Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-03
RAPID TRANSIT TO THE BLUFF

VIII the Council Aid or Deter it-An
Important Matter TO be Acted Upon
Soon.
ln response to telegrom from his as
sociates in the directory of the Davenport
& Rock Island Railway company, Manager
Louderback left for Chicago last night to
conclude the formal sale of bonds to
Harris & Company. As soon as this sale is
made and.the company receives the money
there-rom the track laying operations in
the three cities will be wound up as soon
as possible so that the construction may
be completed this season. In Moline
there is very little to do, the relaying of
few blocks of the Union line being all.
In Davenport there is considerable to do
while in Rock Island the chief desire is
TO have the Elm street line put in condi-
ton for rapid transit. The company is
willing to relay the line with Johnston
tram rail to the corner of Nineteenth
street and Sixth avenue clear through to
Elm street and Seventh avenue where
the old track lays. and furthermore to
pave the hill With single course of brick
providing the council will gran! one con
dition-:hat that part of the line which
| closely parallels the Fourth avenue
double track on Fifth avenue between
Nineteenth and Tweuty- first streets be
put back one block, or to Sikh avenue.
To secure this the CON psny has secured
the consent of the majority of property
holders and probably there would have
been no hesitsncy about granting the
change but for the hostile attitude mani
tested by one alderman, not towards this
petition of the company's alone, but to
| everything the company seeks in Rock
Island.
But the question involved is one that
looks beyond the feelings of an individ-
ual alderman. or indeed the preferences
of property holders. either on the old
route for few blocks or upon the line of
the desired change. The great end in
THE ARGUS is satisfied can only be secur-
ed through giving the company the
change it seeks. Ii is no bluff on the
company's part, nor is it anything un-
reasonable of the directors to say that
| they will not rebuild the line on its pres
ent route for electricity, but run horse
no Of
| thousands of dollars in construction If
they can get back into comparatively
new territory for those few blocks and
away from their other lines they will feel
more like rebuilding and willinprove Elm
street into the bargain. Is this unress
onables Is it not simply ordinary bus
| mess sense? Is there q business man in
Rock Island who would rebuild and i'm
prove property off the main thorough
fares of trade as quick as he would on
them-especially if the council had the
right to keep him away from
more advantageous locations The
company is soon to have the
money necessary for rebuilding Will
Rock Island. By delaying action in this
matter, fail to get its share until the money
is gone and it is too late. for the direc-
tors will not appropriate any money for
construction beyond that which they re,
ceive from the sale OF bonds. TIE aues-
ton resolves itself into simply this
horse cars on Fifth avenue and Twenty
first and to the bluff as we'll as on Ninth
street. or electric cars on Nineteenth
street and Sixth avenue and on Elm
street and Ninth street The council has
the key to the situation Which will il
provide for7 Which will he most adj
vsntageous to our business men and the
people in genersls