The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-08-03
More Cause For Complaint.

For many years Mankato and
Southern Minnesota have been made to
feel that justice was not being done
them by st. Paul and Minneapolis
papers. While other parts OF the State
and northwest were receiving almost
daily complimentary mention, there
seemed to be Il studied purpose to ignore
the resources and advantages OF tins
part of the State, and of Mankato in par.
ticular. OF late, however, there have
been evidences of a change of purpose,
and it was supposed that justice would
temper their actions towards us. Rep
rcscniatives of the Pioneer Press re-
Gently visited this city for the purpose
of presenting through the columns of
that paper n correct statement of what
has and is being done here in the way
of general improvements. Their COM
ing was taken AS an acknowledgement
that we had just claims for public notice.
Our people met these representatives
in manner no doubt gratifying to the
managers of the Il. H., giving to them
several hundreds of dollars worth of
advertisements for the special Mankato
edition soon to he issued, accepting in
good faith the statements that they were
prompted 10y the desire I" give to this part
ofthe State that recognition which heren
terprise and prosperity have earned for
her. But in the light of recent events
our people are left in doubt rs to the
sincerity of the statements of the man
agcment of that paper. Last Saturdays
Pioneer Press contained IN article on
our building materials, probably taken
from IN ancient geological report, in
which mention was made of the re-.
sources of Minnesota, IN stone, brick,
clay, etc, naming IN detail those places
where brick are manufactured i'm great
or or less quantities. In this no mention
was made of Mankato, which mannfac
lures annually from fifteen to eighteen
millions of brick, more perhaps than
are made by any two of the places men
toned. This article also stated that
nothing is known in the State that
will produce cement, unless it he the
bltuminous shale found in Rice and
Goodhue counties. This statement SEEM
ed particularly unjust, for it is well
known that a chemical analysis Of the
formations near this city have demon
strated that an excellent quality of &C.
ment is found here. So satisfactory WAS
the analysis that New York capitalists
have established works here for the pur.
pose of preparing cement for the mar
ket, and have already expended thous.
ands of dollars il the work. Such Omis-
sions Us these do us injustice, and our
people are justified IN pro-
testing against this. But making the
most charitable allowance possible, that
1t was unintcntiOnal, one of on: citizens
sent a communication to that paper
stating fully what our city is doing in
the manufacture of brick and also full
statement of what the cement works are
doing and expect to do. In the letter
some space was given to report OF the
crop prospects in this county. In Mon
day mornings Pioneer Press that por-
ton of the letter referring to the crops
was published, while the rest of the
communication was held for several
days be:orcpublication and was produc-
ed without comment. Our people are
no longer in doubt as to the real posi-
ton of this Janus-faced journal, and the
course it has followed in this matter, to
the minds of our citizens, shows tie
termination to deal with TINS country
only so long as it he made subject of
revenue. These are not pleasant thoughts
TO hold towards the representative paper
ii 81 6a en- r city, but thu fats w,,i
Justify no others. What MankatO may
accomplish must he done wholly
through her own efforts, and money |
into the Golfers of the Pioneer
Press might better be retained at home.
Those of our business men who SO lib
orally subscribed to advertising space in
the special issue above mentioned would
he fully justified and sustained l'y public
sentiment III countermanding the orders
given, which action would probably
bring the management of the u. Ito II
realization of the fact that they cannot
slap us in the tace one day and pat us
on the back the next.