Rock Island Argus., 1902-11-01

|appHeu TO the city council for the
right to create and operate horse
railroad between the eastern and
western limits of the city on Third
street.
The Davenport city council records
of Oct. 4, 1865. says at regular meet
ing of the city council (J. l.. Davies.
mayor). the petition of \. c. Fulton
to grant him the privilege to build
horse railroad on Third street was
referred to the street committee.
This was the first move or applica-
ton to create street railroad on the
streets of the state of Iowa. The
stock was raised and articles of in
corporation signed April 30, 1867.
Not member of the council took
any interest in the undertaking, and
but three shares of stock, $500, was
taken by the entire body of city Off
cials, from mayor to ianitor, and
majority cried: Fulton wants to
rob the people of a street," L could
out reply that l desired to give the
people their choice between the street
and my mule cars, consequently my
application long fingered. and some
members of the council at the outset
exclaimed. "Nevcr,'
The long delay and difficulty that
caused me great trouble, was that
then, as since that day, men were put
into office who did not know enough
to carry bundle in car.
| issued notice of the incorpora-
tion of the Davenport City Railroad
company ON April %. 1867. The in
NI r
directors and its officers were John
l.. Swits, Ira NJ. Clifford. Thomas
Scott, Charles +. Putnam. Joseph
Shields, II. ii. Clausscn, James Arm-
strong, Il. Il. Woodward, treasurer,
a. {. Fulton, president.
The contract was let to Charles
Hathawa. of Philadelphia. England
called on this American. Charles
Hathawa, to build England's first
horse railroad on the streets of Lon
don.
In 1854 l negotiated with Antoine
lie Claire for two town lots, at the
northeast corner of Third and Its
Claire strets for gas works. and
during that year. a company was or
ganized. The works were put in oper-
alton on Oct. %. 1865; William Her
risk, of Cleveland, Ohio, manager.
The product of electricity. the Mil
ton Sanders light. is now,as predicted
by the wise and great. in 1914, becom-
ing the light of the world. Milton
Sanders was the brother of the Edit
ors Alfred and Add Sanders. of Dav-
export. and Il native of Ohio.
On Sept. 4, 1891. | addressed the
Scientific American through the Chi
cago Inter Ocean. to right "a great
wrong done to worth and genius.
Davenport. Iowa. Aug. 10. 1S91.-To
the Editor-The Scientific American
of July II. 1891. publishes this:
antiquity of the Electric Light
(From the Scientific American Dee.
.. 1s4S.) New Electric Light-The
inventors of new electric light eXhi-
bited at the Western Literary Insti-
tute. Leicester. on its recent reopen
ing under new auspices, expert, ii is
said. to apply it generally to shop and
street and they state that
while the conveying will cost no more
than gas the expense of illumination
will be one-twelfth the price of the
later light
names Messers. Static and PeteItie,
of England. as the inventors of this
new light.
This is a great error and can be
shown to be such. There is not
shadow of doubt but that the then
well known chemist. Milton Sanders,
was the inventor of our present cleo
trio light. Not in 1s4S, but in 1874.
And sold his discovery to Mr.. Static,
of England. The merits of Mr.. Sand
ers' light were thoroughly tested in
Newport. KY. and in Cincinnati in
1874. and the opinion of men of sci
ence given.
Editor Charles Crist. of Cincinnati,
the we'll known statistician. published
the prediction in 1874 that the Sand
ers light would become the light of
the world at no distant day.
''Mr. Sanders confidence in his light
was unbounded. but his capital at
that day was limited. He resolved to
go to England and introduce his light.
He contracted with his chief work
man, John Starr. and on the 18th of
February. 1s45, set sail for Liverpool
in the packet Oxford.
''He exhibited his light in London
on a magnificent scale and proposed
to light that city. The authorities
declined to abandon their gas for the
new light. Mr.. Sanders cherished
hopes being blighted. he sold his dy-
namos, machinery and invention and
turned his artist. Mr.. Starr, over to n
Mr.. Static
"In the latter part of 1SiS word ar
rived in America that Mr.. Static
was exhibiting wonderful light
which he had invented.
This statement was published in
the Scientific American and other
journals Upon which Mr.. Sanders. i'm
April, 1s49, wrote to the Cairo Dalta.
as follows: