Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-17
CLOSE TO COUNTRY
Are Needed to Make
Rock Island County Seat More
Easy OF Access to Farmer.
CITY IN REAR OF PROCESSION
Lines Operating Out of Both Moline
and DaVenport-one That Will
Parallel the Peoria Division.

| Moline has an interurban line that is
daily carrying to her doors hundreds
of people from the upper end of Rock
Island county. Davenport has two
lines, one from the east. and another, |
just opening up, which expects eventu-
ally TO be operating to Muscatine. BY
Labor day it will have reached Grand
Isle.
The interurban line is spreading on
all sides of Rock Island. But all of
them have got by. or don't reach here
quite. 1t is a peculiar situation, the
gravity of which the business com
munity should appreciate before it is
too late. The interurban line, in this
day and age, is a necessity. The farm
er demands it, and naturally he will do
his business with the city that affords
him this accommodation.
Survey For Line to South.
Before either of the three cities had
the mterurban surveys were made for
a line connecting with AledO and the
towns in the southern portion of the
cOunty, entering the city over the Mil
an bridges. Then there was an OBJ
stacle in the weakness of the bridges
lacTOss Rock river. There was some
competitive opposition, too, and the re-
suit was that the project was aban
dOned: at least there has nothing been
heard of it for year or more There
is a great productive country lying
contiguous to the city of Rock Island
if tapped by an interurban road ii is
believed would bring large returns in
freight rates alone. There are a string
of small towns, several of which are
touched by the steam road, but where
the passenger and freight business
could be divided. A company has been
incorporated TO build a line from Pc
oria to this city. in which event it is
expected it will enter the city over
the Rock river bridges. 1t would
would touch Coal Valley, and prob
ably would make extensions to other
: parts of the country south. The
= southern portion of the county is cut
off entirely almost from the county
/ scat. 1t can reach it only by driving
70 or else by going to Muscatinc, in an
7 in another state, and boarding train.
} Hence MusCatinc does the business
5 with the residents of the southern
r part of the county. The business
r should come here. 1t would come here
is there We're any way of the farmer
getting TO the city besides driving.
J The solution of the problem is the in
terurban line. 1t is bound to come
\ The county and the city demand it.
city Spending S2O,OOO For Bridges.
The city of Rock Island is cXpcnd-
i ing 100000 in placing the Milan
5 bridges in condition to support cleo
Y trio cars. The south bridge has been
l. completed new. There is another new
= dOuble-span structure to be placed
over the north branch of the river.
. 1t is to be finished in October ready
f to Accommodate the electric service
5 that the Tri-City Railway company has
promised to extend to Milan in the
n the fall. Thus will disappear the last
= vestige of the horse car from the tri-
e cities.
+ The Mississippi Valley Traction com
5 pany lines, operating between Moline
and Watertown. is repUted to be one
$ of the greatest money-makcrs, con
= sdering the number of miles, in the
f country among interurbans. Moline
f capitalists laughed at the idea of
Il capitalists came there and showed
h them how it could be done. OF course
= there was condition that arose that
5 was unlocked for and which favored
l. the road. the establishment of the Rock
Island shops in the vicinity of Water
@ town. but without these the line would
Il have been q success. il is claimed.
D To Build Extensions.
u The Valley Traction company has
y Increased its stock. and cOntcmplatcs
reaching out for more towns in the
u upper end of the county, and fur
d Their on expecting eventually to meet
C at Geneseo the Kewanee & Geneseo
[ road. The construction of the latter
is to be commenced this week. r. W.
5 Olmsted of this city. is secretary of
l. the Kewanee. Cambridge & Kewanee.
o He has the utmost faith in the enter
G prise. He says it cant lose. It has
e been financed in the east. and Will be
in operation as soon as the work of
construction can be pushed to com
pletiOn. He hopes before long TO see
his line connected with the city OF
II Rock Island. The Mississippi Valley
Traction company wants TO come to
n Rock Island. If it could get here it
J. would give the people a 10-cent fare
h TO Campbelrs island, the new summer
: resort near WATERFOWL.
F. VIII Build Here. If Necessary.
b It was thought an arrangement
I could be effected with the Tri-City
: Runway company for the use Of the
= tracks of the latter from Moline 10
Q Rock Island. but negotiations failed. a
? ,E
pany stated the other day that his
road intended reaching Rock Island
q before long. if not by arrangement
g with the TRICKY Railway. by the ex-
a tension Of its own tracks here.
q Rock Island wants interurban lines
r let them come from whatever direc-
ii Z. L..