Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-22
OLD FASHIONED
FOURTH in CITY
Restrictions Proposed in May
or's Message Held in
Allegiance.
TO BE REASONABLY "sANE'
Discharge of Dangerous Explosives
in Streets neutrality-suspicious.
Wagon Is Purchased.

Small boys who might have gloomed
over the prospect of too sane"
Fourth of July In Rock Island can
cheer up. At a meeting of the city
council a few weeks ago Mayor G. w.
McCaskrin, who is acting chief of po-
lice also, read a message in which ne
recommended that the sale and dis
charge of dangerous explosives be pro
hibited in Rock Island this year, and
that an ordinance meeting the sug-
gestion be drafted and adopted. In
the meantime there has been general
protest, coming specially strong from
those of the merchants who have laid
in a large supply of fireworks, includ-
ing explosives that are included in the
class considered dangerous. AT an adj
Journed meeting of the council last
evening City Attorney ]. F. Witter, in
conformity with instructions, had
ready an ordinance, the provisions of
which would insure sane" Fourth,
but in view of the situation already
referred to, it was deemed advisable
to hold back the ordinance for presen-
tation at the August meeting. In its
stead a resolution, offered by Martin
McNealy, prohibiting the discharge in
the streets and alleys of the city of
cannon f1recrackers, toy pistols, tor
pedoes, dynamite caps and other dan
gerous explosives on the Fourth of
July, or the days preceding or imme-
diately following that date, was adopt
ed by the aldermen. "As 1 understand
this resolution Alderman McNealy
said, cit does not mean that a citizen
can shoot off any kind of fireworks
that he chooses on his own property,
providing he does not annoy his neigh
bors." No member of the council dis
agreed with the Sixth ward alderman
on his Interpretation of the resolution.
Buy Sprinkler wagon and Team.
The council ordered the purchase of
a 750-gallon sprinkler wagon from the
Studebaker Bros. Manufacturing COM
pany, South Bend, Ind, at the quoted
price of $500. The aldermen were
divided on the bids of the Studebaker
company and the Tri-City Electric
Sprinkler company, the latter Offering
q practically new wagon of the same
capacity at S2S5. The Tri-City COM
pany has retired from the field and
at first made a proposition to the city
to purchase all its wagons and horses.
The vote on the acceptance of the
Studebaker company bid was six to
six, and the mayor cast the deciding
vote Then the council ordered the
purchase of a team and harness from
the TriCity Electric Sprinkler COM
pany at s475.
To Rebuild Bridge.
The clerk was instructed to adver-
tise for bids on the rebuilding of the
bridge over Rock river between Hakes'
and Vandruff's islands, the supo0
structure to be of steel, the piers and
abutments of concrete and the floor
ing of creosoted blocks. The Tri-Ctty
Railway company, which is to contri-
butte $25 900 towards the rebuilding
and Strengthening of the Rock river
bridges, requests that whatever altera-
tions are made be with view to pro-
viding structures that will be secure
enough for interurban trains.
Magistrates ONCE in New Quarters.
The police committee was empow.
cred to have the Office of the police
magistrate removed from the first
floor of the city hail to the second
floor, occupying the room now used
for committee meetings and by the
plumbing inspector. The latter will
move his Office across the hall to the
room that formerly served as the
mayors private Office and which in
the past year has served as a store
house for the records of the city clerk,
1t was first proposed to locate the po-
lice magistrate in the city clerks an
mex, but the latter objected, and it was
therefore decided to put the magis-
trate on the west side of the hall. The
holding OF court on the second floor