Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-18
WANT LOWER LINE
Residents of Southern Part of
County Anxious for Rail
Connection.
AGREE TO DO THEIR PART
Thomas ThOrp Writes About Condi-
tiOns as They
Exist.

1 =
Argus: | have noticed for some time
that the city of Rock Island has been
talking of building or having some
one build a railroad to the lower end
OF the county. And ] think il about
time to say something TO help the
plan along. The time never was bet
ter than il is now TO agitate the
Question, for this reason: The far
mers of the lower end are aroused to-
Il fever heat over the toll on the high
bridge. They think the toll too high,
for one thing, and there are other
reasons.
First, [ am told they have no right
to charge more than 80 cents, but
40 cents is charged, and this is one
reason why the farmers are against
the bridge. Another is the bridge
management has gained control of
the land on both sides of the toll
road and is about to close road
which leads from the Illinois end of
the high bridge to Drury's landing.
Another *, by getting control of the
land they have compelled a man who
had been conducting a feed yard near
the Illinois end of the bridge, to tear
down his buildings and quit business.
thereby compelling the farmers to
stay at home or drive across the
bridge and pay the toll.
Cuts OF Profits.
1t very often happens with great
many farmers. that they have Il few
pounds of butter or few dozen eggs
To take to market. But if they are
compelled tn drive across the bridge
and pay fifty cents toll they cannot
afford il. When the feed yard was in
operation they could put up their
teams, walk across the bridge and
carry their produce and thereby save
the cost of taking their teams over.
Before they proposed To close the
road there was plenty of room to tie
and the farmers did not need ia put
their teams in the feed yard unless
they chose to. II is said that the
township owns something less than
an acre of ground near the end OF
the bridge. but, if the river rises Il
little il cannot be used ON account of
overflow.
If that acre of ground was level it
would not be so bad, but il is full OF
holes. 1t costs Il man 80 cents for
team and wagon TO cross the
bridge. Now, if he loads his wagon /
with hogs. no matter how many, so
long as his team can pull it, it costs |
him no more than If his wagon was |
empty. So you see il costs him moth |
ing to- get his hogs over the bridge. |
But if he goes over the next day to
spend the money which he received |
e f.al-
family with him he must pay 80 cents
for driver. team and wagon and five
cents per head for his family.
Oversteps Rights.
There is one thing l would like to
know something about and that is.
What right had the bridge company
to put "a fill of about one hundred
Yards i'm length under the Illinois end
If the bridge, thereby narrowing the
stream that much. Does the govern
nent allow this? About or nearly
me hundred yards up stream from
where they put the fill is a little is
and and they put wing dam from
he fill to that island. One will notice
" the way the fill. wing dam and is
and are situated that just so soon as
he river rises the fill causes the
water to back up and the wing dam
nd island have a tendency to force
he water between the island and
horc across the low road and
Trough the piece of ground owned
" the township, which is full of
oIes made so by the toll road com {
any when building the toll road. 1
'ow you can see how things are i'm
)rury and vicinity and why the far '
lers are kicking" These are few
+ the reasons why Rock Island I
hould try and get railroad to the l
over end of the county. If started t