Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-26
DEARTH OF HOUSES
Neighboring Cities Are Getting
the Bulk of Newcomers to
This Locality.
BUILDING BOOM NEEDED HERE
Dema and is Mostly for Cottages Rent
ing for From $12 to SIS
Fer Month.

| Rock Island needs more dwellings
calling for reasonable rental. The city
in this respect suffers in comparison
with neighboring towns. This con
clifton has prevailed here for years.
! There * a constant influx of famil-
les. attracted by employment afforded
at Rock Island arsenal, New Shops and
other establishments. Naturally the
city Offering the best accommodations
| for housing them claims them a. resi-
dents. \ man employed at the arsenal
can live just as we'll in either of the
| three cities, but everything being
equal in nearly every instance his
| preference is Rock Island.
| But if he can rent a home in Daven-
| port or Moline s. month cheaper
than he can procure one here one of
these two towns gets him and his
! family. This is Il matter that public
| spirited capitalists i'm this city might
well reflect ON. Today. one can make
Il tour of the real estate agents. and il
| i doubtful if he will be able to Sc
cure Il house. suitably located. The
best he can do is to have his name
placed on the waiting list, and an in
vitation to drop in again. at the end
of the week. and in the meantime the
agent viii see what he can DO for him
On the other hand. he can go to
Davenport. ana the agents are there
to receive him with open arms. They
never fail in having just what he is
looking for, anywhere from an s. cot
tage to 500 house in the fashionable
residence district. Moline * in the
same boat with Rock Island But
that is Moline's lookout. What Rock
Island business men must do is watch
their own end of the line. Five hun
dred cottages. renting from $l2 to SIS.
would be grabbed up here inside enc
month. Two hundred renting for
from SIS to $25. would find equally as
ready market.
Demand is for Cottages.
Cottages for families i'm moderate
circumstances are needed most. New
additions are opening up. Several
have recently been plated and adopt
ed by the city council. The owners
should study the situation. by cot
| tages is not meant unattractive hOus-
es. \ neat cottage i AN ornament to
| any neigh bOrhOOd. OF course it is
but human for one to make his pro-
party realize the greatest returns pos
sibie. But the 500 houses renting for $12
are worth more than 200 houses rent
! ing for SIS. The future welfare Of the
city should be taken into considera~
tiCn.
Rock Island is growing. There
must be homes for the newcomers,
and those holding the property on
which these homes are To he built
are the ones to be looked to t.
meet conditions. The business asSoci-
alton should take hand. 1t is a
question that citizens generally should
ponder. The next month there will
| be coming ON from the east number
of men. many of them to be followed
| by their families, who will he en-.
PIoyed in the small arms plant at
Rock Island arsenal. They will have
to be taken care of in the three cities.
| Inquiries have been received here for
houses. and only few have been ac
commodated.
| Natural Residence Point.
Rock Island i the natural residence
point for the arsenal workmen. He
wishes to live mere. but if he cannot
| he cared for as he should he is
| obliged to go elsewhere. Rock Isl
and is the sufferer. Twenty to forty
| families * an item that no city can
afford to overlook. Davenport for
months has been preparing for these
eastern families. and will get the bulk
of them. Rock Island should have
them. and would. if there were here
available the homes at as low rentals
as are TO he had in the town on the
other side of the river. This should
| serve as an eye-opener to local CAPT
taIists having at heart the interest
of their city. If they expect the city
to grow they must do their part. In
stead of placing obstacles i'm the path
of the newcomer in the form of high
rentals they must drop the bars. low
er the rents. provide more modes t
priced homes, and the result will he
realized in more than one direction.
Sixty-four Mechanics Coming.
The following is taken from the
! Springfield (Mass.) Republican,:
The list of men employed at the
United States armory in this city who
are To go to the Rock Island 0Il)
arsenal To engage in the manufacture
of small arms has been completed at
the armory Office and it given below.
The list includes 81 names. Of which
80 are those of men who will 90 to the
Rock Island plant permanently and
the other eight only temporarily. The
men will not all go at once. but few at
a time. as needed. Some of them Will
leave this month. but the greater
part of them will go during the first
two weeks Of May. There has been
some difficulty in getting the required
number of men. as II was found the