Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-06
LAND CLOSE BY
CERTAIN TO Be
WET TERRITORY
Even II Dry Zone Is Made Five
Miles, Southeast Corner of South
Moline Is Not Hit.
CONTAINS ABOUT $50 ACRES
Is Possible That Rock Island Brew.
cry VIII Establish Warehouse
Six Miles From City.

S1A Miles from NAlts
REGARDLESS Of the verdict on the
saloon question in East Moline on
April s or the extension of the gov
eminent liquor prohibitory zone to
five miles from the Rock Island ar
senal, there will be one part OF
Rock Island county which Will be
wet territory as a result OF the
election on the issue two years ago.
The very southeast portion or
South Moline township, tract OF
about four hundred and fifty acres
of land. is wet territory, having
been voted so by the people of the
township two years ago. 1t IS out
side of the five-mile limit and even
should the government make the
dry zone coextensiye with the
moral zone, as it is understood IS
being contemplated. these 450 acres
of land in the southeast corner OF
South Moline township will still
be wet
This situation paves the way for
some very interesting conIectures
on what may happen. For instance,
ingsmuch as the Rock Island Brew
ing company will have to have a
warehouse in wet territory, ship its
product TO the warehouse and then
back TO the dry territory again, TO
keep within the law. it is possible
that the brewery will look about
for 6 site in this triangular wet
spot in the southeast corner OF
South Moline township.
Water Transportation.
Should this be done the brewery
would be confronted with the prop
ositiOn of transportation. The Rock
Island railways main line is the
nearest point, five miles away. On
the other hand Rock River and the
Illinois and Mississippi canal flow
past the wet strip. The brewery
might endeavor to use water trans
portation TO ships its goods back
and fourth from its warehouse.
Other liquor concerns, manufac-
turers and wholesalers probably
would seek TO locate in this wet
territory, all of which in the course
of time might result in the incor-
poration of a village as it would
become q population center.
1t is not impossible that even re-
tail saloons would be established
there if the township or county
board would or could issue licenses
for them.
There are several conditions
however. that have to be taken into
consideration. One is that the land
is not only wet" territory fig
uratively but it is wet" literally
The land is low, swampy ground
and IS on the old Coal Town road
Yet the need Of wet territory is Sc
marked, this physical handicaI
could no doubt be overcome
through reclamation of parts Of
the land needed
Again, the inclination Of the own.
ers of the property would have to b.
taken into consideration. Perhaps
they are opposed TO the liquor
traffic However, the need of we
territory on the part of persons anC
companies who have heavily in.
vested in the manufacture and saie
Of liquor Is so great. the land, re-
CARELESS of its physical condition
would no doubt command a hand
, some price and so tempting the
owner or owners would not hest
u tate 10 sell
Regardless OF whether the wet
territory is ever made the center
of liquor traffic in the county. be.
fore it is passed up and branded
as impractical for the establish
ment of warehouses. II will be
given thorough consideration.
Is Voted Wet.
II the government should estab-
nsh the hve-mile dry zone, this one
strip Of land is the only section in
Rock Island township that it is
known would be wet territory
There may be other townships
which have not. been voted dry but
which are dry now by reason that
no effort was ever made to estab-
lIsh saloons and a vote at no time
was necessary, yet there is some
question whether these townships
could or would be made wet terri
tory through tbs vote Of the town
ship citizens, the town board OF
the county board. The strip in East
Moline viii be wet territory, never
theless. Only special government or
der making il dry for the period OF
the war, can keep it from being wet
territory