Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-25
the farmers that westward

II the star OF empire took Its courses
, that progress, civilization and com
merce had their birth in India; that
, they slowly rolled into Assyl'ia,
Egypt, Greece and Rome; then more
! slowly found their way into France
and England; then they foated west
! ward on tire oceans waves to Ply
mouth Rock. They did not long lin
! ger amongst the scrub oaks and the
barren soil of New England, but roll
ed their way with increased moTnen-
tum westward to Chicago, and now
they have to leap the rapidly moving
floods of the Mississippi river and
onward through Iowa to the Rocky
mountains, not to larry, but to leap
over their snow-capped SUBMITS to
continue to roll upon the far west
ward plains; to plant commerce and
civilization on the coast of the Pacific
ocean, and l call on you who possess
! the power to keep the wave of prog
ress in it's course onward. And the
united county and Davenport city.
! subscription of 100000 was carried
| by a large majority to perfect the
first link in the great Pacific railroad,
| in time to aStonish the world.
Taking the wealth and population
of that day. that 100000 was larger
sum than one-half million would be
! this year, 1901.
When Iowa had made good head
way, and l alone called many meet
| ings at Moline and Camden, now Mi
Ian. and worked up an interest in the
enterprise, then many counties in
Illinois, and many individuals in
Scott county came into the work.
At this day great injustice has been
done TO the real creators of bridge,
railroads, arsenal, canals and edifices.
In some instances big men, who OPP
posed them and other works of util-
ity, have been extensively written as
their creator No difficulty in arriv-
ing at the correct history, as many
journals have the facts indeIibly
stamped within their columns and
which point out the world builders.
The thoughtIess do not know that
he who plows the ground and sows
the seed is as much the producer as
the man that reaps and eats it. 1
have ancient history on file at my |
office including the railroad creators.
In a Rock Island journal, dated |
Oct "a. 1919. railroad meeting is /
and, and Rock Island, Davenport, Mo-
line and Camden were represented.
\ committee of five on resolutions
was appointed as follows: II. 4. Por-
ter and c. b. Waite, of Rock Island;
James Thorington and y. c. Fulton.
of Davenport, and W. y. Nourse, of
Moline.
Action towards vigorous work on
.
and on bridging the Mississippi river
at Rock Island and extending the
to the Pacific ocean was
taken up and discussed.
To push those gigantic works to
required untiring energy. /;
To accomplish the undertaking a |
of five. consisting of Will
liam Baily and Fernando Jones, of
Rock Island; \. c. Fulton. of Daven- :
port; I: NJ Gilmore, of Camdon. and
w. \. Nourse, of Moline, was appoint
ed to carry the three great works to
and who appointed Sailor ;
/ as chairman. Two of my associates 1
soon resigned and moved from that :
section, and later two of them left ]
the lower world. But /, well knowing
that resolution was omnipotent, CON f
tinued to add to my stock lists and {
worked up town and county aid. I
L journeyed to Chicago by stage; II
put up at the ancient Briggs house, i
to see a good team of horses stall in t
The muddy street with cord of wood 7
1 few rods distant from my quarters. ]
/ talked western railroad to many 7
and business men. All {
oolled me over with great astonish- {
nent and said, BEST go and see long
John Wentworth / saw long John, 2
who deliberately fathomed me, then I
exclaimed, Tut, tut, young man, you G
must be insanel \ railroad west I
would not pay for the grease for the 1
vheels!" And l departed from the L
hen muddy town without even a c
symptom of encouragement.
The journals of 1850, now in my / O
report that on the 21st of :
March, 1850, the delegates of various !
of Illinois and Scott county,
iowa, assembled in Rock Island. l..
Is chairman of the Pacific railroad T
presented to the assem- I
by the amounts of the several sub q
of shares of stock taken in
he Rock Island q Chicago railroad, +
Is follows: Rock Island, 400; Cam +
len, 172; Moline, 63; f. r.. Brunot, <
20; /. Sullivan, ;; Bureau county, 300; /
Henry county, 103; Scott county, =
owa, 700; LaSalle county (pIedged),
80; Peru delegates pledged), $50 .
These 2,263 shares of stock of 500 r
,ach may appear as miserable ex- =
libit, when millions were required, n
,ut we, the resolute and untiring, n
considered it a grand entrance. h
In this work, as is well known to
III pioneers, L had no aid save at two Il
at the Republic of lie s
'laire Gas then called, where with "
Judge Grant / called my second meet n