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.

daily carrying " HSI uOOIS uuIIulcu9
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 !
err 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 interurban surveys were made for |
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 |
across 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 a year or more. There
is a great productive country lying
contiguous to the city of Rock Island
if tapped by an interurhan road it is
believed would bring large returns in
freight rates alone. There are 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 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
lably 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
or else by going to Muscatinc, in an
lin another state. and boarding u train.
Hence Muscatinc does the business
with the residents of the southern
part of the county. The business
should come here 1t would come here
getting to the city besides driving.
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-
ing $4,000 in placing the Milan
bridges in condition to- support cleo
trio cars. The south bridge has been
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
to Accommodate the electric service
that the Tri-City Railway company has
promised to extend to Milan in the
/ the fall. Thus will disappear the last
vestge of the horse car from the tri-
cities.
The Mississippi Valley Traction com
pany lines, operating between Moline
and Watertown. is repUted to be one
of the greatest money-makcrs. con
sidering the number of miles, in the
T country among intcrurbans. Moline
capitalists laughed at the idea of
building outside of the city. Eastern
| capitalists came there and showed
l them how it could be done. OF course
there was a condition that arose that
was unlocked for and which favored
the road the establishment of the Rock
Island shops in the vicinity of Water
, town, but without these the line would
have been a success, it is claimed.
} To Build Extensions.
The Valley Traction company has
: increased its stock, and Contemplatcs
reaching out for more towns in the
! upper end of the county, and fur
Their on expecting eventually TO meet
at Geneseo the Kcwanee & GeneseO
road. The construction of the latter
is to be commenced this week. r. W
) Olmsted, of this city, is secretary of
b, the Kewanee. Cambridge & Kewanee.
} He has the utmost faith in the enter
2 prise. He says it cant lose. It has
? 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
! Rock Island. The Mississippi Valley
Traction company wants to come to
! Rock Island. If it could get here il
would give the people a 10-cent fare
J to Campbcll's island, the new summer
resort near WATERFOWL.
VIII Build Here. If Necessary.
! Il was thought an arrangement
/ could be effected with the TTi-City
5 Railway company for the use of the
tracks of the latter from Moline 10
: Rock Island. but negotiations failed. \
representative of the Traction com
pany stated the other day that his
road intended reaching Rock Island
before long If not by arrangement
, with the Tri-City Railway. by the eX-
tension OF its own tracks here.
| Rock Island wants interurban lines
let them come from whatever direc-
ton they viii.
, All the news all the time - THE
ARGUS.