Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-09
SIDE TALK.
Matters Discussed at Lest Nights
Council Meeting.
The Pianking or the Milan nridses
aud the street Car COmpany's
P0sition-Fire Alarm o.
dered-Other Bust

meetings OF the city council are important
and interesting these DAYS.
The first matter of importance was the
Seventh avenue Improvement, east of
Elm street, and Alderman Adams made a
strong speech in behalf of the PROPOSE,
tion, and the great need of good thor
oughfsre now that Moline avenue is to
be torn up for paving. The improvement
will involve an expense of $1,000, and
the money could not be better expended
The manner of doing the work was
discussed last night, some favoring spec
| ial taxation, Others special assessment
while many were of the opinion it should
be done out of the general fund. The
matter was finally referred to q future
meeting.
The question as to the planking of the
Milan bridges was called up and Manager
| Louderbsck, of the Rock Island & Milan
Street Railway company, was given per,
mission to address the council. Mr..
Lou derbsck expressed his surprise that
any member of the council should have
supposed that he had attempted any
! bluff game with ref erence to the relations
of the city and the street railway, regards
| ing the bridges. He then related
his conversation with three of
the aldermen at the watch tower with
regard to the bridges, wherein he had
! ctated that upder eyistip ~ circumstances ba
had determined that the company could
not consider & proposition to plank the
| bridges He resd from the ordinances
which had been placed in the hands OF
the company by the court, showing that
the city could not legally dispossess the
railway people Of the use Of The bridges.
The legal rights of the company there
was readily conceded, but Mr.. Louder
back stated that he did not desire to
stand on his legal rights in the premises,
and hold on to that portion OF the road
extending over the bridges # the council
desired to order his tracks off. He read
statement of the earnings and expen-
ditures of that branch of the road,
showing that it did not pay TO maintain
it and that the company could not sfford
to keep up the bridges for the heavy
traffic to which they must be subjected,
and while the company had legal rights
over the same and could not be held for
the planking, he would cheerfully bow to
the will of the council, and remove his
tracks if ordered to do so. 1t was merely
business proposition, and he hoped that
in this matter he would receive the same
kind and courteous treatment at the
hands of the council that had been shown
the other companies in which he was in
terested, by the Rock Island council.
He spoke of the desire of both COM
panies to work IN accord with the
: council for the upbuilding of the city
everywhere, and he thought the equip
ment of the lines showed the verifcatlon
OF that desire. Al assessments for legit.
innate street Improvements had been
= cheerfully met, and if,when the Hennepln
| canal was constructed. there would bs
ANYTHING to warrant, he would be pleas
ed to ask for privileges to use the bridges
, and equip the road in frst-class style. Fo
. the present business did not warrant /
at that end, and if the council SO desired
he would renounce his legal rights on tn
bridges and Yacate them.
Alderman Corken spoke of the tim
when the city would have been glad t
give the bridges to any one to run ther
= and keep them up, and he did not thin
the council should act too hastily j
driving any company off them now.
We'll give them to the syndicate nov
if they'll take them" said Alderma
Evans.
The entire subject was properly re
ferred with view to having it adJuste
in a manner mutually agreeable.
The Davenport & Rock Island Stree
Railway company petitioned to aba ndo
re the Ninth street line south of Fourth av'
nue., and to construct lines on either
ID route commencing at Nineteenh and FIT
and running south on Nineteenth
Seventh and east to Twenty-1fth, or c
Nineteenth to Sixth east to Twenty>fr
and thence south to Seventh, the urpo'
being in the event OF the pa
sage of either ordinance to absndo
the present Elm street line. II
- object of the proposed change is in rela.
inc that norton of the Elm street line il
dictated to extend it through territol
which will reach larger portion of Il
population than than it does at presen
so closely paralleling the Fourth aven'
line. Either change would be exceeding
desirable all around, and it is to be hop,