Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-02-20
At 0 DEPOT
Reception TO People in Progress
at Conpany's New Sta
ton.
TO CONTINUE TILL 10 TONIGHT
Employees Show Visitors Through
Building--Banquet1to
Officials.

very atmosphere at the c., B. & @.
depot this afternoon. Every occu-
pant of the building from the heads
of the departments in the elegant up
stairs offices to the mouse that re-
Gently took fiat in the coal bin APP
peared proud of his surroundings
The very water in the pipes of the
heating plant appeared to move with
unwonted celebrity and it was re-
marked that the telephones worked
unusually well.
The northwest wind had not been
included in the general Invitation to
the public to visit and inspect the new
quarters, and though he pushed and
crowded at the big doors and tried to
squeeze in edgewise after every COM
ing and ahead of every going visitor.
he met with very poor success, and
the few small gusts he managed to
push in soon became ashamed CT
themselves and fastened to drop their
blustery and boisterous manners.
Old Sol beamed in through the
ample upstairs windows, extending a
message of congratulation to those
within. unchilled by millions of miles
of media through which it came. Mr..
Maek's pleasure knew no bounds.
''This is our day." he said.
On the desk in each office, adding
Just the right tone to complete the
general harmony. was spray of car
nations or bunch of American
Beauty roses. There were no other
decorations save the pictures on the
walls and the air of consummate new
ness which would render ordinary
beautifying touches a Disagreement.
All On Reception Committee.
Every employe in the building was a
reception committee of one delegated
to look after his own particular de-
partment, explain the mysteries
thereof and do his work as well as
possible at the same time. The route
mapped out for visitors lay through
the rooms of the lower floor, up the
stairs, along the offices on the north
side of the second floor and back on
the south side, down the rear stairs
to the freight offices and back over
the stairs to the general waiting
room. The depot was thrown open
at 1 O'Clock this afternoon and the
public will be cordially welcomed till
10 tonight. Many are embracing the
opportunity to see the interior of the
building this afternoon, and many
more will do so tonight.
General Manager w. c. Brown. F.
@. Rice, superintendent of the Illinois
lines. and L. w. Berry, superintend-
ent of the st. Louis division of the
G., B.. & O., viii arrive this after
noon in the formers private car
to be present at the banquet to be
rendered the officials of the road by
the citizens of Rock Island at the
Harper house tonight. Thomas Mil
Ter, general freight agent, is expected
this afternoon, and p. S. Eustis, gen.
eral passenger agent of the road, will
be here this evening from Chicago.
Other improvements Assured.
A prominent official of the Burliug-
ton road this afternoon, replying to
question in regard to ful Their contem-
plated improvements in this city, said:
The improvements will all be. made
just as stated by General Manager
Brown through The ARGUS last fall.
The tower clock, the wall aloRg
Twentieth street south of the depot,
and the passenger train shed can be
counted upon to materialize in the
spring"
Tonight's Banquet.
The plimentary banquet to be
rendered by citizens tonight at the
Harper to General Manager Brown
and others officials of the road is to
be informal in it's nature. Division
Agent Mack last night received word
that P. S. Eustis, general passenger
agent, will be present, and the COM
mittee has assigned to him the toast,
Traffic" The program on toasts is
as follows:
The Citys Greeting. ..-.................
-.......... 80. Mayor William NcConochie
THE Occasion:
.............. The POSTMASTER, Phil Mitchell
All Good Roads Lead to Rock Island -.
-. Hon. II. w. Hurst
Traffic .-.:.--..-..-........ 1872: s. Eustis