Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-09-18
WANTS MORE ROOM,
Burlington Road Asks Conces-
sions From Cify in Connec-
ton With New Depot.
VACATION OF PROPERTY SOUGHT.

Needs Twenty-First Street and,AIey Be
tween Second and Third Before Going
Ahead With Building Operations
Ordinance to BE Presented to Council
Tonight.
An ordinance which the Burlington
proposes presenting at tonight S
meeting of the municipal assem- bly,
was informally discussed at a confer
ence of the city council and officials OF
the road Saturday night at the coun-
Gil chamber. +. c. Rice, superinten-
dent of Illinois lines, H. ID. Mack,
division freight and passenger agent.
and f. ID. Sweeney, attorney, were
present in behalf of the company,
which desires more leeway in the sur
roundings of its depot grounds before
building operations are commenced
there. At first the vacation of the
north 80 feet of Twenty-tirst and
Twenty-secOnd streets and the north
$50 feet of the alley east of Twentiet h
street between Second and Third ave-
nues was asked. There was consider
able opposition among the aldermen
to the surrendering of Twenty-second
street, and that strip was stricken out.
Mr.. Rice stated the immediate carry
ing out of the building contract large
ly hinged on the manner in which the
council dealt with the company, as the
concessions sought were absolutely
necessary if the road were to carry
out its plans on the enlarged scale it
had hoped to in Rock Island. He said
5000, 900 were to be expended here.
The passenger depot will face on
Twentieth street and extend east
about 115 feet. Adjoining it on the
100 feet long. which will extend over
Twenty-second street. The through
tracks will be on Second avenue be-
side the depot, in order that mer-
chandise may be carried direct from
the cars into the freight house or
through it to the delivery platform on
the south side of the building. A
driveway will extend along the south
side of the depot from Twentieth to
Twenty-second streets. Mr.. Rice said
it is the purpose of the company to
convert the south 80 feet of it's prop
erty from Twentieth east to the alley
into a driveway connecting with the
14-foot alley extending to Twenty-iirst
street, widening the latter by six feet,
SO that owners of property abutting
on the south will have a clear drive
way east to Twenty-third street. The
company also proposes to pave the
alley AID pave between the tracks in
it's yards. 1t is planned to park the
depot grounds.
should he Met Fairly.
The ARGUS believes at all times in
meeting corporations in a spirit of
fairness. Where one is disposed, as
the c., b. &c Q. has shown itself to be
in this instance, to contribute to the
city's advantages, not only in trans
portation conveniences, but in orna-
mentation, the city may well extend
the latitude that would otherwise
bind it's relations with the company.
With the extensive track facilities
that the Burlington will put in east
of it's depot site on Twentieth street,
the cross streets and alleys through
that section, as far as Twenty-thlrd
street, at least. would be to an ex-
tent, anyway, deprived of their use
fulness, and if the road, in return for
the vacation of these streets and
| alleys, is willing, fer the public con-
venience, and the convenience of in
terested property holders in that
locality. to provide, alleys, the
proposition is worthy of high consid-
Grafton.
To be sure, there is a feeling among
some of the aldermen that the Bur
+! lington should contribute, its just
proportion to the levee improve
ment. The position so taken cannot
be said to be otherwise than entirely
reasonable.