Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-20
PEACE REIGNS AGAIN.
The Street Paving Troubles Ann.
cably Settled.
Though Not Until Fifth Avenue was
Closed by the City-Work 10 Pro-
coed IN the Morntng-AIrs Well
That Ends Well.

Rock Island street railway company and
the contractors. Edwards & Walsh, re.
garding the conditions Of the paving on
Moline avenue east of Twenty.third
street have been amicably adjusted.
Peace reigns again and tomorrow morning
the work of paving, suspended at $50
Saturday afternoon by the contractors
will be resumed. All day yesterday the
matter was discussed by the various
parties interested. This morning a con.
ference was held at the mayors Office, his
honor, the contractors. Messrs Edwards
& Walsh and Superintendent Schnitger
of the Davenport & Rock Island street
railway company being present but no
terms could be agreed upon. Finally
the mayor made move such
as he should have several DAYS ago,
and which this morning brought
prompt adjustment of the case. The
mayor at II 80 ordered the closing of
Moline avenue west of Twenty>fourth,
at which point the excavation ceases,
closed, and accordingly Marshal Miller
and Street Superintendent Blaisdell erect
ed fence across the street. This shut
off all travel, including the street cars,
and the obstruction was hardly up until
the street car folks sought settlement.
The contractors too, seeing that there was
likely 10 be e siege and that operations
might be delayed longer than they cacu-
lated were willing for an adjustment of
the difficulty. There was mutual
agreement to temporary opening of the
street. and the embargo was raised after
had TO been on Is minutes. A
meeting was Immediately held at
the power station of the Davenport &
Rock Island Street Railway company, at
which there were present the mayor,
Messrs. Edwards, Walsh, Louderback
aud Schnitger. There were few con.
cessions.. on both sides and just as the
arsenal clock tolled the hour of high noon
the conferees emerged into the street with
and Schnitger had smoked the pipe Of
peace and all was again serene. The
street car company agreed to pay the
contractors few cents for excavating be-
tween the tracks in addition TO the cost
contracted for paving and to keep out of
the way OF paving IN moving and grading
the IT icks
Tomorrow morning operations will be
resumed and henceferth it will probably
90 forward without interruption or delay.
The council will not undergo the ordeal
of adjusting the difficulties as seemed inn
minent up TO noon today.
THE ARGUS is informed the mayor Oh.
iected to the matter coming before the
council, maintaining that it is q question
solely for the executive department of the
city to settle. The mayor would be right
in such position and THE Argos should
think he would very greatly regret the
necessity Of the council disposing of a
subject which called for the exercise of
the functions of the msyoralty.
In his attitude in this natter the mayor
has again shown his lamentsble weakness
and lack of executive force. THE ARGUS
has endeavored from the first to give both
sides of the controversy between the
paving contractors and street railway
company without bias or prejudice to-
ward either, and it must confess q failure
so far 10 discern a sufficient ground for
contention. Nor is this paper inclined TO
blame either inssmuch as the city
failed to exercise it's authority in the
premises in relation to the guarding of its
own interests. To the mayor. seems 10
belong the blame for the delay
as he permitted too much nom
sense from both sides and probably
subjected the city to redicule in the
minds of both the contending parties.
The mayor should have considered the
various phases of the contention between
the street car people and the contractors
at the start, told both firmly what their
duties were and then insisted on both full.
filing their obligations to the city. The
city is absolute judge of the situation as
to both the street car company and the
contractors. The street car people were
standing by their rights as they saw them;
so we're the contractors. The city should
IN the first place have stepped in and
insisted upon its rights which are more
important than either, and thus settle
the trouble. Had the mayor taken a
stand IN the matter, and had he failed. in
his position then it should have come be-
fore the council otherwise not.
Atte mpted suicide.
Mrs. Frederick Kramer, residing at ISL