The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-09-21
WANTS NORTH I SOUTH ROAD
The Board of Trade So Express.
ed Itself This Morning.
Messrs. Currier, Clark and Patterson Ap-
pointed to Solicit Funds For
the Survey.

The board of trade met Monday
to take action on the preliminary sur.
vey into Mankato of the st. Cloud,
Glencoe and Mankato railway.
+ A letter from Capt. A. 81. Reed, ad-
dressed to Mr.. A. E. Clark, was read,
as follows:
A. E. Clark, ESQ.,,
Mankato, MINI.
Dear Sir: Yours of the 18th was
duly received, also one from Mr. Cur
rier, dated after your board of trade
meeting, with clippings from Free
Press and Review.
1t appears that so many of your
members of the board of trade are in
spired wi the spirit of jealousy in
stead of dong that which tends to aid
Mankato in securing north and south
railroad, and my advice to you and
Mr. Currier is to go ahead and do
what you believe to be right in the in
terest of this enterprise, ask the SEN
sible and honorable citizens of Manka-
to to aid you, and do not believe you
will lack for backing.
| have taken the time to consider the
situation since Mr.. Currier' letter and
have come to the conclusion that it
| is best to start our engineering corps
out again next Monday. and take up
our survey where we left it at the
crossing of the N. W. R. R. in the
township of Oshawa, and complete
the preliminary survey to Alpert Lea,
as Mr.. Bruels and others beyond Man
kato were SO anxious to have u.s. and
have already raised and guaranteed a
portion of the funds necessary.
If your people conclude not to risk a
portion of the cost of the survey from
Oshawa to Albert Lea, will ask our
present stockholders to pay further as
! sessments for that purpose and if they
refuse will see the bills are paid my
self as have up to this date when the
company's funds were short. ..s
At our stockholders meeting Mon
! day, under the guidance of Attorney
| Harvey Officer, of st. Paul they author
| lied the directors to make exempt issue
and dispose of it's "first mortgage
bonds" and I enclose you copy of re-
solution which was also passed by the
directors at their meeting held after
the adjournment of the stockholders
meeting.
Our resolutions and proceedings were
copied from the proceedings of action
taken by other companies which have
built their road in accordance with
such action. l will probably be at st.
Peter with the party of surveyors
! (who returned here from Minneapolis
and ST. Paul a few days ago. Monday
afternoon, and will then call you up
by phone when reach there.
Please show this letter to Mr.. Cur
rier, who will accept it as an answer
to his as well as yours.
Yours truly
A e. REED.
After some discussion, the following
resolution was presented by Mr..
Haynes:
Resolved, That we, the Mankato
board of trade, believe that the con-
struction of a north and south railroad
through Mankato, Glencoe, st. Cloud
to Duluth. would be of great benefit to
our town and that we are willing to
assist such an enterprise os far as we
can.
That F. NJ Currier, A E. Clark, and
L. Patterson, of our city, have our con-
fidence as wise and prudent business
men. That we desire their election
as officers and directors in the company
organized to secure the building of
such railway and we promise them
our cooperation and support.
The introduction of the above
brought out a positive protest from
some of the members. Not against
the selection of the gentlemen named
in the resolution, but on account of
the tone of the letter of Capt. Reed.
Mr.. Hall felt that Capt. Reed had no
right to take the ground he does. He
had lost faith in Mr.. Reed from the
very beginning as he had failed in
many ways to carry out agreements
and instructions
DR. Andrews felt that the board had
been mis-judged and mis-quoted by
Mr. Reed, and he did not fele that the
board could afford to be placed in any
such light.
Mr.. G. N. Andrews expressed him
self as opposed to the resolution, on
the ground that the board of trade
| could not afford to endorse Mr. Reed s
position, because it was not true He
was heartily in favor of the railroad,
and anything that individuals might
choose to do would not be objected to.
Mr.. A E. Clark said that SO far as
he was concerned he should not con-
meet himself with the enterprise unless
the backing of the board of trade was
had. He somewhat defended Capt.
Reed except that he felt that the jeal-
ousy expressed was not true.
M. G. Willard felt the Importance of
the road He cared nothing about
Capt. Reed personally. but felt that
the project was needed. How best to
get it was the thing to consider.
Mayor Currier said he felt the pres
ent to be an opportune time to get a
north and south road If this could
be secured and a union depot built it
would be splendid thing for the city.
Mr.. Hall asked if it would not first
be best to see if the money could be
had.
The question being called for on the
resolution introduced by Mr.. Haynes,
the vote resulted two for and one
against. The smallness of the vote
was unsatisfactory, SO many declin-
ing to record their sentiments.
A little further discussion followed,
which brought forth the decision from
the chair that no vote had been taken,
the chair taking the ground that no
expression had been made.