Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-15
LIKELY TO RETIRE.
President louderback, Of the
TRICKY Railway Company.
HAS TOO MUCH OTHER Bus1Irss.

AooooA 6soctsoo 20 % Ae10 NEXT 1Uoo-
day In Davenport-fhs Probable Prsss.
dsnt-sears Hay Have Lost Her Goidse
Opportunity as the Tower.
President D. H. Louder back. Of the
Tri-City Railway company, will
probably retire from the executive
Office, which he has held with such
great acceptability, at the annual
meeting OF the stockholders OF the
company to be held in Davenport
next Tuesday.
The announcement of such o pos
sibility will be received with pro.
found regret in the three cities. for
while Mr.. Louderback has been so
busily occupied in the past few years
that he has had little time to spend
in the three cities. yet the care and
attention he has given the COM
pany's plant here and the manner in
which he has closely interviewer the
interests of the company with those
OF the three cities, has made him not
only well known. but thoroughly
popular. The ability he display ed
in carrying the company through
|
and read justment Of its relations to
the three cities after the discovery
of reckless and incompetent man
agement had been made. won him
the admiration and friendship of the
people. He possesses the faculty of
guarding and advancing the welfare
OF the company whose destinies he
controls and at the same time in
keeping it in good standing with the
public, to which it .oks f,r sup
port and patronage, an act which it
Is not 20 easy t. accomplish in these
days wh.n there is always go much
being said about 1.-THE greedy cor
| porations. But Mr.. Louderback
has been signally fortunate here. and
after reconstructing the company's
| affairs he succeeded in entirely
recognizing the corporation known
as the Davenport & Rock Island Rail-
way company AMI establishing the
Tri-C,ty Railway company in its
place and putting it in good shape
He has kept up the road bed and
rolling stock and maintained
the general plant in such condition
that the entire proper y is now as
good as it was five years ago, il not
indeed better. for the company's en-
ergetic and up-to-the-times local
Representative. j. l.. Lardner, has
received ample encouragement in his
energies to keep the system abreast
OF the age from President Louder
back.
Mr.. Louderbsck has always taken
a particular interest in the Watch
Tower 1t was through his efforts
that the company gained possession
OF the property. and under his direc
lion money was expended iu its i'm
lprovement without stint. When the
beautiful inn was burned last July.
MIR. Louderback hoped to have it re-
built at once. but then came the
complications at Sears, the stubborn
Imposition Of the town board in its
relations to the company that pre-
vented anything being done during
the season. Mr.. Loud.rback de-
sired to replace the building with a
handsomer one before retiring from
the company. but he could not do so
in justice to the stockholders whom
he represents while the hostile,
lgrasping spirit was exhibited by the
Sears corporation-and so the mat
ter has gone on. What his success
sor will do remains to be seen.
Il The New President.
MIR. Louderback feels that his du-
ties to the more extensive transpor-
tation operations in Chicago require
his surrender of the responsibilities
attached to the office OF president of
the Tri-City company; notwithstand-
ing that those interested in the local
property are loath to have him leave,
and it is hoped they may yet induce
him to remain another year. In the
event Of his retirement. which now
seems likely however, his successor
will be j. c. Schafer, Of Chicago, the
company's present vice president.
and who is street car man of much
Experience. having for years been
the head of the Indianapolis system
when Chicago capital controlled it.
and which was afterward sold to an.
other syndicate. IL this change is
made, local man will be elected
vice president, and that man is
known to be already picked out. He
is to come from Rock Island, the
company being anxious to have n
representative business man here
identified with the executive affairs
OF the company. J. +. Lardner, Of
Davenport. the efficient secretary.
treasurer and assistant to the presi-
dent. is to remain in his present DO
sition, aud upon him will devolve. as
in the past. the active general mau.
agement Of the plant.