Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31
YEAR CROWDED
WITH EVENTS
OF MAGNITUDE
5'reud Of World Policies and Affairs
Complete Control Activities
Of the City.
TOWNS PATRIOTISM PROVEN
livery Drive for Funds Is Success
ful Citizens Meet HaTdships
Without GruHble.

Surely never IN the history OF .
hook Island has single year been /.
30 crowded with mamentOus events /
as that through which the city and I
IFS people has just passed ISIS! /
From the most grim realities Of war
10 the ioy0usness o. peace. From
darkest despair % Inc very zenith +
OF hopefulness crowned with happi /
ness ana victory such has been /
the fan range of events and feel
I1Es experienced during the last u
months Surely Rock Island has
shared 10 The limit in this history /
making epoch,
Though it had been in the war
with The remainder Of the nation,
for nine months when 1918 was {
Isaerel iD Rock Island had not
selr the heavy hand of the god OF /
var and consequently realized only /
Ill a vague way the seriousness OF /
th~ grim business aaead OF it.
Though the thought was in the .
minds Of an that me nation was
a. war II was not the controlling
Thoughtful had not become an OBJ
seszi8n-the mind aud all activities
go ere still governed by peace time
regulations The military state OF
mind had not arrived. 1t was not
uH-is the allies we're driven back
toward Paris and the channel ports
in late March and early April Of
1915 that the seriousness Of the
war and the International situation
BEGAN 10 sink into the minds of the
people and then it touched fewer
jaa1 one would now believe pos
sihle In fact it was not until late !
10 Nav. June and July, when the
ankees actually got into the
fighting in numbers when the cas-
ualtr lists began 10 come in bearing
the names OF loved Cnes-that the
Eastness OF the meaning of it all
was fully Impressed upon the peO-i
pie home From that time IN
tl the capituls-ion Of the enemy,
the peaCe-tiue thoughts were cast
aside and the minds we're controlled +
wholly by the military every1Ody's
business was war, everybody
thought war. a.e war. slept war
and their only recreation was in
wartime activities As every day
hat passes hardens the training
soldier for tie struggles and trials
mat lay before him. so did every
.ay harden the city and its people /
Tor the struggles. trials and grim
1Bries imposed by the war, Every
demand and every restriction OF
TaT was met with Determination
; determination TO see it through
20 matter what Abe sacrifice.
All Drives Succeed.
There were Liberty loan drives,
Red Cross drives, patriotic fund
.rivez y. NJ. G.. A. drives and all
ln6s Of drives All came and went l
with Rock Island s quota filled to
be satisfaction Of the campaign
managers and the pride of the city.
Then there were restrictions on
EeI. sugar. meat. fours and other
o0Gstu1E. gasoline and lights.
here were restrictions at every
urn. yet all were met not only
Without a gruuhle. but with the
yer present feeling o. everybody
DING their bit
Solid Front at Home.
So high did the patriotic fervor
uE that by the time the American
nd allied armies presented a solid
runt u the enemy forces before
which they were compelled 10 re
OIL a similarly solid 'front.' was
resented by Rock Islands home Is
-my. The military state Of MIND
All not only arrived but had be
ONE an 0bsessIcn and nothing but
elcaC and unconditional surrender
Z lie Frussiau war machine could
aalge II! And so il went until
-r 60 1--
peace broke loose. each Of which
-Ssed without even checking the
Military activities IN The city. Then
le great day daBnsi-NOv. IL
nth the news Of the enemy's I'M
additional surrender 10 the Amer
AN and allied armies 1t required
hours for Rock Islanders to fully
Pa. f10i- pont-up emotions For
PC 5aE all cares ami worries were
asst aside IN utter abandon and the
lwa ~ent stark, staring, raving ~
.ad wtn Joy.
Town Coe, Dry.
Aside from the eyents Of a mill
~y nature. which overshadow all
-a in review Of the year. pos .,
bly, one Of the most notable oc-
l--cnceS Of the past u months
as THO passing Of the saloons in
1-a Island Other matters which
s-an1 attention are the greatly
creased population Of the city
Pc 70 he influx Or war workers.
le establishment of liquor and %
o- zones about the arsenal IN
ct. the wear was SO crowded with
omeHt8us happenings that 10 gain
FAIRLY mp~ehcnsive idea Of them 20
ev should he reviewed as they oc-
.Ered from day 70 day
JANUARY.
-lf8vcr William McConochie
states city commission viii op-
pose move Of Peoples Power
cong any 20 increase rates "a
Otto Priester named monarch Of
Amoo grotto. :
Jew elry and silvcrware valued
q $1,000 stolen in daylight bur
~iarY 81 home Of a r Cline,
zsbs Seventh aveuU- %
Estimated by Chamber Of Com
meree $4,000 VIII be spent
here during year for phiIan- IS
tar0Dic puTp0seS
9. ]. EacGowan reelected presi-
dent OF TRICKY Federation OF {
Labor
-Tri-City Railway company pur-
chases 20 cars from Chicago
surface lines 70 relieve conges-I I
1oa~
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