Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-25
STILL ARE AT SEA.
Aldermen on the First Avenue
Track Question.
LAST NIGHTS COUNCIL MEETING

Railroad and Property Interests Heard
Also Some Of the Local Statesmen Gen.
er.l Manager Brown of the q. Makes
Taking Proposition-The Next Step. 8
The city councils open meet
ing last evening to consider the
question Of disputed track rights on
First avenue resulted in no definite
conclusion being reached. General
Manager w. c. Brown and T.. l..
Walker spoke in bahalf of the c.. Is.
4 O., Col. Henry Curtis for the X. 1.
* T.. and Fred Hass for the property
holders. Aid. G. w. Foss assumed
the leadership as regards the city's
position. Others OF the aldermanic
body were heard, as was City Attor-
ney j. l.. Haas. The council finally
al journed with the understanding
that the special committee was to
give the subject the most thorough
consideration and formulate a course
of action to be presented at next
Monday nights regular session. the
factor looking to an adjustment be-
ing the carrying out of o suggestion
made by the brainy general man.
ager OF the Burlington system, which
the council naturally took kindly to.
1t was that the committee accom-
pany him over the disputed territory
and that all tracks held to be
unnecessary be pointed out to him,
and il he could not show to the sat-
isfaction of the committee the neces-
sity of the maintenance of each of
such tracks for the good of the sys-
tenn and for the good of the city and
its interests, he would be ready to
consider a proposition to remove it.
The committee will accompany Mr..
Brown or one of his representatives
empowered to carry out the provis-
lens Of the proposition Saturday
afternoon, and it was eventually
agreed to apply the same conditions
to the X. l. Il p. and Supt. Sudlow
will also accompany the commission.
This apt idea will, it appears, throw
light on the subject and enable the
aldermen to act with reason, for in
the present view of the case they
are as much at sea as ever as to how
to proceed with consideration for all
interests involved.
The Discussion.
There were present General Man.
ager W. c. Brown, Superintendent of
Illinois Lines +. c. Rice, Division
Agent II. ID. Mack and l.. G. Walker,
counsel OF the Burlington route;
General Superintendent H. Is. Sud
low and Col. Henry Curtis, counsel
for the Peoria, together with Capt
George Lamont, of the Diamond. 10
company, F. A. Blair, of the Bridge
and Terminal company, and Fred
iiass and Capt. j. NJ. Beardsley. rep
resenting the First avenue property
holders.
At the opening of the session Aid
G. w. Foss. Of the special committee
on track removal, explained in dc
tail the movement on TIE part of the
council to remove such of the First
avenue tracks as are illegal. the pur-
pose. briefly stated, being to dispose of
all unlawful and unnecessary tracks
used for the storage of cars and for
switching purposes and to force the
railroads to conline their switching
and storage to private grounds in
stead Of to the streets.
Aid. Surman suggested that Gep-
eral Manager w. Z. Brown, of the
c.. b. & O., be heard with reference
to the track rights held by the com
pany on First avenue.
Mr.. Brown explained that this was
the first he had heard of any of the
propositions looking to the removal
/ nj Nrn
The tracks on First avenue enjoyed
by the Burlington route have been
laid from time to time during the
past 25 years. So far as the cOmpan y
knew the tracks were laid by author.
ity, but whether the authority was
valid seemed to be the source of die
pute. For the past 16 years he
had in his Official Identification
with the Burlington rocte had more
or less to do with Rock Island,
and as far as he was capable Of
judging there had been no evidence
OF other than the best Of friendly
feeling between the company and the
city. and certainly the road had done
nothing willingly to jar those feel
ings. The Burlington was not here
to oppose any improvement. In fact,
it was the policy of the Burlington to
cooperate in the Improvements Of al
industrial and commercial communi.
ties spread over it's system as far a:
consistent and to conduct itself in 9
manner that would merit the good
will of those who were its patrons, as
all cities naturally are into which il
goes. The literal carrying out of the
proposition now before the council
Mr.. Brown said, would mean the
driving of the Burlington out of Rocl
Island. The company was willing
and anxious to do everything within
reason to harmonic the influence
which at the present time seem t,
conflict He had hoped in coming Il
Rock Island to hear some PROPOSE
ton which the company could &C
quiescs in for the common good of al
concerned.
&. L. Walker explained that so IA
rs he knew none of the tracks occu