Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-05
TAKE COURSE
City Council Decides to Take No
Action in River Front
Rights.
INSTRUCTION OF COURT Is AWAITED
Claims Committee Requested to Re-
port on Smallpox
Bills.

The city will take no action in re-
isponse to the notice served by Capt.
ID. NJ. Beardsley requesting that the
d., II. l. d n. w. and other railway
companies doing business west of
Seventeenth street be compelled to
vacate the premises upon which the
city has given them the right to do
business, until the matter has gone
to court. This was decided at the
meeting of the city council last even
ing. report was submitted by the
committee on streets, alleys and
grounds recommending the above and
was adopted.
| The bills connected with the small
poX cases of last winter were up
again. The attention of the council
was again directed TO them by Health
Commissioner Joseph DeSilva, who
stated that he is being continually
approached by those who furnished
food and clothing to the smallpox pa
tients upon his order and asked when
the claims are to be settled. He
pointed out that il is something of a
personal matter with him and he felt
that the integrity of the city, as well,
is involved in the delay that has re-
suited in the attempt to throw the
Expense upon the county. After Il
| lengthy debate the motion of Aid.
Anderson prevailed that the claims
committee be instructed to prepare a
list of the bills and bring them in
with recommendation as to their
individual merits. Then they can be
classified and handled together.
Milan Bridges Discussed.
Aid. McCaskrin spoke at consider
able length on the Milan bridge
question. At the previous meeting of
the council resolution presented by
him had carried requiring the finance
committee, city attorney and mayor
to ascertain if there were any feast
bic way for the city to abandon the
| bridges. The report was not forth
coming last evening and he spoke in
favor of immediate action and point
ed out several methods of procedure
that he believed would be legal and
by which the bridge could be placed
upon the county and made free
The alderman pointed out that the
! original cost of the bridges was S25,-
600 and the receipts from tolls last
year were S4,505, while the expenses
were $4,000, so that the city received
just 50 more than the amount spent
and the interest on the original in
lvestment. He believed that the title
of the city to the bridges is absolute,
and argued that this being the case
they could be abandoned or assigned
at will. His object was asserted to
be to secure immediate action so that
the bridges could be made free and
placed in condition so that they can
be used by the interurban railway
that has been projected TO connect
with the lower end of the county.
No vote was taken on the matter.
The closing of Twenty-second
street between Twelfth and Sixteenth
avenues was ordered upon motion of
Aid. Anderson, who called the atten-
ton of the council to the fact that
the pavement on the hill is washed
out so as to be in an unsafe condi-
ton fOr. traffic. The brick and ma
cadam nave been undermined to an
extent that cannot be ascertained
from the top, and it was felt that
the only way to prevent the city
from becoming liable for damage
sooner or later was to close the
street entirely. 1t will be repaired as
soon as the rains cease and the soil
dries to Il sufficient degree to admit
its being worked.
To StraIghten Second street.
Before the council met number
of the members went to Second
street to examine the ground with Il
view of purchasing tract of land to
admit of the Strengthening of that
thoroughfare. The mayor and city
clerk were authorized to purchase
the ground from the owner, William
uuhcr at a surn NOT in excess of 5000