Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-06-25
10 LINE WILL LAND
Through Packet Company Boats
Will Stop at Rock Island
Hereafter.
NOTICE REoEIvEDBYOAPF LAMONT
VIII Swing Gang Plank at the
Foot of Seventeenth
Street.

Official aGyices came this morning
to Capt. George Lamont, in the form
of general notice to all the COM
pany's agents along the river, from
General Freight and Passenger Agent
l.. L. Lusk, of the Diamond 10 line,
announcing that hereafter the pack
cts of the company will land at Rock
Island. Thus terminates happily an
unfortunate misunderstanding that
has grown out of the question of
warehouse privileges on the i'm
proved levee, and the result will
prove, as it should be, Il source of
mutual cOngratulation.
At the time the new levee was pro-
lVided under the administration of
Mayor Medill the city sought TO pre-
vent any building on the river front
within the district improved, and
when it was found that such a course
might prove impracticable to insist
at least that a common warehouse
serve for all boats landing here To
accomplish this end, it was proposed
that the city erect a building suita-
bic for the convenience of all packet
lines, present or future. This ar
rangement met with the appreciation
of the business men and shippers
generally of Rock Island who Joined
in memorial to the council asking
that the city provide the accommo-
dations and control the river front.
The Diamond 10 line, however. mis-
took the disposition of the city to
| treat all lines alike as move aimed
particularly at ii, and insisted that
it be granted a lease of certain
portion of the lcvee for warehouse
uses. This the council declined to
grant, whcreupon the company dis
continued the landing of its boats at
Rock Island. This was three years
ago.
! City Was Right In It's Premises.
The city felt that it was right in
the position that it had taken. and
adopted the necessary measures
looking to the erection of common
warehouse on the lcvee. Unfortu-
lnately, however, at that particular
time municipal administrations
changed, and Mayor McConochie, in
stead of sustaining the policy of the
outgoing mayor, which would have
put an end to the controversy there
by demonstrating to the Diamond 10
line that the city was only seeking to
he just 10 all, manifested no interest
in maintaining equal privileges on
the levee, and it was not long until
a permit was granted the short line
packet companies to erect a ware
house at the foot of Nineteenth
street. While ii was true that the
short line boats had stood by Rock
Island and were entitled to consider
alton, if any rights were to be given,
the proceeding did not have sooth-
ing tendency ON the Diamond 10 line,
To whom it had the appearance of
plain discrimination. This was in
tensified by the fact that the ware
house was located two blocks east of
the customary landing and outside of
the deep water harbor which the gov
eminent had made near Seventeenth
street. The consequence has been
that the 10 line has for three seasons
steered clear of the city.
Diamond 10 Deserves Fairness.
The company has now evinccd
disposition to let bygones he by
cones, and its purpose to land here |
as OF NOTt carries WIFI IL overture
for fair treatment and good feeling. |
which should be readily responded |
TO. What the company may ask in
the way of privileges remains to be |
seen. If il does seek accommoda- |
tions. however. the city having grant
ed similar rights to another line, and |
having located those rights where /
the Diamond 10 line cannot reach |
them conveniently, the city cannot /
fail in the spirit of equality To give
them proper consideration.
\ common warehouse controlled |
by the city and properly located |
would have solved the difficulty long
ago, but since the city has permitted |
one, it will be difficult to see how it
ca ignore others if their requests
are reasonable and nothing be con-
templated that would mar the APP
pearance of general usefulness of the
levee.
The Diamond 10 boats will land at !
the foot of Seventeenth street and its
office will be for the present with
that of Lamont & Son at 115 Seven
teenth street. The first boat will be
the Quincy, due Friday for St. Paul,
and when Admiral Killeen looms in
sight on the bridge we will all go
down and give him high one.