Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-23
THE PEORIA'S POSITION.
The Railroads Side of the Question
of River Frontage.
s"pt' Sudiow Expresses Himself
Freely On the Right of Occupancy
and the Disposition OF the CITY.
Etc.

speaking this morning of the action Of
the Rock Island Citizens Improvement
association in adopting resolutions look
lug to the Improvement of the river front
aud the removal of tracks occupied BY
the railroads there, and held to be I'M
necessary and causing much complaint on
the part of property holders living on
First avenue. action which led the coun-
Gil to assume position looking to rem
edying the cause of complaint, Supt
Sudlow. of the r. I. s. P. said: Il have
noticed the action Of the Business Mems
association and am somewhat surprised. I
| understood their mission TO be to build up,
not to tear down, to induce new roads
| and factories to come in. not to drive
out those now here, a mission to espouse
| The cause of the general welfare of the
city. and not of personal grievances"
Asked as to the occupation of city
ground by the Peoria road, Mr.. Sudlow
said:
Yes, we occupy, and have for many
years, some of the city's ground between
Twelfth and Fifteenth streets for yards
and sidetracks, and have been paying the
city fair rental under proper agreement
for the same. These yards and tracks are as
necessary to the factories. mills and
merchants as to ourselves. In these days
of close competition factories can't we'll
| afford to haul their incoming material
| and their outgoing product by wagon
| and compete with their neighbors, who
| are allowed sidings to load and unload
from. Wholesale men would no. be
satisfied to be deprived OF their loading
and unloading tracks and be compelled
to haul longer distances"
How about the noise nuisance7"
Yes, We admit that in order to do
| yard work and run trains in the ordinary
| course of business, we are compelled TO
make noise. Under the statutes we
must sound the whistle to prevent acct
| dent to life and property and steam will
escape from the safety valve at times.
al of which / am sorry to say is unpleas-
and O people living in too close proEimi-
ty SO, too. is the clatter and bang of
the electric Car through the day and half
| the night ofensive; so too is the smoke,
| the bammering. the pounding and grind
ing of the factory. trying on the nerves
of those living too near by. Then there
is the big mill with its whistle, its buzz
OF many saws. it's lumber piles and I'M
| slightly stacks OF kindiing that. too. is not
desirable if too close to ones residence.
But all of these, like the railroad and It's
tracks are necessary and vital part of
our great commercial and industrial sys-
tenn. and no live city can dispense with
them"
Asked as to vscating the grounds. he
said: 1--WE do not have SO poor an opin-
ion OF the city council as to thiak for a
moment they would order US to vacate
ground they have no use for: OF. that they
would seek TO strike blow of this kind
to the city's prosperity or attempt to
squelch a road that has been fighting the
battle of just rates for these three cities
for years, and been working hand in hand
with home industries to advance local in
terests. Neither do i believe they will
lend themselves for the purpose OF pull
ing any ones chestputs out of the fire"