Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-30
need OF BRIDGE
is MADE CLEAR
Rock Island Rotarians Enthus-
iastically for the Bond
Propositions.
THIS CITY IS INTERESTED
viii Be Benefited ty CoIona Improve
ment as Well as One at Mouth
of Rock River.

Members of the Rock Island Rotary
club will work unitedly for the bridge
and county jail bond propositions from
now till election. Sentiment was crys-
tallized at the meeting yesterday at
which the special committee named
by the organization TO investigate the
matter made a partial report. Some
of the points brought out by NJ. II.
Sexton, chairman of that committee,
have not been brought TO the atten-
ton of the public up to this time.
This committee has twice visited the
size of the proposed bridge and has
gone over the ground carefully. 1t
examined not only the sites where the
bridge might be located, but has also
investigated the route for the road
which will. have to be built to make
the bridge of use.
Mr.. Sexton in his address pointed
out that more than half of the county
lies southwest of Rock Island.
bridge and road such as is proposed
would shorten the distance for all the
people of Drury, Buffalo Prairie. Edg
ingtcn and Andalusia and for part of
those in Black Hawk from three to
four and one-half miles. or double that
distance on a round trip.
Rock river at the point where the
bridge probably will be placed is less
than 600 feet wide and the bridge will
cost less than one-third of the sum the
city of Muscatine alone spent for a
structure across the Mississippi to
reach the lower end of this county.
Built as Dixie.
The road along the river to the east
line of Andalusia township would be
constructed as a dixie TO protect sew
eraI sections OF fine bottom land from
overflow by the Mississippi river. II
would be paid for by the land re-
claimed and benefited. Many OF the
owners of land in this district are
heartily in favor of organizing a drain
age district. and some have also Of
fered to contribute money 10 put the
bridge scheme through. The line
where a levee could be built to best
would also be the most di-
rect one for a highway.
Farms on Big island are being cut
up into small tracts and used for gar
dening 10 supply the Rock Island mar
ket. and for dairying. To reach the
the bridges at Milan. \ bridge and I
road at the mouth of Rock river would /
decrease the mileage quite materially |
and would be of great benefit TO all 4
island property.
Other speakers pointed out that all 4
that is necessary TO insure the sue I
cess OF all three propositions at the 1
polls is to bring the matter to the at .
tention of the voters in the proper .
light II the benefits are fully re
allied Tiers can be no doubt of the .
approval of the public. The farmer F.
in the lower end OF the county will .
be benefited by having the distance to /
the cityk.reduced so that he can more
EASILY market his produce and can en-
gage in more intensive farming as a
result The people of both Rock Is
and and Moline nope TO benefit to
some extent through having larger
ield from which to draw produce. as
we'll as to have the trading area en-
arged quite materially by the two
bridge projects.
Interested in Both.
In this connection it should be stat
d that Rock Island is also interested
n the Colona bridge. &C. the reason
hat many times the visitors from
Ienry county transact business here
IS well as in Moline. and the building
If the bridge Will help 10 bring auto
mobile tourists coming from the east
,FV