Rock Island Argus., 1901-04-06
RELATIONS WITH
THE RAILROADS
Tendency of Developments is to
Deprive Rock Island of
Much Prestige.
THE DANGER IN INDIFFERENCE
Without Envy of Adjoining Cities,
We Should Guard Our
Own interests.

POuOS upOu tue ulON0ueuGS duQ while 3
of the railroads that pass through it.
Rock Islands success as a city is not
entirely contingent upon the dis
position of any railroad toward the
city. Nevertheless the railroads con-
stitute, as they must naturally be in
any place that they enter, an import
ant factor in the commercial and
general warfare of the community.
Rock Island has for years been the
terminus of the most important di-
visions of the great road that bears
its name, and it has had the terminus
of practically every other road entering
here. Within fortnight these things
have changed. Already portion of
the Rock Island division headquarters
has been moved to Moline and the
company is keeping the city in state
of unrest as to still further moves in the
same direction. The Milwaukee has
done all that it can to remove its ter
minal facilities from this city with
the requirement of the Davenport,
Rock Island & Northwestern fran
chises here. What of the runs do not
now end in Davenport GO on through
to Moline. The Burlington has done
better, but nobody knows what
is yet to come. In this day and gen.
Grafton people have to take what
railroad will give them and be con-
tented.
1t has never been the policy Of Rock
Island to shut itself off from the
world. Its gates have always been
wide open and the people of all adjoin-
ing cities have been welcome to come,
while there has been no purpose to
place barrier about those within And
this is the spirit that is manifest here
today. While our people may study to
their hearts content and still fail 10
discover where this city comes in on
the benefits of the sell-out of which
Rock Island was made the victim in
the bridge, track and terminal privi-
leges of the Davenport, Rock Island &
Northwestern road. at least not in
proportion to neighboring cities, still
there will be no sulking here. The
public will be glad to have the roads
continue here, if the only honor they
confer is the toot that the law requires
to way station.
Rock Island Should BE Moving
The ARGUS has persistently urged
the desira bility of some concerted
action upon the part of the business
organizations and people generally of
this city that might result in an un-
derstanding as to how far this city is
to be made to suffer by reason of the
developments in local railroad circles
now on foot. Railroads as a rule are
not hard to approach. and there is no
reason why they should be, nor are
they always inconsistent where
matters come up in which they and
the public are jointly interested. But
if city sits idly by absolutely indif-
ferent to its own welfare, it cannot
blame anybody else if the railroads
either run around it or run over it
as the circumstances may best suit |
their convenience. A week ago the
Burlington entered upon a new ar
by which its main north |
and south St. Louis and st. Paul trains |
pass through Rock Island by way of
instead of running in hero |
and out again as under the old way |
Indisputably the change is an advan-
tageous one for the railroad company, |
and may, in the end. possibly prove
better for Rock Island. At the same |
time, the company inaugurated it's
Davenport-Chicago passenger service,
which also includes this city. The |
Rock Island-Beardstown passenger
however, was not originally to be
under the new plan. But no
sooner had the Burlington secured |
right of way into Davenport than /
that city wanted to know why it could
not have all the trains. A committee |
of wideawake citizens over there took |
the natter up-and the terminus of the
run was sent over to
but it was given out that
the headquarters of the run would re-
main here. and that the train
and crew would be kept here.
Then came the Davenport CON-
mittee and wanted to know why
1t was necessary to send the train
and crew back to Rock Island for
few hours wait. 1t did seem like
straining it-and so the train and
crew were ordered to remain on the
Iowa side. This instance is cited
merely to show what a town can
accomplish by the asking.
Rock Island can not blame adjoin-
ng cities If they get all they can out
Of the railroads coming into this To-
,ality. The only way for Rock Island
Is to be up and doing. The
railroads should be told that there 10
not stone wall around this town,
but that the town has interests in
with the railroads, and is
ust as jealous of them and just as
jealous to maintain them as any other
'ity on the map.
The Promised Milwaukee sDub.
The Davenport Democrat says:
The Rock ISLAND. ARGUS affects
great surprise at the news that the
road is likely to run its