Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-02
bISANT To LEAVE
AS POLICE Chief
Quitting Post He Has Successfully
Filled for Moline Nearly Quar-
ter Of d Century.

and the city council. Chief Bisant
viii leave the employ Of the city for
which he has worked for nearly
quarter of century, Jan. !.
Severity Of Moline winter and re
noval from the city Of his son. Or, [
Merton Bisant, are the reasons Tor I
Chief Bisant's resignation The ctlieI I
will go to Florida TO spend some time /
with his son. Immediately following /
his retirement from the police force.
THE last few winters have been
pretty hard on me-" said Chief Bisant
in discussing his leaving. Il nave
been intending going south for some
time. And now that my son has gone
to Jacksonville there is really nothing
to keep me in Moline. am all alone.
When the chief said he was all
alone he forgot momentarily the host
of friends he had made during his "a
years on the Moline police department
He forgot the many persons whom he
had in some time Of his life shown
kindnesses. He forgot the present
members Of the police department and
city officials who have been his COM
panions day after day.
Chief Bisant became a member OF
the Moline police department May /,
1898. He was appointed by Mayor
Captain ", c. Bennett. Four years
previous to his appointment to the
Moline police department he had been
deputy sheriff.
c. W. Gamble, now clerk Of the cir
cult court, is the man responsible for
Oscar Bisant beginning career as
member of the Moline police depart
ment. MY term as deputy sheriff
was about to expire said the chief,
i was considering going to Spring
field but did not like the idea Of leav-
ing Moline Nor did my wife. One
day Mr.. Gamble suggested that / go
see Captain Bennett I did so, and a
few days later I was appointed
/ Jake Wigers. now in the sherifs
Office. and I'd ShalibeFg were appoint
ed the same evening. CHIEF Bisant
was put on the west end beat Dur
ing his days as patrolman he covered
! every part Of the city. After three Of
/ four years as patrolman he was as
signed TO the office as acting desk
/ sergeant Later the council passed
an ordinance giving him the title Of
/ desk sergeant.
} In those days the police station was
! located in the present fire station
I There was no such thing as d police
auto or night driver, And there
were saloons They were strenuous
days" said the chief some time age
as he and a few others sat in the
station recalling the old days
"A call would come in, We would
run for the barn I never drove a
better team than tho horses tina;
pulled that old wagon. Invariably WI
would drive to u straw stack In q
lumber yard near the river. And al
most every time we would rout out Z
dozen or more yags from that stack.
Oscar Bisant was appointed chic
Of police by Mayor Andrew Olson
Dec /. 1906. He has served contin
uously since that time, His caree
on the Moline police force has no
, been a sensational one. Quiet 0bserv
anCe of the days duties has been tn
outstanding feature Of the chiefs life
He was q faithful servant to tn
city" said Mayor Martin Carlson il
commenting on Chief Bisants resigna
ton. During the seven years that
, have been associated with him 7 cal
honestly say that be never failed t
do his duty He was Il valuable ma
:; to the city and ] regret his going"
: That is the general verdict on Chic
: Bisant: "He was d faithful servant t
4 the city But the chief was NOR
d than that and he still is. Chief Bi
I SAINT is man with a smile and ma
y with a heart. He was and is tn
i friend Of every man with whom h
came in contact. Kindly, generous
good natured, the chief has Away
: been there with the kindly smile an
y the friendly act.
There was a man locked up in th
{ city Jail the other day. He had bee
: there all day And he was a littl
q cranky. Along about O'Clock in til
afternoon he began TO Indicate that i
= was hungry. The janitor was bus
u at the time The prisoner would hay
e been fed in few minutes.
The chief passed the door to til
Jail, He heard the man begging fc
: food, And the chief got the keys
II the cells, took the man from the la
= and 10 restaurant. Il can't see hi
% go hungry" he said. Il have bee
.e hungry myself and l know what it is
e That is the chief The golden ru
has been his motto
'e Il regret leaving" he said as I
d talked about the cold climate OF NJ,
s. line. "The boys and the people han
Is been good 10 me, I have made man
e. friends TIN be like leaving home IL
q me. But then I'm not going for tW
g months And there will be plenty
81 summers when I can come back
/ the old city, and the old friends"
ID No action will be taken on Chi
IS Bisant's resignation until the next re,
l. ular meeting Of the council, Monda
l. morning. 1t is not likely that a SUI
IS cessor will be appointed at this tim
PLENTY OF time to talk successor
r the next two months said Mayt
l. Carlson.
IS In accordance with provisions Of Il
l. state law, providing that all city en-
n ployes who have served continuous
for 20 years and who are 50 yea
or older, be pensioned, Chief Bisa.
viii receive a pension amounting
l. half the salary now paid TO him. II
le chief is 65 years old After Wis
lg with his son he is going to travel
he little. he says. The chief is still live
IS and he wants 10 see little of Il
Of world. He will confine his trayel
2" however. TO the southern part of Il
lg United States
10 --------
gs CHECK Is CLAIMED.
of J {. Gordon, 229 Seventeenth av
ey nue.. East Moline, claimed the ba