Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-16
ENCOURAGING ENTERPRISE.

The Consistency and Inconsistency
or Doing it...IPubiic spirit In street
Railway Lines.
The Union Of yesterday morning in a
lengthy boomer for visionary electric
railway project to Moline, makes it an
excuse to give tie Holmes syndicate, now
in possession of the street railway lines
of the three cities. an entirely unwsrrsnt-
ed and very unjust slur. The morning
paper does not seem to be able to get
over the effects Of the nightmare it had
when Mr.. Holmes got into Rock Island
despite its most frantic efforts to oppose
him, and now when in forcible subsection
to the march of public spirit it contents
itself with spiteful sneers and insinua-
tions. While the ARGUS would cheerful
ly support any practical scheme OF local
enterprise, it does not believe it necessary
in such connection to criticise our present
street railway facilities, or of asserting on
the basis of the present situation that the
prospect is otherwise than that Rock
Island. Moline and Davenport, as well,
will not be given the adva ntage of every
modern improvement in comfort and fast
traffic that can be consistently applied to
street railway usage. On the contrary,
the ARGUS believes in all candor and fair
ness of spirit that the Holmes company
is entitled to praise and encouragement
for what it has done. and is doing and
belief that it will provide still more i'm
provements as fast as they can be in
troduced 1t is now less than year
since it acquired possession of the Car
lines of the three cities, including the two
routes leading from Rock Island to Mo-
line, and what has it done already 1t
has consolidated the old Rock Island
Il Moline route and the Union line be
tween Rock Island and Moline, and
made the latter convenient paying
line which it was not before. replaced
worn >out fashioned single tracks
with double Johnstown steel rail
tracks, put on an entirely new car ser
vice. and reduced the time between cars
from twenty minutes to seven and "a
half minutes, and gwen to the public a
system of car service that lie not ex-
celled anywhere outside of the larger
cities of the country. facilities indeed
that are as far in advance OF those pro-
vided by the much boosted, but greatly
over estimated. electric road in Daven>
port as one thing IN excel another.
To the Holmes syndicate may be
rightfully attributed. in a large degree,
the signal growth that Rock Island is
enjoying this season. 1t not only bought
the old companies out at one hundred
cents on the dollar. including stock
that was put in the market before as low
as seventy>fiye cents. but this practically
included the franchises alone, as the old
rails and stock-though at that time still
in use-and would still have been in
use. were entirely worn out. but
after expending thousands of dollars
in securing these franchises, put in
an equal amount in rebuilding and restock-
Ing. 1t has encouraged the progressive
spirit of the times by doing its share of the
paving operation gladly and without the
least remonstrance. The rail it is putting
in is of fifty>two pound weight, whereas
that used in most cities nowadays is
thirty six pounds much cheaper and
lighter grade, and this shows the evident
intention of the company to provide
as it can be demonsl rated as practicable.
We don't believe that after the gross
injustice the Union las done Mr.. Holmes
that what has been said above in behalf
of his efforts here are more than he is en-
titled to, and while as stated heretofore,
every new means of communication and
travel should be encouraged, the In
provement association can he in better
business than follow ing the Unions sug>
gestion and promoting any public method
of showing displeasure with him. II it
can be demonstrated that a new electric
road will prove practical and beneficial
to the public let it BE- built by private
corporation and not by the public. which
has no reason now to further "a private
grievance. Let justice be done; let us be
fair-minded and whatever else we do,
place credit where credit is due.