Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-07
KELLY AN ADMIRAL.
The Industrial Leader Will Take
to the Water.
0OSS OF A FLEET OF PONTOONs.

Des aI0ines Feels Happy at the Prospect
OF Relief and Opens Its Pocket Book Lib.
eialIy for Lumber and Snpplies-The
Army" Pitches in with Wili and n
Number OF Beats Show Up Completed
for the FIRST Days Work.
DEs N,oiNEs, May 7.--The departure of
keily's army IS in sight After a discus
son n which the failure 10 secure train
was thoroughly ventilated and the impos.
sib.i.ty of doing 50 unanimously accepted,
the .nGEstrials agreed to leave by river If
boats couli be procured This decision
cpene! the purse strings of the citizens
again and money was literally offered to
provide .ambcr 10 ba:ld $50 boats 5xl6
feet zach, 10 carry zen men each. Kelly
realizing that his welcome here is worn
oat offered 70 subscribe 1900 of the money
if necessary. Tie general also had to
draw on his reserve fund for money to buy
1899 pounds ofmeat, the men having be.
come almost mutinous on a bill Of fare OF
Bread and crackers
Sawniils Cat the Lumber.
Sawmills Immediately set 10 work cut
ting the iuni Der needed for the boats and
yesterday Inoruiag-the eighth day Of
kelly's stay hece-saw a large quantity
delivered Just below the confluence Of the
Des Mcines and Raccoon rivers. Governor
jackson took Up TIE river scheme actively
ard personally solicited subscriptions fo,
the expenses Ct ;he trip, and the citizens
relief committee, which had closed its
hcatic cuarters-nccess.t .taiing the detail by
Kelly of fifty men TO soliCi: iood-re
commenced business. In fac. the prospect
of getting rid OF the army awake new zeal
everywhere and the scheme, so far n
building tie boats and "A supply of food is
concerned, is IA sncccss already.
Thc Army Goes to Work.
The army was also authorized, and
when krl!y called Tor volunteers to build
boats SOD c;me forward-mostly mecEan.
les of more or less experience and march
Ing three abyca~t to the boat yard began
the work o pattias the pontoons together.
On the way hey san : Marching Through
Georgia." and whle crossing the river
srrucS up There's One More River to
Cross" When the work was commenced
few had to pull of coats for they had nc
coats 70 their backs. They went 10 work
with great eagerness and before noon at
least twenty-five boats were in process of
building, and about fifty were completed
during the day. General Kelly explained
that it WAS the fir,t chance his men have
had to work. and he was very proud OF
the impression they mnde in this role
launch Of the First Boat.
4: o'clock in the afternoon the first
boat was completed and launched Three
cheers We're given for the first evidence of
the Kelly navy. After plying around for
4, ch,- -, III,
women who joined the army AT Omaha
Miss Hooten and Miss Harper, got into
! the boat with four of the men and amid
great cheering began the journey down the
river TO test its ability 10 float the navy.
The trial trip was pronounced every way
successful. At 6 o'clock the men dropped
their tools AMI resumed the march back to
carp. Most of the boats will BE finished
| today, but it iS very doubtful whether the
army will set sail before "Wednesday morn
| ing. Meanwhile a committee is going
ahead calling on the farmers and the peo-
! pie Of towns near the river to meet them as
! they float down and supply them with
| food.
| VIII Ise Given Warm Goodbye.
| The prospects are that the river will be
| lined with people and carriages all the way
down, rs the country is thiclliy settled and
| by prosperous people. General Kelly eX-
poets TO reach Ottumwa, about ninety
miles down, on the evening of the second
day, but he viii hardly do so by the end of
the fourth day, according to good judges.
| There are many here who look upon the
river journey a piece Of nonsense. and
regard failure the only possible outcome.
The camp has been fairly wei! supplied
with provisions The prospect Of getting
rid CT the army has caused an increase in
the contributions. Many Des Noines car
perters assisted IN the work of building
honts. The laboring men here have only
one desire and that is to get rid of the
army. TheT have seen enough of so-called
kellyism aud socialism to last them for
ten years.