Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-26
mr.. ROOT IMPRESSED
With AdaptabiIity of Rock Island
Arsenal for Manufacture
of Equipments.
so STATES AT RECEPTION AT CLUB
Commends Condition OF Shops and
Grounds as Maintained by
Maj. Blunt.

The visit of Secretary of War Elihu
Root to the tri-cities ended yester-
day afternoon with a reception at
the Rock Island Club from to $3.50.
The secretary, accompanied by Maj.
Blunt and j. w. Parker, arrived from
Rock Island arsenal promptly at the
appointed time and was escorted to
the south parlor, where in the time
set apart for the reception of visi-
tors, he met, shook hands and eX-
tended pleasant greeting to several
hundred citizens of Rock Island, Mo-
line and Davenport. The gentlemen
who did the honors of the occasion
were Hon. Il. j. Medill, president, and
b. ID. Connolly, secretary of the club
DR.. q. &. Craig, ST., and c. A. Barnard,
the latter being from Moline.
Visits Woodmen ONCE.
One of the first to greet the visitor
of honor was Maj. c. w. Halves, who
taking advantage of lull in the tide
of callers, invited Mr.. Root and those
in company with him to the Wood
men head office, where Il quarter of
an hour was consumed in visiting the
several departments in which the af-
fairs of the greatest of fraternal in
surance organizations. are conducted.
Returning to the club, the reception
continued. When not busy receiving,
Mr.. Root discussed matters of ma
tional concern with those about him.
and all who heard him were Impress
ed with his unassuming, yet forceful
manner.
Talks of Arsenal.
At the club the secretary gave an
audience to the newspaper men and
answered their inquiries as to his inn
pressions of Rock Island arsenal. Il
am much impressed not only with
the extent of the power provided by
nature here and the possibilities in
connection with the use to which
it is being applied. but with the natu-
raj beauty and the well kept appear
ance of the island, and the cleanli-
ness and convenience of the shops.
There is no power so clean and readi-
ly adaptable to the use of such n
plant as you have
here, as that of water converted in
to electricity. L felt after seeing the
men working i'm the shops. that were
/ a mechanic l should prefer n place
in one of the factories on the island
to being secretary of war
VIII Extend Usefulness.
In regard to the future of the ar
senel he spoke guardddly. Il be-
lieve there is little danger of the ar
senel here at Rock Island ever going
back to the condition it was before
the Spanish-American war" he said,
I'm fact | am quite certain that it will
continue to be developed to meet the
growing needs of the military branch
of the government.
II am in hopes that the senate
will at the next session pass the bill
that went through the house mt the
last providing for the equipment of
the state militia in the same manner
and with the same arms and trap
pings as the regular army is provided
with. In this event much of the
work of manufa curing the necessary
additional equipment will, of course,
be done here"
Congressman Prince, who accom-
panied the secretary and Maj Blunt in
their trip about the island during the
day, spoke i'm highest terms of the
displayed by the chief
of the war department in grasping
the details of the various processes
of manufacture and the transmits
sion of the power. Il consider him
the greatest secretary of war we
have had since the days of Edwin NJ.
Stanton said he.
Leaves on Special Train.
At $40 a repast was served for the
secretary and party in one of the pri-
vate dining rooms and Immediately
lfterward the visitors were driven to
the special train on the Rock ISL
and road that had been ar
ranged for to take the secretarys
private car to Chicago in time to con-
meet with a late evening train to
Cleveland, where he went fort con-
with Senator Hanna and 9th
er republican leaders today. Mr..
Parker and F. c. Buck accompanied