Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-21
SEARS SITUATION.
Rebuilding Of Tower Inn De-
ponds Upon Its Board.
MATTER MUST BE DETERMINED.

Tri-City Railway Company viii Invest no
More Money There Until 1t Has Some
Guarantee of More Friendly Trea'mens
ON the Part Of Its NeIghboss.
The ARGUS has on numerous occa-
sions heretofore referred to the un-
warranted hostility OF the Searstown |
board toward the management of
Black Hawk Watch Tower. and de-
preca,ing as it has the uncalled-for
animosity it has hoped, and has had
reason to Lope. that public spirit
would mutually supersede narrow
policy which is detrimental to the
public and suicidal to the obstruc-
tionists who father it. The Tri-Ci;y
Railway company after the adoption
of the Sears ordnance licensing
every thing at the Tower was m
formed by representative citizens of
Sears of the general regret that was
felt in the town over the attitude of
the town board toward an institution
which had been only a source Of ben
eft to the place, and yet which had
been oppressed withoutsense or reason
in return. The directors OF the COM
pany in Chicago were amazed when
| they learned of the unfrieudly dis
position toward them. The Tower,
once a desolate and uninvitipg place,
had been made through their liber-
atty to blossom and to attract. It's
historic renown and the beauty OF
its scenery were laid before the
world by the company. An old, I'M
reliable dummy road was rebuilt and
electric cars succeeded. Sears without
asking found in it's midst one of the
most beauteous and attractive sum-
mer resorts in the country, and with
it came rapid transit, means of COM
munication to the village such as no
other place of equal size en-
Joys. In return for all these adj
vantages it kegan to levy taxes on
the makers Of these Improvements.
General Manager Lardner remons-
trated and offered conciliatory meas
ures, but in vain-nothing perma-
nent could be agreed upon.
The Inn Depend. Upon Disposition.
When the Watch Tower Inn was
destroyed by fire the day before the
Fourth, Manager Lardner immed-
lately bad plans drawn for another
building. These he took to Chicago
and laid them before the president
and directors of the company. They
were pleased with them, but as Presi-
dent Lauderback had written MIR.
Lardner on learning of the destruc-
ton, the company did not feel like
putting more Improvement or at
fractions in a place where those
already provided had been assessed.
!. When Mr.. Lardner reached Chicago
he found the outlook discouraging.
The directors were firm, and on his
return he communicated the facts of
the situation to an ARGUS representa-
tive, but expressed the desire that
nothing be said for time until it
could be ascestained If the Sears
board would not be less obdurate.
IL would rather have the Sears pao-
pie meet us in friendly spirit-half
way" said Mr.. Lardner, "now that
we need their friendship than to
have them think we are trying to
hold club over them, for we are
not. Our people are looking at this
thing from purely business stand
point. They will not invest more
money where instead of yielding a
return it is to be assessed for the
good it does" The impression OF
the company reached Rock Island,
however. and on every hand are
expressions of public condemnation
OF the attitude OF the Sears people.
: The matter is in their hands now.
They may through their town board
block further public provements
at the Tower. or they may aid them
in going ahead. 1t is time for the
people OF influence there who know
! their own interests to take the mat
ter up.
Mr.. Lardner's Statement.
Mr.. Lardner gave out a statement