Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-31
CITY CONCERNS.
Matters of Interest TO be Acted
Upon Monday Night.
The Railway Franchise GO he sought
For--.Uaion square improvements
-.-Extending the street Pavement.

TO have q very important and interesting
session next Monday night Matters Of
considerable interest to the general pubs
lie will in all probability be presented for
action. One Of the first OF these
will be the application Of the projectors
Of the electric street railway for a fran,
chise over certain streets In the city OF
Rock Island. viz; From the eastern ex,
tremity of Fourteenth avenue connecting
with its line from Moline. and running
west 10 Thirtieth-Elm street-snd north
TO the end of that street; and beginning
at the eastern extremity of Sixth avenue
and running west to Twenty-fourth
street, north to Second avenue and west
TO Seventeenth street. The ordinance in
the shape thus outlined cannot be con-
sistently granted.
To say nothing Of tho rights which the
Holmes people have on Elm street south
of Seventh avenue, and to leave that
wholly with the council to decide, the
right of way sought on Twenty
fourth street north of Fifth avenue is
the privilege denied the Holmes syndi.
cate, oRrhe ground that IL would open
line between Moline and Davenport
through the upper part of the city and
in consequence of which the Holmes
line was obliged to abandon any ideas of
approaching the bridge either along Sec
ond avenue from Twentieth street east,
or along Twenty-fourth street from the
Moline road on Fifth avenue to the
bridge, but instead only secured the ordi.
nance by making this circuit: up TWEEN,
ty'fourth street from the bridge to Third
avenue, west to Twentieth street, north
to Second avenue. west to Fiftsenth
street, south to Third avenue and east to
Twenty fourth street along Third avenue
This loop was necessary in order to Sc
cure the franchise, and in the language of
the ordinance, the grant was made up
on the express condition, stipulation,
covenant and agreement that no track.
or tracks shall be laid or attempted to be
laid, leased, purchased or in any manner
whatsoever obtained, operated OF main
tanned by this company or in connection
with any other company or its tracks in.
upon and along Twenty-fourth street."
etc.
Another provision OF the ordinance to
be asked, and one which the council
cannot, with any degree of fairness cons
slider IN the light of favor is. that asking
g right to use the Second avenue tracks
of the Holmes syndicate from Twentieth
street west to Seventeenth. This is
sought under very peculiar sectioa of
the original ordinance granted to the Mo-
line 4 Rock Island Horse railway, March
"a, 1868, which the Holmes syndicate
bought. and which reads:
"in case the council shall grant to any
other company the right To construct
and use horse railway on Illinois street,
(now Second avenue.) from Madison,
(now Twentieth } to West Eagle, (now
Seventeeuth.) and the Moline & Rock
Island Horse Railroad company shall
construct more than one track on that
portion OF Illinois street, then such other
company shall have the right to use one
Of said tracks on fair terms, to be de-
termined by Arbitration"
While the new company is to ask for
an electric franchise and this section says
the company applying must be horse
railway and may ask for the use os one Of
the tracks, IL is nevertheless under this
provision that the electric people seek to
take advantage. The council cannot
consistently pass the ordinance, because
no company could use zone" Of the
Holmes tracks without interfering entire
ly with the Holmes double track system.
and 1t could not be given any rights over
the Holmes tracks without destroying his
business and the council might as well
rescind his ordinance entirely. as to grant
the privileges now prayed for. This the
city does not feel like doing. especially
where company is doing so much for
Rock Islands upbuilding as the Holmes
people are.
The ARGUS. as 1t has before iterated.
is most heartily in favor of the construc,
ton of an electric railway, but it should
seek to enter the business part of the city
by some other way than by trespassing
on the property of another. II should be
the duty OF the council and the people to
protect and encourage home enterprise,
but 1t should be a duty, too, to protect
and encourage outside enterprises invests
ing capital here and contributing to the
advancement of the city. The council
would complicaIe traffic on Second ave.
nue. by grsntipg to an outside company
rights over another's tracks even with the
consent of the owners of such tracks, as
disagreements would in the course of time
arise which would involve the city in
trouble and cause the public inconven-
fence.
UNION SQUARE.
II is understood that at the next coun.
Gil meeting an effort is to be made to re-
call the action of the last meeting with
reference to the filling of Union square
and putting it in u decent condition. 1t
is to be hoped that II any such effort is
attempted the council will not consider it,
for its action at its last meeting is COM
mended by all citizens having pride In the
city.
PAVEMENT EXTENSIONS.
The council NAV be asked Mt its Mon.