The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-05
If 1T CAN GET THE ANNUAL STATE
MILITIA ENCAMP-
MENT,
LOWRY PROMISES ELECTRlCS
TO CONNECT THE ABANDONED HOS
PITAL SITE WITH THE
TWIN CITIES.
MILITIA MEN ARE FAVORABLE.
Say the Anoka Property Is Advan-
tageous for the Purpose In
Several Respects.
The city Of Anoka is again hopeful.

For ten years two desires have ami
mated the bosoms Of the philosophical
citizens of that community.
The first was the iridescent dream of
electric railway connection with the
city of Minneapolis; the second, long
latent, has within a few years taken
definite shape as a clamor for the much
needed new hospital for the insane. =
The Anokans were beaten on the sec
ond proposition in the last legislature,
but not until they had sold the state a
site of over 600 acres.
Now it appears that the instrument
of the city's undoing in the start may
prove the instrument in the accomplish
| ment of the long-cherished desire for a
prompt street railway service.
Here, in brief, is the proposition made,
according to the G o e S informa-
ton, by Thomas Lowry to the people of
Anoka:
Get the state to locate its military
encampment on the proposed hospital
site, and 1 will build an electric line, not
only to Anoka, but right to these
grounds. 1t will save the state money
in transporting the troops of the Twin
Cities and all north of them to the an
nual encampment. 1t will save them
the long marches necessitated, and it
will give your city the advantage to be
gained by the presence of the encamp-
ment annually"
Anoka people have brought this prop
osition to the officers of the national
guard, and while no definite action has
been taken by them, number of them
have indicated favorable opinions to
the acceptance of the proposition.
Adjt. Gen. Nuremberg stated to the
G 10 b e yesterday that, as far as &C
feasibility was concerned, the Anoka
plan had much to be said in it's favor.
State Military Storekeeper Converse
was even more favorable. Said he:
81 have been over the property up
there, both before and since it's desig-
nation for the hospital, and it is per-
fectly adapted for the purpose of ac-
commodating the annual encampment.
There is room to spare-room indeed
for brigade encampment.
IF 1 remember right there are 600
acres or more in the angle between the
two roads, and forty or more acres
across one of these streets. The
grounds are about the size of the en-
campment grounds at Camp Douglas.
Wis"
One obstacle, of course, to the ac-
ceptance by the state of the PROPOSE
ton to remove the annual encampment
+ from Lake City to Anoka, is the fact
that the state has acquired an equity
in the tract at present occupied annual
ly at Lakeyiew. That has been decided
to the state conditional on it's continu-
. ance as the quarters of the militia en-
campment for thirty years from 1889,
when it was acquired.
The Anoka people profess to believe,
however, that the forces which were SC
bitterly arrayed against each other last
winter, can be brought together har-
moniously again, and the appropria-
ton for the Hastings asylum inevitably
to be brought up next winter, be car
ried through without opposition from
the Anoka forces, contingent, of couse,
upon the removal of the encampment to
the city by the Rum.
At present the state derives reve-
nue. of 81, 200 from the Anoka site. That
at least was the revenue during the
last year. Some predict that it will
be found a maximum. 1t is claimed
by the advocates of the new Anoka
plan that the difference in fare
of the Twin City soldiers alone will
save the state more than that revenue
annually.