Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-11
RAPID TRANSIT.
Petitions IN Circulation for Fec
trio Cars on the Bridges.
BEING NUMEROUsLY ENDORSED,

which All Are Interested-A oh ;ections
Fully and satisfactorily Overcome and
People Generally Seek the Abolition of
the Horse Car.
fetltlons were placed in circula-
ton in the three cities this morning
praying the secretary of war, as those
IN Rock Island read. ''to grant to the
electric street car system of this CITY
the privilege of crossing the govern
ment bridges and Fort Armstrong
avenue electrically in such manner
that it may be able to connect with
that OF Davenport, Iowa. subject to
such conditions as to safety and 9TH
erwlse, as your honor NAV direct.
and that the electric cars while on
said bridges and Fort Armstrong ave-
nue. be under the control and sub
Ject to such restrictions as the COM
mandant at Rock Island arsenal NAV
prescribe
Public Demand
The numerous and general manner
IN which these petitions are being
signed Indicate that the improve
ment sought amounts practically to
aPublic demand. 1t has long been full
IY understood to be the wishes of the
masses of the people that the rapid
transit introduced three years ago
on all the lines of the three cities.
and so readily granted by the COM
mon councils of each to the Daven-
| port d Rock Island Railway COM
| pany, be extended to what is known
as the bridge line, connecting the
cities of Rock Island and Davenport,
and many has been the query that
has been made as to why the horse
cars still in vogue there should not
be abolished in favor of the more
modern and more convenient system.
Had the privilege of granting the in
PRODUCTION of electric motive power
been vested in the hands of only
local authority it would have been
| granted long since, but inasmuch as
the matter rests entirely with the
department at Washington, having
supervision over the Rock Island
bridges and causewav. it becomes
necessary to make application there
The war department is willing to be
| guided BY whatever are the wishes
of the people composing the commu-
nifty to he benefited by the adoption
of the change.
Business Associations Act
Yielding to the popular desire, the
Rock Island Citizens Improvement
! association and the Davenport Bust
| ness Mems association some months
ago appointed committees of three
members each to take the matter in
hand and bring it properly to the at
tention Of the authorities at Wash
| ington. These committees have not
acted hastily They have had a
number IF Joint conferences. the first
| move being to satisfy themselves up
| on the question of possible danger.
As was the case with the Introduction
| of electricity on the town lines. there
| were some who felt there might be
some risk in putting electric cars on
| the bridges. To fully meet these
| possible objections. correspondence
was had by the committee with the
|
cities similarly situated as Rock Isl
and and Davenport and where cleo
| trio and cable cars are used on the
| bridges. In response to these solicit
| tatiOns Of expression, sworn state
| ments were obtained from mayors.
| superintendent : of streets, chiefs of
| police and other municipal authori-
ties and representative citizens OF
| five large cities located as these are,
setting forth the extent of the cleo
| trio and cable car system on bridges
and fully testifying to their safety
and non-objectionable features.
| Armed with this evidence, the com
| mittee felt its next duty was to Sc
cure the sentiment of the local public,
| and hence the petitions in circula-
ton. which. it is gratifying to know.
are being so literally signed by all
classes Of peOp.e.
As matter of fact the thought of
| the final exit of the horse ear from
the community is received with every
expression of popular satisfaction.
| and people are anxious as whole to
/ subscribe themselves to any move
| ment that may hasten the transfor-
nation n street railway transporta-
ton. l. is apparent to the most
casual observer that selfish inter
ests alone would seek to deny the
common people the advantages to be
gained by the completion OF the
rapid transit system, which has
proven such boon to the people of
| the three cities, and of which our
people are justly proud.
Tired of Horse Cars.
The local populace is tired OF horse
cars and desire to see the last yes
tipe abolished. Extended the right to
include the bridge line in its electric
system. the Davenport & Rock Isl
and Railway company gives us the