The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-04-16

to submit. But we have now over $32,
600 to carry on this work, and to qui
now and spend the money for other pur
poses is nonsense. Look at your vault
where you have your records-smal
cramped and in constant danger. Tn,
building is entirely unfit for the purpos
es to which it is put. Lay aside all feel
ings of prejudice and spite which seen
to have entered largely into this matter
and tell me if these buildings are wha
yOu want or what you can feel proud Il
claim. Look at the county building a
st. Peter, at Waseca, at Faribault ant
even Watonwan, and where will yo,
find anything of the kind we have here
Mankato does not demand anythjn,
gorgeous. Every cent to be put into the
building will be for permanency anG
durability.
In conclusion, Mr.. Pau said that il
his remarks he had endeavored to rep
resent the position of the county com
missioners. If the feeling through the
country is that the commissioners have
any disposition to challenge their right,
II Is sad mistake. They have the au
thority from three grand juries urgin,
them to provide suitable county build
ings, and this after the vote on bonds
had been taken. The Board have 9
right to assume that these jurymen are
representative citizens and representing
as they do, all portions of the county
they are entitled to consideration. AL
the county commissioners ask is to be
treated fairly. They have taken no step
to occasion any censure, much less that
xwl.sn hnn oh
here.
Mr.. Sellers said that the So, 900 spok.
eu of by Mr.. Pfau is not in the county
taxpayers. He said that while the cleo.
could lily spare the time to leave their
work to vote, enough had come out to
defeat the court house project and this
ought to end the matter.
Mr.. Shelby, of Butternut Valley, SAID
that Mr.. Pau had taken the ground thai
the proposition submitted to the voters
was for bonds and not for court house
He and his neighbors had voted against
building. If this question of building a
court house was to be re-submitted, he
did not believe there would be vote in
its favor in the southern and western
part of the county. The people did not
expect when the $1,000 levy was. made
that the commissioners intended to 90
on with the building, but when the sec
ond levy of SIC, 600 was made, it aroused
the people to protest against third.
He went on to review the present build.
ings, claiming that if the commissioners
would take proper care in making re-
pairs they are good enough. He said
he had consulted good attorneys, and his
information Is that the commissioners
are acting unlawfully.
Mr.. Cougar, of Lincoln, wanted to
know if the SIS, 500 levy could be legally
applied for building court house, as he
understood the levy was made for grad
ing the property.
Mr.. Pau said it could be, for the grad
ing was only preliminary step toward
the erection of a court house.
Mr.. Keith, of Sterling, said that the
Board of Trade had asked why the farm
ers did not accept the invitation of the
commissioners to meet with them in
February. The farmers had expressed
themselves emphatically against issuing
the bonds and against building court
house. 1.-THE county commissioners and
people of Mankato had said that they
were determined to build anyway, the
farmers would ihave voted the bonds,
because they do not want to pay direc,
taxation. This building is amply good
as good and better than the farmers have
at home. He thought the commission.
ers are using more power than they
ought in this matter, and suggested the
propriety of putting the building of new
structures off few years until farmers
get better able to stand the expense.
Mr.. Cougar asked "why the court
house and Jail is not included in one
building?"
Commissioner Diamond thought this
question foreign to the subject, but coun-
ty attorney Pau explained that the
the conjunction of two such buildings on
account of health.
Mr.. Cougar said he had all along sup
posed that the court house and jail were
to be built together and that the total
cost was not to exceed $4,000, but he
had been informed, since arriving in the
city, that such is not the case.
Mr.. Pau said that while these struc.
lures will be built separately, it is be.
lieved that the two can be brought with.
in the $4,000. One of the architects
present at the February meeting said
he would guarantee that the buildings
should not cost over $4,000, and prob
ably it would come within $65, 900. With
the advantage of home material, the
building can be put up at great saying
of money.
Mr.. Cray:-1f the representatives OF
the thirteen towns had been present In
February, and had expressed them
selves as they do now, this court house
question would have been dropped, &C.
cording to Mr.. Pau. He did not under
stand that any invitation had been ex-
tended, except to talk over the plans
and specifications. Mr.. Cray wanted to
know why the question could not as
we'll be dropped now as then. He did
not believe the location of the site had
been as thoroughly discussed as it ought
to be. 1t mattered little to the country
where the building should be erected
but some of the best people of Mankato
had expressed themselves to him as be-
ing opposed to the present site. Mr..
Cray again took occasion to earnestly
protest against further action by the
Board.
Commissioner Klein took occasion to
remind those present that the County
Commissioners were not lot of boys.
He himself objected to submitting the
bond question to a vote in the first place,
but willingly acquiesced to the majority
decision. An invitation was extended
to farmers to meet and discuss the court
house question on the 18th of February,
but with the exception of Garden City,
which was always opposed to a court
house, not one of the towns represented
to-day was here. He said that the plans
will be ready by the 2lst inst, and e
back out now and quit the work would
be boyish. Mr.. Klein closed by saying
that if he could only talk English like
lawyer Cray he would make good lone
speech, which remark created good
deal of laughter.
Major Evans proposed to defend the
honor of Garden City, and he proceeded
to do SO in his usually vigorous style. II
he were to properly illustrate the con.
dition of the county, he would make a
panorama of the printed lists of delin-
quent taxes which would reach clear
around the court house. The major be-
came thoroughly wrought up over the
tax question and sawed the air right and
left in his efforts to show the injustice OF
further taxation. He went for Commits
style, stating that he used to 60 bare
since he moved down here he wore
boots and they were blackened at that.
The Major expressed surprise that Mr..
Pfau, who was getting a. thousand dol
lars a year and attending to his business
besides, should talk about a rickety and
cracked building. He guaranteed that
all needed repairs could be made for
$25, and that after this is done the build
ing will be good for twenty five years.
If you get new court house, the Major
said, worth $4,000, it will take ten
thousand dollar fence to keep that old
spotted COW out of the yard, who has
been pasturing on the streets of the city
for twenty-five years.
Mr.. NJ. G. Willard said that the gen.
tleman who had just preceded him had