The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-13

declared that $4,000 would give the city
bathhouse to be proud of, with the old
city hall as beginning. For s20, 200, he
enthusiastically asserted, the city could
have municipal rbathhouse, lodging
house and employment bureau combined,
admirably adapted to the needs of the big
floating population of the lodging house
district, of which the building is now the
very center. ~,t -.is..--e-*
Mayor Jones Approves.
Representative business men, when told
to-day of the golden opportunity now
confronting the city council were en-
Enthusiastically in favor of prompt accept
ance of the generous offer now being made
through The ournal. Said Acting
Mayor D. P. JONES': e.. -
/ cannot conceive of more practical phi
| lanthropy. A municipal bathhouse is the
greatest monument that could possibly be
erected to the honor of any public-spirited
practically without public bathing facilities.
| while st. Paul is wonderfully well equipped
50 50 much SO as to have attracted attention
facilities for bathing at Lake Calhoun, but
| those bathhouses are SO far away to be
practically inaccessible to the very people
who should he benefited, most by them. Our
lodging-house district, which centers about
the city hall. is constantly growing and be-
coming more congested The thousands of
| workingmen who make this city the great en-
ployment bureau of the northwest are crowd
| ed into congested quarters and in many cases
have neither the opportunity nor the means
! to obtain decent bath To all such a mu-
! nicipal bathhouse, open throughout the year.
would be "a veritabie godsend Aside from
| ment, / believe that free public baths so con-
yenfently located would have a marked effect
| on the city's health. The lodging-hous dis
t:stt has has been proiifc source Of disease
1 germs. u heartily second; the project. I see
| no reason why it should not be favorablysre
| aware there is no legal obstacle In the way.
Also, Commercial Club Men.
"A. c. Paul, President of the Commercial
| Club-Whoever he is, this public-spirited man
has already earned the everlasting thanks OF
this community. 1t is the most substantial.
practical philanthropy in WHICH he could pos,
| sibly have engaged, and will be appreciated
| by the masses. It will meet with the par
| ticular appreciation of the unfortunates who
must actually go without bath in this en-
many such. / have all along favored the
idea Of deyoting the old city hall to the pur-
opportunity to put us on an equal footing with
st. Paul in that respect will not be allowed
| to go by default = -.' E-,
| Wallace G. 'Nye-You cannot quote me too
strongly in favor of this movement. It is
gratifying to think that there is at least one
man in Minneapolis who Is willing. to give
generously in behalf of such a worthy cause
! in the city's hour OF need. don't see how
| the council can refuse such an offer. It is
l the only good use, to my mind, to which the
old city hall can be put, and it would satisfy
a long felt want id this city. We have done
too little in this city for the. people who arc
forced to live downtown: While we have
been beautfying the residence districts and
building up our park system. we have forgot
ten. the thousands in the. lodging house dis
tricts whose circumstances in life necessarily
shut them out from our outlying Fairgrounds;
The old city hall, in it's altered shape. would
be splendid monument to the man back OF
such practical benefcence. ~. .ss...-zss: IS
Good for Public Spirit.
! General George P. Wilson, say amen
heartily to making the proposed disposition OF
the old building. 1t is good for nothing else,
hope the city council viii readily see It's way
clear to accepting such generous offer.
Whether it does not, the giver Is entitled
to a rousing vote Of thanks. A little more
public spirit like that from wealthy mon
is what we need in this rapidly developing
metropolis. . 49,
Eugene Hay-It will be grand thing fol
Il Minneapolis II such an arrangement can b<
made. When we see our wealthy men still!
ready to give thousands to such laudablt
purpose, We begin to think that the spiri,
which made Minneapolis famous in Other
days is not dead yet. The city council will
probably need no urging to accept the offer
apois has been away behind most cities IL
, failing to provide convenient free baths, and
a crying need certainly exists for them in ou1
congested downtown districts.
B. r. Nelson-Minneapolis may we'll b>
proud of such a benefactor. It is the mos
3 could interest himself and more good will b,
, accomplished through it than any other beneh
cence that might be conceived in betterinl
} social conditions in this city.