Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-21
OLD TIME TRAFFIC.
What William Marshall Did fol-
Rock island.
BRINGS rHEQ. AND ST. PAUL HERE

Prssiaeat Williamson Of the Lean sad
Trust Company.
William Marshall, who has resided
in Cordova township since 1887. is .
man whom the people Of Rock Island
county know only as . farmer. He
this district in the leg
islature two terms in the early days.
The older residenters are aware of
this fact; but nothing more. though
possibly . few of his more intimate
acquaintances are aware that he
was once interested in the construc-
ton and development Of railroad en-
terprises.
To be to the point. Mr.. Marshall is
entitled TO the credit Of bringing
both the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy and Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul roads into Rock Island.
It was the adoption of his sugges-
tions and the use Of his ideas by men
of money that brought about these
innovations, and although Mr.. Mar
shall never p.ofited in a renumera-
tive way in q degree justifying his
valuable work, he can at least seek
comfort in the knowledge that he &C.
complished something Of which no
other man in this section can boast.
Mr.. Marshall's initiative step in
railroad development was made at
Sterling in 1859. when he organized
. company under the name of she
Sterling & Rock Island railway, the
plan being to build road from that
city to this, a distance of 81 miles.
Mr.. Marshall with +. P. Reynolds
and MIR. Wilder, took the contract
to build the road for the company,
of which Miles S. Henry was pres
ident. Mr.. Marshall, on taking the
contract, resig ned as director Of
the rosd, which was to be construct
ed as far as Port Byron, the idea
being to there connect with q strip
of tract owned by the Warsaw & Rock
Island road, and which extended to
Port Byron Junction. President
Henry visited New York, but could
make no arrangements by which to
obtain construction iron, and then
the influence brought to bear toward
the encouragement of the project
by Thomas Durant. then president of
the Rock Island road, and a subse.
quent Misunderstanding among the
directors of the Sterling & Rock ISL
and company, resulted in the drop.
ping of the enterprise.
Deal In the East.
When the worry and excitement
attending the Rock Island & Sterling
scheme had worn away MIR. Marshall
conceived . plan which eventually
was the means of the Western Union
railroad (now the c., NJ. & St. P
extending its track from Freeport t.
this city. Mr.. Marshall made q visi,
to the Loan and Trust company. OF
New York, this institution being
trustee for the bondholdsrs of the
Western Union road, which was theu
q losing enterprise. Mr.. Marshall
says he finally succeeded in getting
an interview with Mr.. Williamson
president of the Loan and Trust
company, and to him he submitted
his idea, Mr.. Marshall explained the
necessity CT the road getting into
Chicago, the commercial center OF
the west; and of continuing on down
to Savanna, and along the banks oil
the Mississippi to Rock Island, tax.
ing in tie cities of Fulton, Clinton
and Lyons, and the coal fields in the
vicinity Of Rapids City. MIR. Viii.
Hanson was told OF the growth oil
Rock leland and its sister cities and
their industries, and assured tina,
the Western Union company would
never regret such . move.
mo man has ever given us such
information" replied Mr.. William.
son. go home with me tonight
and remain over Sunday and we will
talk the matter over further"
Monday Mr. Marshall was told to
write to the Bank Of Glasgow, Scot.
land, which held the major inter.
est in the Western Union, his plan
Mr.. Williamson also wrote q letter,
expressing his confidence in Mr.. Mar.
shall's plan, and the result was tina,
in less than eighteen (about 1868,
months the road had its line com
ing into this city.
In 1866 Mr.. Marshall started a
scheme to extend the Rockford 4
Rock Island (now the c.. B. & q
from Sterling to st. Louis.
THE enterprise which finally
brought the Rock Island & Rockford
into st. Louis was started with the
purchase of 10 cents worth Of pa.
per-" said Mr.. Marshall, who was
seen at davenport, where he is Stopping
temporarily. by an ARGUS represen-
tative. II did my figuring on tina,
paper. found the undertaking q
big one and took James f. Abbott,
of Cordova, and William Irons.
George and William Greene. of Ce.
dar Rapids, in to assist me. Ms
idea was first to build the road from
Sterling to Cleveland, ILL.,, where
there where rich coal lands. We Sc.
cured an option on large strip Of
this land to hold it on condition the
road was built. A prospectus of the
road was drafted showing the coal
fields, ETC., and took il down to
New York, where wealthy railroad
spectators were interested in the