Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-06-27

office, securing employment from j..
b. Danforth, Jr., the editor and pub
Usher. Including the writer there
were employed in the mechanical de-
partment of The Argus in the cosing
months of the year 1885, four jour
neymen printers and an apprentice
named Kirkpatrick. While | attend
ed to the makeup and the press work
with the aid of Kirkpatrick, who was
devil or roller-boy. Milton Jones,
David Cunningham and another,
whose name l have forgotten. set the
type. Jones afterwards became a
proprietor and editor of The Argus.
Cunningham had high ambition. no
less than TO be able to write L. $. $.
Omitted States Senator) after his
name. | still have his autograph in
this form, but am not aware that the
prophecy has ever been fulfilled. The
compoSitor whose name | cannot re
call bought and settled on a farm in
Minnesota before / left Rock Island.
While employed on The Argus il
was changed from an evening to a
morning paper. 1t was about this
time. also, that Robert V. Shirley. a
printer from Chicago, became a
partner with Mr.. Danforth, taking
charge of the mechanical department
of the business. Mr.. Danforth being
thus able to give his whole atten-
ton to editorial work. Soon after
this change l was offered and accept
ed n situation on the Rock Islander.
There the press work was divided be-
tween two workers, and this gave me
an opportunity To devote a portion of
the time to sticking type.
The winter of $3.50 was a cold
one. and the heavy coating of ice on
the river made solid and safe road
way between the two cities both for
teams and pedestrians. Two or three
of The Argus printers made use of it
one night in February to attend
lecture by the popular phrenologist
in those days, DR.. o. :. Fowler. At
ter the lecture closed we remained
and had our bumps examined and
marked i'm a book by this expert in
chronological science. by reference
to my marked chart l find il is dated
Feb. :, 1856
1t was during my stay in Rock Is
land that the first bridge across the
Father of Waters was completed.
Its partial destruction by the burn
ing of the EfTie Alton was an cX-
citing event that | Witnessed also.
1 well remember the chorus of
shrieking whistles that accompanied
it, given by the ferry and steamboats,
while the fire was doing its work on
the bridge. / had previously watched
the construction Of the bridge with
great interest. making frequent visits
to the island for that purpose. On
one of these occasions. with others,
| explored cave that was then in
existence, if il could he dignified with
that name. 1t was So low that it re-
quired hand and knee work" alto
gether by those who entered it AMI
n candle to light the way.
At that time the most prominent
member of the Rock Island county
bar was Lawyer Knox, then i'm his
prime. He was always mentioned to
strangers as the attraction at the
court house. / also had an oppor-
tunity to- listen to an appeal, from tn
court house steps, by Col. Jim
Lane, for volunteers to 90 to Kansas,
where the Free State men were try
ing to save il from being seized by
the shareholders of Missouri.
left Rock Island on my return
east about the middle of June, 1856.
and though l have not since visited
your city. it has had a large place in
my memory and | have had frequent
perusals of its newspapers as well
as letters from faithful correspon-
dent through all the years since that
date. Truly yours,
\. NJ. II.