Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-20
PARKS AND DRIVES
The System Which Is Now Pos.
sible in Rock Island.
Many ALREADY II FAVOR OF IT.


Cisies sd o.b.sbs Action Ihsth 1iasIy
and shoeid Not Re Nsglssesd.
Chief among the missions of the
proposed new commercial club will
be. IL is admitted. the Identification
Of the city and surroundings. In
the preliminary discussion at the
Harper Wednesday evening the ma
Jority Of the views expressed carried
out this idea, and while all we're
appreciative of the advancement
made BY Rock Island in the matter
Of public Improvements and freely
attributed such advancement to the
efforts of the old Improvement ASSOC
citation, the oversight that has ap-
peared in following up these i'm
provements in the matter Of keeping
weeds out of the streets, in the neg
lect in the way of systematic trim
ming of trees, and disregard of the
demands on the river front were COM
mented upon. The new commercial
club will fail in one of its. highest
duties If it does not take all these
things into consideration. and disre.
CARDS the most glaring disgrace to
the city first-the river front. The
shame to the citys good name which
is permitted to exist there will con-
tinue to reouke every other effort on
the part of the citizens to develop
and beautify their environments, il
it is not removed. So that in the
discussion of the question of parks
and drives, this should come frs.
and should be disposed Of.
The Advantages Available.
Then comes the system of parks
and drives made possible under the
act OF the legislature in the estsb-
lishment of q special municipality
embracing the cities Of Rock Island,
Moline and suburbs. While the Law
is SO favorable to the carrying out of
such project, as was so thoroughly
explained at the meeting the other
evening by E. H. Guyer and c. j.
Searle, there are very few of our Cit
liens who have fully realized the ad-
vantages afforded. But since the
appearance Of Mr.. Guyer's communi-
cation in The ARGUS on the subject,
many expressions have been made in
approval Of the adoption of the sys-
tenn here, and il the new commercial
body takes this matter up, it should
have the benefit of thorough inves-
tigation of the subject including, If
desirable, visit to cities which have
already availed themselves OF the
law, such as Peoria, Quincy Des
Moines, etc.
Action of this kind is most timely.
There is abundance OF available land
adaptable to such purposes. and .
system Of drives, including the
Twelfth street pavement rs far as i,
goes. and continuing q we'll kept
drive way to Rock river and the
lower end. and running over the
bluff to Moline, and coming down the
newly made Seventh avenue to Elm
street, where the pavement is
again met, or II desired
including Twentieth, which is
paved to the city limits, would
afford the ideal carrying out Of
the end desired. II, however, the
park and drive system is to be un-
dertaken, it should be before tits toe
late, and before all the tracts, con.
tiguous to the improved thor.
oughfares already to be embraced,
are builiDg. Rock Island and Moline
are growing. and the territory ad'
joining the cities 10 being developed
rapidly. II parks are to be rese we'd
now is the time to do it.