Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-15
PLOW COMPANY
AIDED BY COUNCIL
Fifth and Sixth Streets and First
Avenue Are Va.
Gated.
TO BLOCK REMOVAL SUIT
Relief Sought by o., r. .. 4 N. w.
As to Its Depot Afforded
Also.

That the city council is in accord
with the sentiment of the community
in protecting the Rock Island Plow com
pany. one of the chief industries of the
city, in the enjoyment Of the ground
privileges against the attacks of private
individuals seeking the removal of its
buildings on the technical excuse that
they are obstructing public thorough
fares. was manifested in the unani.
nous passage at the meeting last even
ing OF the ordinance vacating those
portions of Fifth and Sixth streets and
First avenue occupied by the shops of
the company in the west part of the
city.
+. A. Head. general manager OF the
company. and NJ. NJ. Sturgeon. the com
pany attorney. were present at the
meeting of the council. Mr. Head ex-
pressed gratitude for the encourage
ment accorded by the council. He
doubted IL there was any individual
in the city as greatly concern
ed In the maintenance of Sixth street
and First avenues as open thorough
fares as was his company. as both
were essential to the carrying on OF
its business. Sixth street. as is known
TO all who have ever visited the pant
Is bridged by a runway that connects
two VI the larger buildings. which are
far enough separated to permit OF the
passage Of three teams at one time
while the runway Is sufficiently high
to clear the hat OF a man standing on
the top of a load OF hay.
Company Can't Use seventh.
Fifth street is occupied by the black
smith shop. while Fourth street is a
network of railroad tracks. The com
pany has shops on the north and south
Of the railroad tracks at Sixth street
Seventh street is not accessible. I-.
Head stated. for the reason that First
avenue from that street west to Sixth
street. on account of the number of
tracks. affords only very limited
space. hardly wide enough TO permit
comfortably a wagon To- drive along.
The fact that the pIow company
has been using the streets and ave
nue. mentioned is not a new discovery
These privileges were granted years
ago by the council. because they were
required by the growing demands fos
VI tht COMPANY ihtit
number of cities that would be glad
to have the Rock Island Flow COM
pany. They would give all the land
wanted, and more. with a money bonus
thrown in. To get such an institution.
Rock Island would do likewise to- get
another such an industry here. No
complaint was heard against the coun-
Gil allowing the company to- encroach
on the streets. until NJ. f. Sweeney
recently arose to- proclaim ownership.
having in the interim obtained the
fee in the streets from the original
holders of the water lots. He has be-
gun an action in the circuit court to
have the buildings removed.
Relief for Railway Also.
The council also passed an ordinance
vacating the strip on First avenue
between Sixteenth and Seventeenth
streets on which the freight and pas
senger depots of the Davenport. Rock
Island & Northwestern railway are To-
Gated. The main objection among the
aldermen TO the ordinance heretofore
has been occasioned by taking in the
strip OF certain of the main tracks.
These have all been excluded. There
Is but a single track In the strip vaca-
ted. and that is the one that runs
alongside the freight platform. being
merely stub. Even those at the
north of the depot running along the
river embankment have been cut out
The railway company asked the pass
age of the ordinance as an aid To il in
resisting the mandamus suit of Capt
J. VI. Beardsley. which is similar in
character to that OF Mr.. Sweeney
Capt Beardsley mandamused the city
to compel the removal OF the