Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-08-19
ALL In A NAME.
The Pride of Cities in Being Known
by Their Railroads.
Amounts 10 something if Only n
street Car Line-Lost Opportun
fties-MOiine-s Attitud.

W S ioi4i oau Hdueu dlter lt-there is
no DOUBT OF that. Rock Island realizes
this IN the great distinction given it the
world over by the railroad which bears ;,s
name in title and in trade mark. Dayen.
port knows this; so does Moline, and as
test of the high oegree at which the lat.
ter city places the benefits of a name so
carried by railroad the action of lis civ
council at Monday nights session NAV he
cited. 1t will have nothing to do with
even a street railroad that does not
bear its name upon its cars as a part
ofthe name of the company. Last Monday
night the railway company asked the
councils sanction to its mortgaginp its
property. Fortunately for the company
the formalities Of having municipal sane
ton are not essential to a business trsns-
action Of this kind and if they were the
company might be driven into the hands
OF a receiver because it failed to have
Moline in its name, as the council of tina,
city declined to approve any business the
company might engage in until it put
Moline" on its cars as part of its
name.
The ARGUS is not disposed to criticiss
the position of Moline in desiring that its
name he kept in as many railroads as
possible even to street railways. There
is everything to be gained in having
railroad named after city. but it looks
as if the council up there was trying to
act little severe on corporation that is
doing so much for the city as the sYndi.
cate is, no matter what its pane.
1t is not at all PROBABLE that the syndi-
cate Intended to deliberately slight Mo-
line in its title, but for convenience as in
fact as a matter of necessity it sought the
advantage of having its consolidated sys.
tenn under one name. 1t being necessary
TO retain the name. Davenport & Rock
Island Railway company, as part Of its
rights secured under government
ordinance, it was thought proper to
name the entire system so and the cars
were so lettered 10 save complications in
iuterchanging on big days, etc. Now
6,rds have been issued and other obliga-
tons assumed under the consolidated
name, and IL is difficult TO see how
change can be made, although it is not
known what action the syndicate may see
the wisdom Of taking in the matter. At
any rate it should not be blamed
for any act il has con mitte6 without in.
tention of working injury to anyone, for
it simply purs ued the same course the c.,
B. & Q. did when it gobbled up the Rock
ford, Rock Island & St. Louis. the c., M.
* 81. P. when it purchased the Daven-
port &; Norihwestern, and more recently
the 3, c r. & n. when it absorbed the
Davenport, Iowa & Dakota. and yet
while both Rock Island and Davenport
have lost the advantage of having their
names IN the titles of the railroads,
neither has held grudges against the
roads coming into possession IN fact, the
disposition has been rather to help them
to any extent possible, and the people not
only of Davenport, buL many from Rock
Island and Moline went out on an excur-
sion to Cedar Rapids and created a new
feeling of brotherly love with the city
which was to supersede Davenport in the
title Of the road which had previously
been the latter citY's pride.
However, this is only a matter of how
far city realizes the benefit of having
a railway named after It, and Rock Island
does not blame Moline for wanting all
the advantages in this direction it can
get. 1t only fails to see why the kick
was not made yesrs ago when the old
companies failed to recognize either city
in the lettering on lheiI ears, but resorted
to box car idea of merely using letters.