Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-16
GUESTS At BANQUET.
Continue d from First page.

| N'IliAHeu 4lNH4 rms p~ASC-
aent bv the POSTMASTER Of the toast,
Rock Island Arsenal, - to which Ma j.
| Stanhope E. Blunt, cOmmandant at
the arsenal. responded The major
first spoke of the disadvantage an
army officer was placedi in at all times
where called upon to speak on an &C.
'casion of this kind: especially was
this so where required to follow the
eloquence of those who preceded the
| speaker. 1t was n great source of re-
gret to the speaker that the curricu-
| lum at West Point did not include
after-dinner speaking. Perhaps this
oversight found its explanation in the
| fact. however, that at West Point
there are no dinners worth speaking
about. Maj. Blunt then went into a
short but comprehensive history of
the arsenal, referring to the works on
the island prepared by Gen. Flagler
and Il. f. Ti'linghast, speaking of the
| commandments in the order of their
service and paying high tribute to
! Cen. Rodman. Gen. Flagler and Gen
Burlington.
| At the time of Gen. Burlington S
relief from command, in March, 1897,
Mai. Blunt said, the total expenditures
for the establishment of the arsenal
had been 50. 800, 600. OF this nearly
one million had been required for
the substantial bridges connecting
the island with the neigh boring cities,
81, $50 600 for the arsenal water power
and for the portion of which under
the agreement had to be developed
for Moline factories; So 800, 600 for
i /. Ha Of 81
| quarters, and numerous other small
er buildings and the preparation and
Improvement of the ground. For
the machinery in the shops, the real
soul of the establishment, and for
which the buildings were the meIe
| shell, only $213,00 had been eX-
| pended. The arsenal was then being
| conducted IN the moderate scale re-
quired for the supply Of the army the
| government was then maintaining.
Here Maj. Blunt went into de-
tail as to the articles then being man
ufactured. Less than 500 men were
then employed, the monthly pay roll
running from $50, coo to $50, 600.
How the War Contingency Was Met.
Then Maj. Blunt spoke of the
sudden demands incident to the war
with Spain, of the conditions which it
found ut the arsenal, in limited sup
| plies of reserve stores, and also with
very limited means of producing
them to a great amount. Said Ma
| Blunt:
The articles previously manufac-
tured continued to be made, but in
greater mum bers. Not only were they
finished here and issued to troops, but
as a portion of our plant was not ade-
quate for the completion of all the ar
ticles which other parts Of the plant
could commence. we made partial
fabrications, sending them to other
arsenals for completion, whence
they were returned and from here
issued. In addition, large amounts
of finished stores were purchased d.
rectly from contractors. The
bills for these aggregate over
II 81. 100000, and right here q
moral can be adduced strongly
illustrating the great benefit that
! would follow to the government from
more extended plant at this arsenal.
All these purchased stores, while OF
good quality, were yet, so the con.
tractors themselves freely and re-
peatedly acknowledged, inferior to
our own product, and moreover, more
was paid for them than they would
have cost if here produced. OF the
81, 100, 900 expended, more than $50
1000 can be ascri bed to this difference
a sum which would have been saved
10 the government if a complete plant
had been in existence, or if expended
would have given us greater guam
tity of stores than we actually OBJ
tanned.
| Tells of Empty Buildings.
las l have previously stated. the
construction of the principal build
ings of the arsenal was completed
some while ago. and when nearly
three years ago, / assumed command
found OF the ten main shops in ex
istence but two partially occupied by
machinery. OF these shops eight are
of<two stories, with basement anC
attic in addition. The remaining two
of one story were intended for foun-
dry and other blacksmith work. To
gether. on their 81 floors they provid,
over so acres of space available FOR
the manufacturing operations of the
arsenal. Four of these floors were
partially occupied with machinery,
costing, as previously stated, about
5000, 600. Shortly before the SPANS
war, some funds being then availa be
the extension of the plant to a third
shop shop 81 originally designed FOL
the manufacture of siege and sea
coast carriages, was commenced. Fol
4