Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-04-19
To BUILD NEW DEPOT.
Rock Island Makes Purchase at
Davenport, 1t is Said, for
That Purpose.
BUYS $4,000 WORTH OF PROPERTY.
The New Yards at MoIine--
John w. Gates
Career.

road company has purchased property
in Davenport amounting to 5000, 600,
on which it proposes to erect a new
depot. Although the representatives
of those connected with the reported
transfer decline to discuss the matter,
it is nevertheless maintained by 9TH
ers indirectly affected that the deal
has been consummated. According to
information received yesterday, the
Rock Island railroad has purchased
fro N the Catholic bishop of the do
cese of Davenport, the block OF ground
bounded by Brady and Main and
Fourth and Fifth streets, which in
cludes the site of St. Anthony's
church, the Driscoll block and all the
other business dwellings on the west
side of Brady between Fourth and
Fifth. The improvements in the
block except the church are the prop
erty of leaseholderS.
Prediction Confirmed.
Chief Engineer w. f. Daucby and
General Roadmaster j. H. Conlen. of
the Rock Island road, passed through
the city yesterday. In conversation
with a reporter of the Davenport
Leader they admitted practically the
prediction heretofore made on several
occasions by THE ARGUS that the pur-
chase of 80 acres of land in the east
ern limits of Moline by Phil Mitchell
was for their company, which intends
using the same for yard purposes.
The understanding is the new yards
at Moline will be used to accommo-
date all east bound freight, while the
yards here will accommodate west
bound freight.
Rise of Gates
John w. Gates, of Chicago. who
has local acquaintance from the fact
| that he holds the controlling interest
in the d., r. |. & n. w. railway, is
Just now very much in the public eye
and on the public tongue.
His action in closing II mills of the
American Steel and Wire company
and throwing thousands of men out
of employment, is denounced as
tock-jobbing deal; and one theory
advanced is that he took that way of
recouping recent losses in other
stocks. Gates is :, man of tremendous
energy and daring. He is not unlike
Cecil Rhodes. He is one of those men
that, when they set out to accomplish
work, however monumental, always
arrive. Some 20 years ago Gates no
ticed that the manufacture of bal bed
wire was paying enterprise.
Gates organized strong company
at st. Louis. with factory there ana
another in Pittsburg, and as presi-
dent of both concerns began, in 1889,
the accomplishing of his purpose 10
absorb all the barbed wire plants in
the United States. One at a time
were they gathered in, until, in 1898,
as president of the Consolidated Steel
ana Wire company, and the Illinois
Steel company, Gates was able to die
tate to his ancient foe, the Washburn
& Moen company, which was finally
absorbed.
Mr.. Gates took the presidency of
the Illinois S.eel company in April,
1895, succeeding Jay c. Morse.
There's Corsican streak in John
w. Gates. For % years he has been
the implacable prosecutor of AleXand-
er Jester, who murdered Gilbert
Gates, his brother. When, in June
of 1899, TESTERS sister gave him up to
the law, Gates dropped his business
everything-and went to Oklahoma,
where Jester was Jailed.
Politically John w. Gates has been
of significance, though he never held
Office. He had charge of Harrison 50
campaign in the west, and declined
the portfolio of secretary of the in
terror. Last year he was mentioned
for the Illinois senatorship. He is
now a colonel on the staff of Gov.
Tanner. Mr.. Gates was born May s.
1855, in Dupage county, Illinois, the
SOD of A. A. Gates, a farmer, who
originally came from Massachusetts,.
He was graduated from the North
western college at Naperville in the
class of rs, and for two years after
that conducted a grain business at
Turner, latter entering. the hardware
business, in which he got his first
glimpse into manufacturing. In many
respects Gates is looked upon as one
of the most remarkable men who ever
walked down Wall street. His daring
has never been equalcd in the eastern
exchange. the old-timeTs there say,
and the wise men of the market have
predicted from his initiation that he
would some day startle the world.
They have said many times over that
"some day he will go down in an aw-
full wreck and every body around him
will fall