Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-12
WHAT MAY HAPPEN.
When the People of 1.-THE Old
Town" Get What They Think
is Coming to Them.
CUT OUT MODERN APPLIANCES
Returning to Puritanical Ways of
Life A Peep Into the
Situation.


reach of those who own, or imagine
they own, so much of Rock Island as
is included in 1.-THE old town." when
they get seriously down to the bust
ness of asserting their heaven-born
rights and prerogatives, are as limit
less as the ocean-provided of course.
the supreme court decisions back up
to the extent that we are led to be-
lieve they will do or have already
done, the ponderous claims that have
been made.
If the D., Il. /. & y. w. Railway
company mad really no business to
put it's freight and passenger depots
on the levee, and if the Union Elec-
trio Telephone & Telegraph company
has no right to lay its conduits down
the alleys of 1.-The old town." without
consulting individuals who are spon-
sors for 1.-The old town" it appears
that there is no good reason why the
people of the section lying between
Seventeenth and Tenth streets and
north of Fourth avenue cannot go
back to first principles and enjoy a
return of the blessings of old when
ever they make up their minds to do
so.
No More Street Cars.
Think how pleasant it would be
once more TO be without the nerve
wearing whirr of the electric cars
and the inharmonious jangling of the
gongs. No cars to wait for and miss,
and no tracks TO occupy the middle of
the streets, and no railroads on the
II
ting machines of commerce snort as
they bring in and carry out passen-
gers and freight, all in the interests
of the old town" as well as the city
generally.
No need, either, to be longer bored
by telephone service. Think what
relief il would be to throw the beast
~ talking machine out into the alley
and comPel-the company to take up
its poles, ron up its wires and va
moose. The electric light and power
companies, too, are only maintaining
nuisances in the old town" There
is the danger of dropping wires and
SO many fires result from bungling
jobs of wiring. Electric lights have
been shown to breed nervous disor-
ders and poor eyesight, and the arc
lights on the streets only serve to
dazzle men and draw bugs. That
they are far from success any rea-
citizen ought to realize by
this time So in time will say the cit
liens who own 1.-The old town"
Haul Water From River.
The water question is a very veXa-
tious one and causes perhaps more
anxiety than any other one in the
category. The people of
the old town" will have the whole
thing solved if they will only take
the trouble to assert their honest
rights. just make the city tear up
its old water mains and let every
body go back to plain, wholesome
cistern water. After Illuminating
over the proposition il really seems
strange that no one ever thought of
that plan before. II there should
ever come a dry season il would be
delightfully."- eXhilarating exercise for
the man of the house to get up early
morning and carry enough
water from the river for the sake of
the family washing.
Sewers could be treated in the
same way as the matter of water
mains. Were they not put down in
the first place without authority of
the people who own and govern 1.-The
old town." The city has no right to
usurp the absolute prerogatives of
the property holders of the old
town" by digging holes in the streets.
Take out the pipes, to be sure. To
permit them to remain is concealing
a nuisance, and right under the very
noses of the people of 1.-The old town"
at that. Think of getting ahead of
the plumber, too. Should the public
not assist in such an inno-
walton when the people of 1.-The old
town" are TO be especially benefited?
Then there is the man who incon
flies a flag on the Fourth
of July or kite on any other old day
ascertaining how far heav-
the divine right of the chosen
guardian of 1.-The old town" may have
right to govern. Such n man should
be strung up high over the heads of
the people of 'the old town."
Advance In Property Values
So with all the advantages that |
would be gained by assertion of
rights in 'the old town after the !
manner indicated property could not
fail to advance in value. Think of
what such a commercial establish
ment as the Market square confec-
the grace of Mayor
be worth to its owner
when '.the old town" establishes its
ancient rights. People will indeed |
want to move in from the country |
and avail themselves of privileges |
that they cannot enjoy in rural dis
tricts, and many would be willing to
pay fabulous prices just in order to
OWN street and an alley or half the
river. What satisfaction
here would be, for instance, in go
ng out upon the Father of Waters in