Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-25
MUCH MAY COME
OF GIRL, &PYET
Possibility of Consolidation and
Location of Big Rock Is.
land Shops Here.
THE TERMINAL REMOVAL MATTER
All is Yet Subject of Conjecture,
But There is a Possibility
of Good Things.

Are there to be greater things in
store for Rock Island than now appear
on the face through the policy TO be
pursued by the great railroad corpo-
ration that bears the city's name? Is
the company, in the development of
it's own interests, determined to take
from this city the advantages that
have grown out of its long existing
terminals here, or is it, on the other
hand, inclined to give the city more
in the way of plant here than our
people imagine or dream Of?
Many and conflicting as are the
rumors afioat as to the possibility of
the removal of the freight terminus
of the Rock Island road from Rock
| Island to the location of the COM
pany's new yards and roundhouse
| Just east of Moline, there need be no
occasion for surprise, no matter what
may come. that will prove either det-
rimental or advantageous to this city.
So far all is Problematical and theo-
retical, divers rumors to the con-
trary notwithstanding. No definite
orders have as yet been issued order
ing the establishment of fixed dates
when conditions shall go into force
that will make it impossible
for the trainmen on the Iowa divis-
ions TO continue to reside in Rock Is
land. Ga the contrary it is stated
with emphasis about the Rock Island
wards and roundhouse that no such
requirements are contemplated, and
| that the men need give themselves no
concern whatever. On the ether
hand the engineers, firemen and con-
ductors on the Iowa division simply
shake their heads and say cit will
come all right" They point to
the fact that when the yards and
roundhouse were established at Val
| lev Junction, west of Des Moines,
they were told the same thing that
they are now, and that they could just
as well live in Des Moines and all that.
But gradually it developed that they
bad their choice between sleeping in
cabooses and cheap lodging houses or
walking several miles in the dead of
the night aud finally the railroad town
grew up around the yards and round
| house.
MT. Cables Assurance Recalled.
So that, as far IS the public is
concerned, it can simply await deVe'-
opments, and while The ARGUS has its
own ideas of what will eventually
come of what is being discussed now,
it has the assurance that it receive d
from Z. r. Cable. of this city, former
president of the Rock Island road and
now chairman of the executive COM
mitIee of the company, made last
summer. that whatever might come,
Rock Island would not be the loser.
This is all taken to indicate that
either the terminals are to remain as
now, as far as they affect Rock Island,
or that they are to be moved and in
their place is to come the establish
| ment of big shops here, involving the
consolidation of those now at other
points and giving employment to hun
dreds of men.
There is a possibility of these devel-
opments, together with the retention
OF the passenger divisions and some of
the freight runs, while with the new
passenger station and division Off
GERS this city will be made a more
important division point on it's name
sake road than ever before. To ac-
complish these ends, the probability
of one of the round houses now being
converted into shops and other build
ings for the same purpose being
erected is not beyond conjecture.
As to Present Rumors.
AS to what is to be done in the i'm
mediate emergency as it is or APP
pears to be, it is necessary to say
that the time has passed for making
any moves in the part of the city.
The discussion of the possibility of
changes that might prove disastrous
to Rock Island has been going on for
many months, and it will be recalled
that at at the very ouset of the mat
ter THE ARGUS urged that the repre-
sentative organizations of this city
adopt such course within the bounds
of propriety as might lead to
reaching an understanding with the
road as to what might be
expected But all suggestions of this
kind were met with indifference.
While railroads as a rule are not re-
specters of the rights or interests of |
communities or cities. or considerate |
of the comforts of their employees, yet
they are not always needless of the |
attitude of the public where it is |
rightly expressed. The people, in |
other words, have rights that they |
NAV insist upon and which, when |
properly and effectively put forth, are
bound to be considered.