Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-05-08

Inc bOOSbcrS AT1p ONCI Tic II. l. .
Tomorrow under the auspices of the
Rock Island Business Mems associa
ton, and with the cooperation of the
Rock Island club and the Rock Island
Industrial commission, some 200 or
more Of the representative citizens Of
Rock Island will take a day OF an6
enjoy a taunt over the territory cover
ed by the recently completed Rock Is
land Southern electric and steam road
from this city to Monmouth. The seized
ule provides for brief stops at all points
along the line, the cities par
ticularly favored being Mon
mouth, where the Rock Island
ers will be the guests of the bust
ness men Of that city, and Aledo, the
thriving county seat of Mercer county,
where an equally cordial welcome
awaits the tourists.
The object of the trip is to bring the
communities through which the Rock
Island Southern passes into closer
social and commercial union with Rock
Island Since time when the mem
ory Of man runneth not to the contrary
Rock Island has sought more direct
communication by rail with the terri
tory to the south, both in its own coun-
ty and in the adjoining counties OF
Mercer and Warren. While Monmouth
Is more remote, as far as mileage is
concerned, than the county seat OF
Mercer, yet the lines of transportation
have been more direct, and hence 1t
was quite as easy to go TO Monmouth
and spend the day as to travel TO Aledo
and back. And this, despite the fact
that Mercer is Rock Island county's
more immediate neighbor.
The coming of the Rock Island South
ern has provided the long desired means
of railway communication, and
it is natural that the business men OF
Rock Island should seize upon the OPP
portunity to be presented tomorrow to
pay a visit to the good people Of Aledo
as well as those of Monmouth and other
places on the Southern line, and i'm
press them with Rock Islands good
will and high appreciation of the fact
that the communities embraced in
these three counties SHOULD have been
brought into closer relationship.
In this connection it is perhaps prop
er to say that some misrepresentation
has existed as to the reasons why the
Rock Island Southern has so far failed
to secure a desirable right of way for
its passenger traffic into the business
portion of Rock Island, and II is meet
that some explanation be given as to
the cause of the conditions at present
existing. In the first place, Rock Is
land is not acting in prejudicial atti-
tude toward the new line, the difficulty
involving the bringing of the coaches
of the new line up town having grown
out of an application by the Southern
for a franchise over a street which has
been reserved for the use of what is
known as the Belt line, local enter
prise It 50 happens that the street
over which the Southern asks a right
of way is the only remaining space on
the river front in Rock Island not now
controlled by railroads already here,
and the object of the Belt line is TO
hold this remaining space for all time
TO come for the joint use of any and
all railroads that may desire to enter
Rock Island. The Rock Island South
ern is not barred from the use OF it.
II may share its advantages, but il can
not gain the control of it exclusively
Other rights of way for the passenger,
mail and express coaches of the new
line have been pointed out and offered
to the Southern. and IT has been sug
gested that it might bring its passen-
ger coaches up town over the lines of
the Tri-City Railway company and loop
the business section of the
city but none of these propositions
has proven acceptable.
There is a prospect, however, that
some solution OF the problem may be
made that will be in every way desira-
BILE and advantageous zone that will
give the Southern desirable facilities
and at the same time safeguard the
city's interests and protect the rights
of way on the river front which are es-
sential TO its progress and the CONNER
cial and industrial development of the
locality.
In the meantime, let ii be understood
ell along the line Of the Rock Island
Southern there is no i'll feeling existing
in Rock Island toward the new line /
The people are glad to welcome it TO /
their doors. and they hope that the day /
will come when It may enter in and /
make itself at home.
The Rock Island boosters who go 4
forth tomorrow to sound the city's /
good name carry everywhere q greet /
ng from Rock Island and a welcome 10 /
he people of all the cities and towns /
On the Southern to come to Rock Is