Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-05

name thereafter throughout the evening
was greeted with similar expressions.
No officer who has ever been stationed at
the arsenal has been the recipient of so
magnificent tribute.
Capt. Lyons response is given in full:
Gentlemen ard our friends in the three
cities-It it is true that speech is silvern,
and silence golden, then this is the first
time L have ever been classified among
the free silver men, In accepting your
tosst-master's kind invitation to respond
to the TOAST Great Guns" and become
a silver advocate. l told him l would
Try aud do what could with the subject,
but Tor fear the guns would suddenly
become spiked l would have to take my
notes with me. l appreciate fully the
high houOr in beirg called upon to re-
spond TO this toast tonight, and l take
the honor, not for myself alone. but for
the Ctfl ers who have preceded me a. the
arsenal. those present with me tonight
and for the new commanding officer soon
to arrive.
In the Rock Island arsenal you have
the grandest piece of property held by
this government anywhere. Nature has
done much for the island and man has
supplemented her efforts. 1t is living
monument of what msy be accomplished
by united effort on the part of the Citi-
zens and the Officers. And the twin cities
of Rock Island and Moline can take and
| arsenal for al example of Whist they may
| become when they join hands and be-
come one strong, united city. The wor>
| thy pride that has been taken in this ar
| senal by the people of the three cities |
| hope may grow as years increase. ard
that nothing may come between the peo-
| pie and the island to mar that pleasant
harmony that has always existed.
| This arsenal is the only one we have
| that has been built upon q war basis.
| II was the design to establish two others
after this medel, one on the Atlantic and
the other on the Pacific coasts, but as
yet no steps have been taken looking to
their establishment.
| When l say an arsenal on war basis,
l mean an arsenal that will not have its
| full compliment OF shops in operation till
war comes. This is not always fully IN
! derstood, and many think that the invest
ment in the shops has been lost because
they are not fully operated But it should
be our pride 10 show our friends that the
| shops are silent. for they are then liv-
| ing monument that peace reigns Il rough
out our entire border, The arsenal was
| designed in time of war to fully equip
with arms, ammunition and Gcc0utri-
ments two or three thousand men each
day. War now is far different from what
it was 100. so or even 80 years ago. 1t
is now scientific problem the solution
of which will belong to that nation that
can the soonest bring its resources into
play. After war has beea commenced it
will be too late then to erect shops aud
| buildings. They must be ready before
war is declared.
The arsenal, however, is not finished
yet, and few store houses, laboratories,
etc are needed TO complete the plant,
| and if we can only succeed in getting 8
working current through our Washington
Gable as we did through one who is our
! Gest here tonight, hope you may soon
see steps taken toward completing the
plans, for there is no motto so well taken
as the one to prepare for war 10 time OF
peace. In the past. work even on peace
basis. has not been up to the capacity Of
the arsenal nor to the needs of the ser
! vice, but now thst we have one at the
head of the department who fully UNDER
stands the situation, ] feel assured that
the legitimate work Of the arsenal will be
| increased as it is increasing now
day by day. We are now manufacturing
all the equipments required by our small
standing army, the national guards of the
various states, the marine corps and the
colleges. Nearly half of the issues and
shipments now made by our department
come from this arsenal.
While without regular head for the
arsenal and l and the officers under me
have conducted affairs, | wish to thank
the many friends we have in the three
cities for the kind words of cheer and en-
! couragemeut we have received. We have
underworld in our work to obtain the best
results both for the people and the gov
eminent, and We hope our works will
live long after we have departed.
But nov concerning Great Guns" the subject Of
| our toast,
Aud about which should sag something in honor
| of our host;
What can or dare or ought TO say?
For it is a subject that cannot be treated OF III
single day.
Great guns have not been made NJ the Arsenal on
this river,
The very thought of doing which makes many
eastern people SILVER;
| But the time may room come, the demand VIII be
great
| hat we will have to manufac,ure some, or their
| delivery will be too late.
| We have shops and we have men with material
| in prOfusion,
| We have great water-wower that seeks no Sc
clusion.
And when the guns are made we have transport ia
| tion the very best.
Both by water rail for the north, SOUTH east or
| west.
| But there are great guns here tonight, and great
| you will confess,
| press;
But OF all the great guns whom You will hear
| bye-and-bye,
The greatest gun Of all is, the one now soon to
| pass through the rye.
'fTHE MISSING LINK"-HoN. W. II. GEsT.
The toast, The Missing Link" was
responded TO by Hon. W. 81. Gest, who
sand that it had been the work of the
| g. ba Iipt Four