Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-18
HARPER IS SOLD
TO DR.. De silva
Well Known Hotel Property
Changes Ownership-Con-
sideration 100000.
WILL CLOSE TOMORROW
,Iontrose and McHugh to Dispose of
Furnishings at Once-Pians
and History.

The Harper house hotel property
was sold late yesterday to DR.. Joseph
DeSilya by Fay and Stuart Harper,
Trough deal handled by the
Reidy Bros. agency. The consideration
was 100000, a six suite fat building
. on Seventh avenue and Eighth street,
Moline, having been given in part paw
nent The Moline property was given
valuation of $l1, 900 in the deal,
which is one of the biggest in real
eTtate ever put through in Rock Is
land.
Negotiations for the sale of the
property have been under way for
about two months, and have been re
ferred 10 heretofore by The Argus, the
details of the transaction, however,
having been withheld at the instance
of the parties interested. The formal
transfer was completed last night, and
this morning DR.. DeSilva took posses
sion of the property.
The Harper house is one of the fin
est business blocks in the three cities,
in point of construction. There is an
1S-inch wall from the ground clear to
the roof. and the construction is such
that il desired several more stories
could be added without replacing the
walls. The property has a frontage uf
100 feet on Second avenue. 1873 feet on
Nineteenth street, and 40 feet in the
rear 1t is five stories high. The
building was remodeled 10 years ago,
and its arrangement is modern.
Not Ready 10 Make Announcement.
When asked this morning as to
his plans, DR.. De Silva, the new pro
rietor. said he had not been in pos
session long enough to give serious
consideration to plans or to formu-
late any ideas for announcement as
to improvements, etc. The property
was bought subject to the lease of
Messrs. MontrCSe and McIlugh
which expires July l." he said, land
they will of course remain in posses
sion until the termination of their
leasehold. | do not anticipate. how
ever, that the hotel viii remain clos
ed long. There are a number of APP
plications for lease of the property
and it is expected that new lease
will be made very soon effective at
once on the termination of the pres
ent lease
To BE Closed Tomorrow.
AS heretofore announced, the Har-
PER will be closed by the present les
sees, Messrs. Montrose and Ntzhugh,
after breakfast tomorrow morning
and will remain closed during the
life of the present lease, i'll order to
dispose of the equipment and furnl-
ture owned by the lessees. At
O'Clock next Thursday morning. al
auction sale will begin at the hotel
conducted by the auctioneers, Messrs
Combrie and Brokhaw of New York
who are already well known in Rock
Island as having officiated wher
Young & McCombs reduced the stocb
in their former store last fall prepar-
atory to removal into their big new
department store in the Best build
ing and who afterward disposed oil
the jewelry stock OF j b. Ingalls,.
The Harper I'm Local History.
- VII ShtiCn TIE lldl pei DIP
peared in The Argus n few days agc
in connection with the publication OF
the plans of Messrs. Montrose ant
MeHugh in view of the anticipated
expiration of their lease. No his
tory could be written of Rock Island
without extended reference to thu
place the Harper has always occu
pied At the time it was built by ii:
enterprising proprietor, the late
Ben Harper, at cost of 800,
600, it was regarded as quar-
ter of century ahead of the town
1t was rightly the pride not only O
Rock Island but of the three citie
and of all this section, and so it ha
remained to this day. While Mr.
Harper lived he gave his persona
attention to the conduct of the hos
telry, and kept it up to date sin al
respects. 1t was one of the first no