Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-07
sHOULDCOME HERE
Rock island Given a Week to
Ponder on Car Factory
Proposition.
OTHER CITIES ARE AFTER T.
Capitalists Ready to In.
vest 100000
Here.

Peoria is one of the several cities
that have entered into competition
with Rock Island for the location of
the car factory that Cleveland CAPT
talists are promoting and to which
reference has heretofore been made
in The Argus.
However. Rock Island has the first
call. its numerous advantages having
strongly impressed the gentlemen at
the head of the project, and they have
allowed a week TO the citizens here
to make up their mind whether they
wish to accept the proposition that
has been made.
The joint committee Of the Rock
Island Club and Retail Merchants as
ISOLATION is actively at work on the
details, and is hopeful of placing the
amount of stock requisite to the Sc
curing of the industry within the al
lotted period. The committee is work
ing with J. y. Hoyt and y. L. Jacobs,
who are promoters of the factory.
They have what those who have inves-
tigated it term a clean cut business
proposition, agreeing to put one dol
lar of their own money alongside OF
y
Rock Island capitalists. They stand
ready TO invest any amount. from
100000 upwards, and erect here a
plant second to none in the world.
Able Business Men.
The eastern stockholders, mostly
from Cleveland. are known as most
careful and conservative investors. Mr..
Jacobs, who is the practical man and
will be general manager of the fac
| tory wherever located, has had wide
experience in car building. and has
personal acquaintance with nearly
every railroad president and superin-
tcndent in this country. He is the de-
Signer and builder of the high speed
trolley cars on the Aurora, Elgin g.
! Chicago, pronounced the finest of
| their type ever turned out of fac
tory i'm the United States, and those
in operation on the Rockford, Beloit
IL GAINESVILLE line. Photos of these
cars are on exhibition in the window
of the Peoples National bank.
The factory it is proposed to build
Will give employment at the outset
to 1000 high class mechanics. Thirty
acres of land will be required. Orders
are in the hands of the promoters for
work representing over $1.O0O.0OO.
There is d great demand throughout
the country for cars-factories can
not supply the roads. This was evil
denced right here at home in the case
of the Tri-City Railway company.
which was driven to manufacturing
its own cars simply because it could
not get its orders filled promptly by
the car factories.
Profits Are Big.
The plant headed by the Cleveland
gentlemen will turn out coaches for
electric and steam surface and elevated
roads. Mr.. Jacobswa formerly superin-
tendent of the Pullman company and
for the Niles Car company. The prof
its in the car manufacturing business
are from p to 33 1-3 per cent.
The Argus is glad of the interest
manifested by the local committee
and trusts that the capitalists will in
vcstigate. and if found worthy will
put their shoulders to the wheel and
land this great project which means
big returns for them and at the same
time enrich the value of every piece
of property in Rock Island. Let the
city push forward with the determin-
alton to secure these shops. If this
proposition is refused Rock Island
may never again have such an oppor-
funitN- n advance the pitV pONV