Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-01
KEPT RIGHT ALONG.
No Abatement in Rock Islands
Building Operations.
PAST SEASON A BUSY ONE.

Some Of the Most Extensive Enterprises In
Public Structures and Basiness Blocks
and the Aggregate Of the Seasons Work
Some Notable Ones In Progress.
The past season, which, owing to
the open weather. has extended into
the winter months, has been one of
the most significant and notable in
building operations ever known in
the city's history. While the record
OF each of the preceding four years
has shown an annual Investment in
this class of Improvement of half-a-
million on the average. the year now
referred to has given evidence of no
abatement. As q matter of fact
there may have been q less number
of residences, but this is more than
counterbalanced by the more extern
sive enterprises in public buildings
and business blocks. 1t should not
be understood that Rock Island is
retrograding in any respect. There
have been a goodly number of new
houses all over the city, and doubt
less would have been more but for the
.axity in public Improvements on the
part of the municipality. The effect
of the least deviation from q progress
sive policy on the part of the city is
soon shown all over town. Small
improvements follow larger ones and
the pace set by the city is likely to
be adopted by the property holders.
The city Of Rock Island has done
less the past year than in any previ-
GUS season since it begun its onward
march. The result has been that
many property holders who have
been wavering, and would have been
Influenced in the right direction BY
the city. have put contemplated i'm
provements off for another year.
The city has done some paving, but
nothing beyond what was laid out by
the previous administration, and not
all of that, Seventh avenue and lower
Elm street being finished, but the
alley improvement having been per-
misted to drag along, until when
finally contracted for, it was too late
to do anything this year. Twelfth
street, instead of being finished as it
might have been, is just where it
was a year ago.
Notwithstanding all the discourag.
ing circumstances new houses have
gone up all over the city, the amount
so invested being appropriated at
$3.50. 900, while the indications fol-
next year are that there will be more
new residences than heretofore,
plans being already in hand for the
building, up of many Of the more
recently opened additions south OF
the city.
Among the Moro Prominent Buildings.
Among the more prominent build
ings Rock Island has commenced and
has we'll under way are its new court
house to cost $125, 900, and its postof.
Il ce building to cost $50, 900. Hon. E.
w. Hurst has put up 2-story mod
ern business block on Twentieth
street at a cost of $50, 900; G. A.
Rooster a 3-story one on Moline ave.
nue. at an outlay of $4,000. St. An
thongs hospital on Elm street has
been rebuilt at an expense of $15,-
600, the completion OF the Rock ISL
and Industrial home on Third ave.
nue.. representing $4,000. The Chi.
cago Brewing company has spent
200 in new building on First
avenue. c. E. Case has put a IS, 500
business block in en- Second avenue
and Twentieth, and DIR. A. j. Harris
one adjoining it at 5000. Mrs.
Kellerstrass has put 5000 into a
new building on Second avenue. and
Mrs. B. Noonan has made an invest
ment of $1,7OO in one on Six
teenth street. These operations
bring the total up to half
million, while for the coming
season with the new Rock Island
bridge of $500, 900 and the lower Rock
Island and Davenport bridge of $780,
0O0 and the insane hospital to be
commenced. the showing at the end
Of another year should be the best in
the city's history. as it undoubtedly
will be.