Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-05-01
.LEvEE IS DEDICATED.
Aid. J. w. lawhead Tells OF
the Value of the improve
ment in an Address.
Is OF GREAT COMMERCIAL WORTH.

City Should Not Discriminate in Dealing
Out Privileges to Steamboat Companies
Must Keep 1t Free OF UnsIghtIy Build
ings-RevIvaI In River Business Pre-
dIcted.
Aid. j. W. Lawhead, the father of
the council, delivered the address at
the formal dedication of the levee
late Saturday afternoon He said:>
Our levee. if YOU please, is a thing
of beauty and a JOY forever / have
been familiar with our old levee for
he past 80 years. and through all this
time it has been an eyesore and dis
Eyrace to our city and the cause of con-
slant humiliation to our people Its
hampered and shameful condition
through all these years has been COM
mented upon and condemned by the
-ountless numbers of people who have
visited oar shore in past years on
their journeying norsh and south cr
this great river. We have by this
improvement wiped out the cause of
our years of shame and wounded
pride, and in its place we have a levee
second to none along the shores of our
grand ole river. 1t is piece of work
that is credit to its builders and an
honor to the city. We have a levee
today that our citizens may justly be
proud of. 1t is surpassed by none.
II NAV well be classed with the great
number of public improvements which
have been made in our city in the
past
Convenient and Easy OF Approach.
This levee improvement is of great
commercial worth, because it affords
shippers and handlers of freight and
all who have business to transact at
our river front levee of large capa-
city, convenient and easy of approach.
In it's improved condition its shape
has been so changed that business
here can be transacted more rapidly
and with greater ease than ever be-
fore Our finished levee is today free
and unincum bered, no one having any
claim upon any portion of 1T. The
city is i'll full possession of every foot
of it's surface, and in this condition it
leaves this councils hands, and hope
and trust that all succeeding councils
may hold on to all of that which the
city has left of her river front, her
i'm proved levee, with as firm a grasp
as the miser holds on to his gold, not
with the same purpose or dis
position, but with the same de-
termination to hold on to this trust
until the last, and whale or arrange
ments may be made in the future, as
there must be some made for the ac-
comodation of the business interests
at our river front. let them be broad,
as broad as the levee, and back of
this should stand the city as she
stands today--full owner, and in
control of the treasured ground.
Special favors here to none should be
the watchword. a special permit
here TO one means the same to
all who may come knock
ing ut the door for like privileges.
The city cannot in this case discrim-
mate. What she comedies to one she
must allow to another. If the old
time practice should be reesta blished,
what would be the result? In n short
time the surface of our beautiful levee
would be covered over with railroad
tracks, coal yards, steamboat ware
houses and other unsightly things.
none of which should never have been
standing here. Do our citizens de-
sire to 90 back to the condition that
existed here before this Improvement
was made? think / am right when
| make the answer no, with an over
whelming majority. 1 have been ac-
cused of being partial to our river
front, our levee. / will he frank and
honest to admit that this is in a mea-
sure true. This is due in part because
of early associations here. The con-
ditions here in years past are so plain
in my mind, and when compared with
the improvement which has been
made, the contrast is so great, that it
makes one rejoice and feel exceedingly
glad to know that the desired change
has been realized.
Changes In Fifty Years.
This is not the only change which
has been wrought here at our levee in
the past so years. Our old citizens
here today can call to mind many.
l have been familiar with the scenes
and excitement and business rush
that was here years ago. / can re-
member that back in the early sos
the levee, which we have improved
and beautifed, was then the business
center of this. our now renowned city.
Here it was all life and hustle. day
and night, and / trust and believe
that at no distant day that our noble
old river will get back n part. at least.
of her old time supremacy. Then,
nv friends, there will be revival in
business here at our river front, and
it will be shown that we have no spare
or unoccupied space here. but that
every square foot of our improved
levee surface has been turned into
III