pays Hh Com
piimeats 20 the Newspapers by the
Way.

For his evening subject at Harper's
theatre last night, Rev. G. W. Cue chose
Tor his subject "Our City. Her Past.
Present and Future" His text vas from
Acts, 81 80:
"A citizen Of no mean city,"
Paul, said Mr. Cue, was a splendid
character and intensely man. He was
consecrated to the work OF saving men
regardless of nationality and locality, and
yet he loved his own people. de took
pride in referring TO his citizen ship as
Roman and boosted that he was free
born. OF Tsrsbus. the city of is na,iy>
i'y' he declared that lit was 10 mean
CITY," Paul loved city life and the most
oil his work was done in the great cenlers
where people congregsted of every
tongue and character. And it is in our
cities where the greatest efforts to save
and educate and elevate must be put
forth. for it is theie where the gilest and
most vicious gather. In these cities
everybody helps or binders, becomes a
blessing or curse.
The sentiment expressed by Cowper.
that God made the country and man
made the town." is really present in the
minds Of many when they compare coun.
try and city life. They have notion
that romance belongs to the country and
prose to the city. But love the city and
10 my heart believe that he VINO knows
the city life the best can find different
tale to tell. Take your stand on some
conspicuous spot along the bluff or climb
one of the highest buildings. then look
aud what scene meets your gaze.
fonder flows the grandest river in the
world, not only thing of beauty, but
giving swift and cheap Transportation to
the commerce of the north and the west.
See the fine houses and stores and public
buildings that lie along the avenues of
trade and here and there a church spire
pointing in silence to the skies. speaking
OF heaven and reminding mortals of i'm
morality and God. What prospect,
what variety. what food for meditation.
what field for work. Cities do not
spring into being spontsneOu sly, they are
subject to the laws of adaptabIlity and
growth. Location, therefore, becomes an
important factor in the grow III of city.
II should be at point where distribution
is not only possible, but economical.
where the producer and consumer can
readily clasp hands and thrive.
Such is the location OF our city, for
her nature has done her best. Sur
rounded by the richest agric Iltural coun>
try undertake by inexhaustib coal fields,
near to the best of stone for building pur-
poses and possessing the grandest natural
facilities for water power in all the world.
What, through these facilities may be
divided DOW by different corporations,
nature has designed that they be one,
and they nan not remain Sc parste long.
''fOr what God has joined togethed no
man can keep ssunder" There will he a
union of our city with Moline and Milan.
and the wonderful werld renowned. rock
bedded rock girded island suggests the
united cities name.
All the mutual agreements and legisls>
tons that can possibly be enacted would
not wipe out the historic ntme, Rock ISL
and. in hundred years. The United
States government years ago saw the adj
vantages of this locality an 4 resolved to
spend millions of dollars here building up
the central and grsndest arsenal of the
nation. While nature has dealt bounti-
fully, and with lavish land bestow ed
every facility possible for the building up
OF splendid city here. the spirit of
enterprise has presumed too much. She
has waited for everything % come here
but fortune is lazy goddess she will
never come to you"
Many cities about us W thout natural
advantages. but with a de- ermined enter
prising spirit have gone way beyond US
and are so recognized today. There is no
reason in the world why this should not
be the second city in the atate. a hundred
thousand population, unless that 1t is that
she has stood in her own way. The signs
of the times are full of encouragement
for us. Six railroads, hundreds of miles
Of navigable waterway, natural ter
minus for business and tie United States
governments confidence n this locality.
There ought to be streets running now
from the Mississippi river up over the
bluff to Rock river on the south all paved
and lined with dwellings with several
lines of street cars connecting the rivers
There ought to be a Uni ed States gov
eminent building located here and splen.
did elevators for the storing of grain.
The viaduct should De no longer a
question and the bridges over the Rock
river should all be made free. II we are
to have material growth and stand side
by side leading cities. our local political
wrangling will have to cease. II is ex-
ceedingly difficult to accomplish any
thing for the cIty's good when men elect
ed to office feel that their operations must
be for the party's and not the city's good,
and then all through the administration
| feel that they are hound ed and trammeled
by the opposite party. II political lines
are not laid aside then we should do our
| best to nominate men IF good sense and
| pluck. Men who are not afraid to en-
force the laws, pass proper ordinances,
tear up old sidewalks grade down the
streets and I'll up the parks. The past
year has been about the gran6est in SUBJ
stantiai improvements in the history OF
the city. Over .. 500 meal feet of splen.
didly paved streets, and 1000 feet OF
permanent sidewalks that would be 8
credit to any city.
The effort to belutify Union and
Franklin squares should be endorsed by
everyone in the city, filling up the one
and leveling down the other to the grade
Our city council deserves vote OF
thanks for the energy they have put intC
the work. In the face of opposition
threats and petitions. they have gone for
ward and accomplish ed vast amount Of
permanent improvements. The business
OF Rock Island is on a solid foundation
our banking houses are reliable. tht
stores we'll filled wi h the cheapest ant
best and honorable rlen in charge. The,
are the ones who build our churches, pave
our streets. maintain our schools, and TAX
care of our poor and we should patroniz
them in return. We have no more RICH
to take our trade elsewhere than tn
merchants and manufacturers have 4