Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-01-25
LINKING THE TOWNS
Remarkable Growth and Increase
of lnterurban Electric
Railroads.
MILAN SOON TO BE CONNECTED
Various Communities That are
Being Brought Into Touch
With One Another.


more apparent than in the growth
and increase of interurban electric
railroads.
Rock Island, Moline and Davenport
know the benefits of this means of
transportation probably as we'll as
any other cities on the map. Until
10 years ago it was necessary to
travel between Rock Island and Mo-
line either by horse car or wagon,
unless one had time to wait for a
railroad train. In the winter, when
the ferry was out of commission, one
did not even have the horse car. and
he had his choice between bucking
the frosty zephyrs, hiring hack
or acquainting himself with the rail-
road schedule. Wonderful chan ges
in the matter of rapid transit have
been wrought throughout the coun-
try in the past decade, and this COM
munity has certainly received a gen.
erous share of the improvement. all
of which the public manifests its ap-
probation of in large and increasing
patronage.
OtcT ROCk h fCE DEtubch-
Just now effort is being made to in
duce the Rock Island council to
strengthen the Rock river bridges.
As soon as this is done-and it is
hoped it will not be delayed-the Tri-
City Railway company will extend it's
electric car service to Milan, thereby
giving the village first-class connec-
ton with the splendid system that
circulates through the three cities.
With the extension of the electrical
equipment to Milan will forever be
banished the horse car, from this neck
of the woods, at least.
Already electric car service has
reached out from Chicago, and about
Elgin and Aurora there are roads al
ready in operation. The Rockford
and the Belvidere line is the first to
get to work from Rockford and the
line between these two cities is an
assured fact, only few steps remain
ing to be taken in preparation for
actual construction. Other lines are
projected to. connect with the Belvi-
dere termin al of this line and will even
fill the link left between these and
Chicag0.
1t win not be far distant when q
ride by trolley TO Chicago can be
taken over the various lines instead
of Ey steam railroad.
A line from Harvard to Belvidere,
connecting it with the lake country,
will come soon and also one to DeKslb
making the connection with the net
work to the south.
Dixon-Rockford Line
The Dixon Rockford line is almost
ready to be built and the road from
GAINESVILLE to Rockford, by way of Be-
lott, is also almost an accomplished
fact.
One of the great arguments in favor
of this form of transportation is the
fact that the jewellers along the lines
use them so fully. The short line
from Harvard to Geneva Lake has
paid handsomely in the few months it
has been in operation. and this has
been the experience of all similar en-
terprises.. Harvard would not part
with her line at any price. Rockford,
Belvidere, Dixon and the cities to the
north will all profit by the building OF
such roads, and the closer knitting oi
common interests will do much for the
prosperity of all.
Such places as become centers or
account of their location will be
brought in touch with large territor-
les and smaller places, formerly iso-
lated. will be made part of the busy
world to their gain.