Rock Island Argus., September 30, 1905, Page 2, Image 2

About Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
THE ARGUS, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER S3, 1905.
. - 1 T. WK.
Rock Island FLeminiscences
TelegrapKy.
WRITTEN FOR THE Aluii'S ) .ton were among th early managers
Telegraphy in the beginning dates ot the telegraph company in this city.
Lack to 1M4. and less than 10 years A rr.ajoriry of the above named held
thereafter there was a wire in opera- ,he office 'or a long time.
t!on In this cirv. the line running from The firit 'r' in operation was con
Chicago to Muscat hie owned and oprr- i'rei to be cne of the heaviest
ated by the Illinois & Mississippi Tele- ( worked running out of Chicago, the
rr.nh .ir.n9n iLn,,un th. fat.in railroad, commercial and government
iini. This ronman-. virtually ha.1 '
monopolv of the buness in lb.- w.-st j
up to the summer of when they
consolidated with the Western I'niou
MARVIN IMGHITT.
Now irti,l.n t f tli- I'hi'.iX"
SiMlhwi)iirii railway, an a r I y t
gruh ! rator in l;i-k Il.ml.
company. Tu re have ln n s-v r.i!
companies in .xitt nee within the last
T.5 years, one of which was the Ureal
Western, which .-;,! nut in 1m;v This
company was followed by the Atlantic
A: Pacific. Mississippi Yalty. The Pa
cific Atlantic, ami lastly the I'ostal
Telegraph & Cable company. Two of the
companies named notably the Pacific
& Atlantic. develoei into a -?nrig
competitor of the old company, and
during its exisnnce consolidated with
the Mississippi Valley and Atlantic &
Pacific, the wirs of the company cov
ering all parts of the country. All
opposition companies wile buug'nt up
and consolidati d with th" Wesu n
I'nlon company during the year 171.
1 can remember when the main Chi
cago telegraph office was locate! on
the si cond floor cnr:i-r of I.aKe an 1
Clark streets. The Western Cnion
ani Caton lines used the sam' opera
ling room, separated by a glas p:trti
tlon. Trie combined otnee iorci on
day duty did rot exceed "". The In
struments were crude in comparison
to this day. lie switch boa id was of
the old strap and lever style and
other instruments were of heavy con
struction. The manufacturer seemed
to luive lasting qualities in mind. The
only repeater then in use was known
as the "button repeater."
me Kiirl 0i-ra t r.
The pioneers of telegraphy in Rock
Island were William Haiiey. Holmes
Makes, William Hoylo. Isaac Negus. S.
S. Gnyer and John Spencer. They, to
gether with few of the older citizens,
were the promoters, and through them
the first line was brought to this city.
They were libera! subscribers to the
stock and worked up 'he interest in
this vicinity, which secured telegraph
communication in the early days. The
writer in 1S;."( bought their stock in the
Illinois & .Mississippi Telegraph com
pany for Chicago parties, paying them
a good advance on the original cost
to them. The headquarters of the last
named company was located at Oita
wa. 111. I do not remember the exact
date of the opening of the firs? office
in this city. It was in the early fin's.
K. I). L. Sweet was the first opt rator.
with office on the second Moor of what
is now T. H. Thomas' drug store. Mr.
Sweet was afterwards superintendent!
of the company, with an office at Chi
cago. Marvin Muuhiit. Fred I5en
son. 11. II Chandb-r. .1. .1. Hat. s. Wil
liam T. I.indly. William Woodring.
Charles A. Server, (ooige II. Prices.
K. Humphrey. Charles W. Cropper.
Ka'ph Slaymaker and Thoma.- I.. t Mili
hi:;',". j
I II 1, - y JO.- 5
vyw -71
Let Common Sense decide
Do you honest! beliete, that coffee Bold loose (in bulk), exposed
Millions of American Homes welcome LION COFFEE daily.
There is no stronger proof of merit than continued and increas
ing popularity. 'Quality surriTes all opposition."-
(Sold only ia 1 lb. pack&gta. Iion-hul on wry p&cksgs.)
05t your Lion-headJ for Yftlubl p remioma )
SOLD BY GROCERS EVERYWHERE
WOOLSON EPICS CO.. Toledo, Ohio.
business af going over one wire. The
povernmr rfctWiness during the war
was extremely heavy. The 15.0-J0
prisoners on inn isiana. witn ine two
to three regiments on guard duty, aud
the fact that Davenport was the mill
tary headquarters for the state at
Iowa and where Adjt. Gen. Baker haj
his office, made the military business
alone a large source of revenue to the
telegraph company. Military men did
not pay much attention to brevity in
writing telegrams, am it was rare to
handle one with b ss than .V words.
I ll- Old Time HOIrr.
The old time rt!grap!i office had no
covered wire or other conveniences
1 1-e bare w.re ran down the window
with a t'lmhifTscrew jn which the oper
ator lux rted the wires w'un he want
d to cut out for the nipht. The relay
was re:uo d Irom the operating table
as a precaution. I-lgh'nfn ".as a dis
turbing It meat, and .i;:rii;g a storm i
vi as ncis.-ary to ct!t -o:r ;!e office
ligbtinu; arresters being unknown. Th
telegrapher had repair duties to per
form, climbers, pu'iies and tackle, ply
ers and nippers being a part of the
outfit dT his office. When trouble ex
isted on the line he had to go out
end do repair work. The Hock Island
manager had a short distance to look
afttr, the city to the east ind of the
bridge being his territory. The tele
graph rates Im fore and during the war
were high, a message to Chicago cost
ing s.". cents for ten words, St. Imis
$I.i'.j. New York $2.:i. The only cheap
service was the press. The Argus tolls
being $1 per day for telegraph report
consisting of l.Juu words. The grain
aud stock business figured well in the
company's revenue. A. Shaw ic Bros.
Kellerstrass &: Vogel. the Warner flour
mill, located at the present site of the
Rock Island Stair works, the Leas
flour mill tafterward owned by Har
wich Hros. i. located on First avenue
between Ninth and Tenth streets, the
Johnston mill, and one other at Milan
al being liberal patrons. A. Uijaw
Hros. and Kcllerstrass & Vogel averag
ing over JtHi per month each. There,
was no tfncc at Moline. Milan or on
the island. The messenger boys ha
a snap. With a salary of $20 pe
month, they collected D') cents for is
land delivery, and "o to .5 cents for
.Moline and Milan.
Tlie company was slow in ope-nin
an office at Moline. the first being
opened in the postoffice on Well
street (now Second avenue I. near tho
corner of Sixteenth street, during the
fall or 1MJ5 or 1SG0. Judge John M.
(lould and several business men had
to guarantee the operators' salary un
til the office was st If sustaining. Judge
(louid paid the difference out of his
own pocket. The office paid well after
a few months. Train dispatchers were
not on the pay roll of the Rock Island
route at this time-. When trains were
delayed, the superintendent of the road
would help them with train orders and
when he would get them on time they
would be instructed to go by the time
card. ;
In War TlmrM.
The time of the war was e-xciting
and profitable to the manager of an
office in a city like this. The bulle
tin service was good, all battles of
imiKirtance were chronicled in this
way. The company would assess the
office so much for bulletins if wanted,
and all collected over this amount
went to the manager for his extra
work. The company's charges were
very reasonable, and- as a result the
office would make more out of it than
the company. The writer has wit
nessed many exciting scenes in ami
about his office during war times, nota
bly at the times of the battle of Shi
loh. Antietam. Fiedrick-sburg, Vicks
bnrg in short, during the time of
every important engagement. The in-
10 a us t, germa ana insects, passing1
through many handa (some of
them not orer-clean), "blended,"
you don't know how or by whom,
is fit for your use f Of course you
don't. But
LION COFFEE
la another story. The green
berries, selected by keen
lodges at the plantation, are
sfcHlfally roasted at oar fac
tories, where precautions you
would not dream of are taken
to secure perfect cleanliness,
fla vor, strength and vnllormtty.
From the time the coffee leave
the factory no hand touchee it till
it is opened in your kitchen.
LION COFFEE U U1K1 Of 111 tkOLXOL CMTXZX
the regiments raised In whole or in
part in this county were engaged in
battle, the family and intimate friends
of the soldiers besieged the office for
news of the killed and wounded.
The most Joyous time I ever remem
bered and in w hich all classes of citi
zens took part was the surrender of
Gen. Lee and his army. The manager
of the office had a wire in his room,
third floor of the Bailey & Boyle block
tnow Mitchell & Lynde). Sunday eve
ning shortly before if o'clock word
went over jbe wire that I.ee had sur
rendered. ,JThis wjis quickly followed
by "a war department bulletin, ine
eperator went on the street and the
first people he met were Alex Steele
Judge Ira O. Wilkinson, Charles M
ilardy. Holmes Hakes and Maj. J. M
Beardsley. The group broke up, going
to the different churches, and when the
Central church bell rang out it was the
signal for ail to ring. It was not long
before Second avenue was crowdeti
with people. A celebration was plan
ned em a large scale, and continued
for three nights and two days. Every
one seerueHl to be more or less under
the influence ef liquor, men who were
never known to take intoxicants join
ing the crowd. On this Sunday night
the writer marched with a eompany of
more than rme hundred to the home of
Holmes Hakes (the present residence
of Mayer Rosenfield) where a barrel
of Kentucky whisky was roiled oat
This Mr. Hakes said he had on hand
for a long time, and was not to be
tapped until the war was over. Many
amusing incidents could be toid of this
and other txciting times from 1S61-C5
Thr A uiwlutlm of l.larwln.
The saddest event I can call to mind
was the assassination of President
Lincoln. The news eif the shooting
was received about H o'clock Friday
evening. When the writer went to the
telegraph office Saturday morning the
crowd was so dense he could scarcely
reach the office. It was not long be
fore a bulletin was received announc
ing the death of the president. Men
wept, turned away with tears running
down their cheeks as if they had lost
one of their immediate family. Busi
ness was suspended and all business
houses and public buildings were heav
ily draped in black. Church and pri
vate residences also displayed black
This intensity of feeling lasted some
time. The day of the funeral services
were held at all the churches and the
day generally given over to mourning
for be late president.
The second wire to reach the city
was. the -one over the Western Union
railway tnow Milwaukee railway) in
the year 1KC7. Previous to this time
the business had grown so large that
the regular press reports were at
times cut down and frequently de
layed so as to be of little use to the
evening newspapers. After le new
wires were strung on the Rock Island,
Milwaukee and other roads, so that
btisiness was handled with ease and
quickly.
A FORMER TELEGRAPH ER.
GENTRY . SHOWS IN
ROCK ISLAND TODAY
Three Combined Because of Fever
Scare in South and This C.ty
Gets Benefit.
It is the Gentry eireus today.
Not
the Gentry dog and pony show any
more. The dogs are there, the ponies
are there and so are the monkeys
all the great features whieh have made
Gentry Hros. famous, are still present
ed but, and that is a big word no
more ean it he said are you Koing to
the dog and pony thow? That is a
fhins of the past. The Gentrys have
consolidated and the consolidation took
place a few days back. Three shows
in one mighty good value for the
money, but that is the answer. Fever
in the south compelled the cancella
tion of the southern tour showmen
are not immune from this disease and
the two shows routed in Dixie started
home last week. Figuring on the mat
ter the Gentry Bros, decided to make a
daring experiment. They determined
to unite their shows aud present three
in one at regular prices of admission.
Dig business must follow, but Rock Is
land has always been a good tlntry
town. The parade this nioniiiis was
most creditable, and despite the fact
that is the latter portion of the tented
season every wagon lookel fresh and
bright and the stock including dogs,
ponies, monkeys, elephants, camels,
etc., were in the pink of condition, as
they say in pugilistic parlance. The
matinee is in progress this afrrrnoon
and from the attendance present :he
Gentry's seem justified in offering a
united exhibition, or a triple offering,
either one of which wnufcl be worth
the money. Owing to the length of the
performance the evening exhibition
commences promptly at S o'clock. The
circus grounds are located at Twenty
fifth t-treet and Ffth avenue.
Numerous and Worthless.
Everything is in the name when it
comes to Witch Hazel Salve. E. C.
DeWitt & Company, of Chicago, dis
covered some years ago how to make
a salve from witch hazel that is a spe
cific for piles-. For blind, bleeding.
Itching and protruding piles, eczema,
cuts burns and bruises and all skin di
seases, DeWitt's salve has no equal.
This has given rise to numerous worth
less counterfeits. Ask for DeWitt's
the genuine. Sold by all druggists.
One of nature's remedies; cannot
barm the weakest constitution; never
falls to cure summer complaints of
young or old. Dr. Fowler's Extract of
Wild Strawberry.
0
0
0
OUR CARPET AND DRAPERY DEPARTMENT
is also atracting a great many buyers this season, and if you'll only take a lock through this department yoursslf, you will not wonder at the interest
others are taking. Our line of HUGS AND CARPETS is simply beyond comparison in this state. Of our line of MATTINGS, LINOLEUMS AND
CURTAINS we can almost say the same. The large business we are doing in this department is the very best evidence that our goods and prices are
right. We earnestly solicit your inspection.
Complete
House
FxirnisKers
Seen Again. Moline's reign of
tcrrer, "Overcoat Jack." still continues
in the city and his last appearance was
on the corner of Nineteenth street and
Sixth avenue, Thursday night, and his
latest victims are Miss Julia Gettemy
and Miss Edith Rroomhall, both teach
ers in the Moline high school. They
were returning to their rooms at 0:45
lrom Miss Reid's boarding house, cor
ner of Eighteenth street and Sixth av
enue, and were walking on the north
side of the avenue. Just as they
wtre about to step off the sidewalk
onto the pavement of Nineteenth street
they saw a man clad in long overcoat
approaching from the opposite side.
When directly in front of the ladies he
opened his coat and walked past them.
Has Eye Removed. Earl J. Altz of
S;J1 Fifteenth strtt underwent a deli
cate operation performed in Iowa City
by an eye specialist, who found it ne
cessary to remove the right eye in or
der to save the sight of the left on1.
Years ago win n a youngster he injured
the eye by jamming the points of a
pair of scissors into it.
Bowlers Organize. The Moline city
bowling hague was organize d at Stouf
f ( r'8 alleys Thursday evening, when
officers were elected and preparations
made for the schtdule which will cover
a period of 18 weeks, beginning next
Monday evening. The following offi
cers were eh-cied: President, A. C.
Stouffer; secretary. Dr. Fred Graflund;
treasurer. Hen Webber. The following
are the teams with their captains: Hlue
Mazers, Dr. Graflund; Remnan's. Clar
ence Wanner; Centurys. J. E. West:
Colts. C. J. Wright; Pile Drivers, H. N.
Williams; Kids. A. C. Stouffer; Indi
ans. G. E. Huntton; Tigers. Charles
Mailer; Owls. Frank Donation; Mikesi
Pen Webber.
Paving Resumed. Yesterday morn
ing the paving inspecting party com
posed of Mayor Andrew Olson. Aids.
E. H. Sleight. C. I-. Pope and Clark
Anderson, arrived home from their trip I
to Chicago and Sr. Io iis. Immediately
after their arrival here the McCarthy
company began work on the Seven-
te'enth street job and wj;j undeubtedly
complete the work according to con
tract. Mrs. Youngberg Dies. Mrs. Charles
Youngberg. wife of the piowfitter at
Deere & Co"s. died at the family home
at 1811 Eighteenth street, Thursday af
ternoon after a long illness with can-
MOLIHE MEtlTIOIl.
DRAKE
324-326-328 Brady
ft 43
cer trouble. She has been ill for seven
months. She was born in Sweden
June 2(1. 1857, and came to Moline in
18S2. She leaves her husband and
seven children, who are Carl, Oscar,
Henry, Herbert, Ellen and Ruth at
home, and she also leaves four broth
ers and two sisters. The funeral will
be held at 2 o'clock from the home
Sunday afternoon.
Made Life Deacons. Permanent
deaconships were voted by the First
Congregational church Thursday even
ing to Deacon Anson M. Hubbard and
Deacon .1. M. Hall. They have 'voice
and vn'" in the board of deacons, but
will be relieved frem the active duties
of the effice.
Former Moliners Wed. At home
cards have been received here by a
number ef people from Dr. and Mrs.
M rt Hisant. who were married Sept.
2I. Mrs. Itisant was formerly Miss
Anna Edna Hogg and' was one of the
hi'ily respected young ladies of Glen
Jean, W. Ya. They will reside in Ada
I. T.
Ciausctn-Fink. Henry Claussi n and
Miss Anna Fink were married Thurs
day night at the Grace Lutheran par
tonage. It was a surprise to friends
The groom works for Fred Peters, the
butcher. They are now living at the
ho:i;e of the bride. Sixth street and
Fif;h avenue.
Mordhorst-Rettig. Miss Tillfe Rettig
and Fred A. Mordhorst both formerly
of Esthervilie, 1ml.. but residing in
ihis city at the present time, were unit
ed in matriage at the First Methodist
partemage at S::;u Thursday evening
by Rev. M. V. Crumbaker. They were
unattended and after the ceremony
they went to the home of the bride's
tieter. The grorm Is employed at
Deere & Mansur company's and they
expect to live In this city.
High School Playing. The high
school football eleven is playing the
first game ef the season this afternoon
with the alumni team.
Strikes Hidden Rocks.
When your ship of health strikes the
hidden recks of Consumption, Pneumo
nia, etc., you are lost, if you don't get
help frem Dr. King New Discovery for
: - : . . ... i i v YsKinnj-.n r-
Taladega Springs, Alabama, writes
"I had been very ill with pneumonia,
under the care of two doctors, but
was getting no better when I began to
take Dr. King's New Discovery. The
first gave relief, and one bottle cired
me." Sure cure for sore throat, bron
chitis, coughs and colds. Guaranteed
at Hartz & T'Hemeyer's drug store.
prtacSfcaand 11.00. Trial bottle
free.
AT
Yota (Get Stdfled
Best oa My
and Everything
For tKe
Our Furniture has an
it that at once appeals
for something good,
last and look well while it lasts. This is the
sort of Furniture we
High Quality
Street, Davenport.
Doctors and Lawyers Playing. The
annual ball game between the doctors
and lawyers is being played this af
ternoon at the Three-Eye league park.
Stealing Much Coal. The officials
of the Davenport, Rock Island & North
western railway company are com
plaining of petty thieveries which are
constantly going on In their yards on
the river front. They insist that the
people in the neighborhood secure all
the coal they use the year round in the
yards. The officials of the road say
that they have received notice from
consignees whose coal had been lying
in the yards for some time that there
has been shortages as great as 15 tons
in single cars.
Adopts Own Children. Frank
Juksch has filed a deed ef adoption
with the county recorder whereby he
adopts as his own children, his two
step-elaughters, Ruby and Mildred
Juksch. formerly Ruby and Mildred
Carland, being daughters of his present
wife by a foraier marriage. These with
the consent and approval of his wife.
are adopted as his own children and ii
return Mr. Juksch agrees to bestow
upon them all the rights, privileges
and resonsibilites which wou.d per
tain to his own children and to educate
them in the best possible manner. Pre
vious to this deed of adoption the
children were merely stepchildren and
therefore had a different stattis under
the law.
Locked Burglar in Hall. A success
ful burglary was worked at Lahr
maim'a hail n Second and Ripley
streets ycsHrday morning. The man
who did the work did it. well and ran
eiff with a considerable sum of money.
As yet no clew to the perpetrator of
the deed lias been found. It is sup
posed that the man secreted himself in
one ef the? rooms upstairs before Fred
Run!, the present proprietor, locked up
Friday night. In the morning Mr.
Ruhl was awakened by the noise made
by the man in escaping aad went down
stairs only in time to find that the
burglar bad been successful.
Fire at Stone Quarry. Fire at. the
1. in wood quarry, just back of the hotel
there, burned the engine house owned
by the People's Construction company
of Davenport yesterday. The building
destroyed was 40 feet square and a loss
of $500 resulted, and is covered by in
surance. For a time the fire threat
ened to carry off the other buildings
of the vicinity, but they were saved.
Elects Officers. The Workmen's In-
DUVEIIPORT DOTS,
Moiraie i
individuality ubout g
to one who is looking
something that will
ore selling.
at a Low Price
Firnitvire
and
C ewxpet Co
dust rial Home association met Thurs
day evening in the Industrial llotuu
Building at Third and Scott streets.
There was a very large attendance and
the election ef officers to fill vacancies
took place. It resulted as follows:
President. Charles Odren; vice presi
dent. A. Lamar; chairman of the build
ing committee. W. M. Harney.
Gives Clear Title. The overruling
by the Iowa supre-nje court of the appli
cation for a rehearing in the Parker
will case, wiil prove of more Interest
to Davenporters than Is generally
known at the present time. Tho end
ing of the case by the refining of a re
hearing, gives the new Davenport Com
mercial club a clear title to its building
site at the northwest corner of Fourth
and Main streets, which was sedd to
them by the Parker estate ujon condi
tion that the supreme court refused to
reepen the contest begun by the two
illegitimate children of the son of the
late James Monroe Parker.
Child Dies. Yesterday morning at
the home of Its parents. GOS East
Eleventh street, occurred the death of
Fna Marie Robins at the age of onj
year. Death was due to pneumonia.
MAXIM'S MAXIM.
Modest Claims Often.Carry More Con
viction Than Loud Boasts.
When Maxim, the famous iuventer.
placed his gun before a committee of
judges, he stated Its carrying power to
be considerably below what he felt
sure the gun would accomplish. The
result of the trial was therefore a tri
umph of surprise instead of dlsappoipt
ment as it might have been if he had
overestimated his gun's efficiency.
Our claim regarding Newbro's Her
picide is baed on actual scientific
facts.
If a living germ is causing your hair
to fall ut its the mont sensible thitifj
to kill that germ.
Newbro's Herplcide dens this quick
ly and effectually. Destroy the cause
you remove the effect.
Sold by leading druggists. Send 10c
in stamps for sample to The Herplcide
company, Detroit, Mich.
Always Successful,
When indigestion becomes chronic .
it Is dangerous, Koded dyspepsia Cure
will cure Indigestion and troubles re
sulting therefrom, thus preventing ca
tarrah of the stomach. Dr. New b rough
cf League, W. Virginia, says: "To
those Buffering from indigestion or
sour stomach, I would say there is
do better remedy than Kodol Dyspep
sia Cure. I bare prescribed to a num
ber of my patients with good success."
Kodol Dyspepsia Cure digests what
you eat and makes the stomach sweet
Sold by all druggists.
v.
XI
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