Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-30
HAS A GREAT EYE.
How 6emiss, the Land Pro.
moter, Came Here.
SAW AND SEIZED THE SITE.

Plenty Of Splendid Locations Yet Avail
able II People VIII Osly Take Adv.a-
tage Of Them-East Moliss sem In No.
sion.
1t may not be generally known,
bat 1t is fact nevertheless. that h.
4. Bemiss. the land developer and
factory promoter, who IL responsible
for what has happened east of Mo.
line. was first attracted to this local.
ity by the Rock Island Citizens I'm
provement association. 1t was one
Of the prime objects of that associa-
ton in its career of usefulness
to the community, during which
through its instrumentality 80 much
was accomplished, to encourage the
location here of new manufactures.
1t succeeded in addition to its other
work in landing q couple of small in
dustries, but they were not of the
right kind. The association should
not have become discouraged, how
ever. and the energetic mem bers of
it have not given up putting in a
peg for Rock Island now whenever a
chance comes, and it is for this rea-
son that the oft repeated suggestion
that the association should be reor-
ganized with little broader scope,
including the club feature, is again
made here.
How Bsmiss Happened to Como.
But to how Bemiss. tho boomer,
happened to come to Rock Island.
Bemiss, as is known, is the man who
started rose to blooming on the
Kansas desert and named it Wichita.
He made a city there. He also
founded other places in the west. and
then went to Fulton. He stirred
things up there, and it was while
thus engaged that an officer of the
Rock Island Citizens Improvement
association met him. The Rock ISL
ander talked about the peculiar ad-
vantages of this locality, and Bemiss.
who had never been here, concluded
to come down and take in the lay of
the land. He was impressed from
the first. His eve caught an admira-
BILE strip south of the city, and he
went after it. To be frank, he did
not meet with the encouragement
he should. Then he fell onto the
East Moline site. He "got next" to
the right kind of people. pushed the
project, and the result Is familiar to
all. Talking to an ARGUS represea-
tstive this morning Mr.. Bemiss, who
has a fondness for Rock Island since
first putting foot in the town, said:
Your people may not believe it, but
they possess opportunities for de-
velopment just as good as We have at
East Moline, if someone can find the
way Of getting the land. and will
guarantee to get the factories. il
some one will secure the land" From |
what Mr.. Bemiss and his associates
have accomplished up east of Moline
people have no reason to doubt that |
when he says u thing he means it.
Mr.. Bemiss returned from the cast |
this morning. He was accompanied |
BY A. w. Stirring and family, of
Ohio, and thew are domi-
ciled at she Harper. Mr.. Stirring is
the general manager of the Reliance
Engine and Tool company Of tie
new manufacturing city. He has
already secured here a comfortable
home for his family.
1t should also be said that the
Rock Island Shoe company and an
emery wheel company are to be
added to the factories heretofore
given as located at East Moline. and
hat half dozen more business en-
,eprises, including two big iron in
lustries, are to be heard from in a
short time. A fine union railroad
station there is also among the posi-
,ilities Of the near future.
New Factory Here.
A representative of a thriving lit
lie industry in another section of
illinois was in Rock Island today and
ooked the city over, and finally
ound building which suited his
requirements and will very likely
move his plant here.