Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-02
SIDE TALK.
Incidents in the City Council Cham
Der.
The Aft rnOon Meeting Yesterday
AnImated Session Last Evening
AID. Evans Heard From
Other Proceedings.

In the afternoon the aldermen quietly
assembled, were called to order and WIS.,
tied the Twentieth street pavement which
was duly Inspected. and on reassembling
the same was approved of and accepted
from the Rockford Construction company
| with certain conditions shown in the off,
| cial record
In the evening, however, came the en-
PERTAINING session. The atmosphere per.
vading the chamber was fairly loaded
with eioquence, to which AID Evans
contributed considerably more than his
share.
The matter of the replsnking of the
Milan bridges was the first thing to enlist
the oratorical powers of the Fifth ward
| alderman. Aid. Hetter, from the bridge
| committee, reported that D. n Louder
back. of the Rock Island & Milan street
railway, had refused to comply with the
| councils order relative to planking. AID.
Evans made a lengthy speech to the
| effect that if such was the case the street
Car company be required to remove their
tracks from the bridge and abandon their
rights there entirely. He believed Mr..
| Louderback was working a game of bluff
with the city, and he thought the council
could bluff as well as Mr.. Louderback
could
Aid. Huesing asked if the ordinance of
the Rock Island & Milan company did
not provide.that no part Of the system
could be abandoned without forfei,ing
the entire right.
The mayor replied that the company
had two different ordinances. one for
the line to the tower, and one across the
Milan bridges.
Aid. Huesing then thought it might De
the better policy to raise the license for
crossing the bridges from 800 to s400.
Aid. Hetter said the amount used to be
$500 and the city had never collected it,
Aid Evans moved that the Rock Island
Il Milan company be authorized to re-
move their tracks from the Milan
bridges.
Aid, Huesing amended the motion to
the effect that the company be ordered to
take its track from the bridges.
This motion was put and defeated by
close vote.
Aid. Evans demanded that those sl-
dermen voting against the motion en-
llghteu the council as to their reason for
so doing.
AID. Corken thought the council was
acting too hastily in the matter. and
while be did not believe in the council
being bulldozad, he thought more time
should be given to the matter before tax.
ing action.
Aid. Adams held that the street car
company was attempting 8 bluff, pure
and simple.
Aid. Knox believed in moving slowly
in the matter, and if any bluff was at
tempted the council could bluff, too
Aid. Huesing requested that the city
ordinances be read as to the relative
rights OF the street car company aad the
| council in the premises.
City Attorney Haas read the original
ordinance granting the Rock Island &
| Milan road the use of the
bridges, and no provision appeared
whereby the council could force the
company to plank the bridges.
Aid. Evans then moved that instead of
the motion voted upon the license be
raised to $500 in accordance with Aid
Housings suggestion. The matter was
further debated ard referred TO the bridge
committe and city attorney 10 report.
The Fifth ward statesman, however,
appeared at his best, when, after Presi-
dent Jackson and Vice President Carse,
of the Improvement association, had
made pleas for the payment by the coun-
Gil of the bill Of 500 representing the
amount of Oliver Olsen's expenses at
Washington in the interests of the via-
! duct. Mr.. Jackson had made a very
plain and comprehensive statement of the
case and the great advantages that Rock
Island had gained by the viaduct, land that
bill was one that our Taxpayers who are
to be benefited should properly pay.
Mr.. Carse stated that the visduct was the
real. key to the Union depot, toward
which We are all looking with hopeful
ewes and renewed confidence. Mr.. Gable
of the Rock Island road, had intimated
to him that with the viaduct constructed
there would be a prospect of that road
running its trains down town.
AID, Evans was the first alderman tC
speak on the subject. He renewed hi;
former motion that the bill should be
paid. 1t was the councils duty to pay it
o,d'o n curace IN refuse IL Then hi;