The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-16
ACCEPT CONTRACT
Street Railway Directors Hold
a Meeting.
Business Men Bring About an Under
standing---Car Line in
Sight Again.

NC pIOSpSCG lOT d sITS6L Gar iluS IL
Mankato is again bright, thanks tt
the activity and interest shown by the
business men who are anxious to SET
this enterprise go ahead.
The board of trade room was filled
with business men last Friday, the
word having been passed around dur
ing the afternoon that meeting would
be held there in the evening with the
directors of the Mankato and st.
Peter Railway and Lighting Co. to
talk over the matter of the bond issue
in the proposition. Had the public
announcement been made of the meet
ing, the opera house would not have
held the crowd. Seven of the directors
were present.
W. D. Willard was elected chairman,
after which J. B. Richards explained
why the meeting was called. Mr..
Richards is a member Of the street
railway committee of the Merchants
Protective association.
F. A. Kneeland read the proposition
or contract as submitted by Messrs.
Williams and Collins.
A. E. Clark explained the hitch in
the negotiations as published Thurs
day.
A number of the business men
spoke. urging that the proposition of
the eastern capitalists be agreed to,
including the bond feature. They
did not think that this feature should
act as an obstacle to securing the line.
The directors expressed their
views, and the thoughts that bad
actuated them to take the stand that
they did in the matter.
President Hixon made a lengthy
statement, in which he cleared up q
good many matters, and put the
proposition in better light He said
that he had not acted hastily in the
matter, as he had given it careful
consideration. There never was a
better offer made to a city of this
size, and any action to revive the
negotiations would have to be taken
at once He had heard from W. ID.
Mcdonald of Chicago, the engineer of
the Westinghouse company. who had
been asked by him to make an esti-
mate of the cost Of the entire plant,
for the company. The word came
to him during the evening from
Mr.. Mcdonald, and the latter's figure
was 1898, 7S4. Money could not buy
better equipment than it was proposed
to use in this plant. The ground for
terminals was to be turned in in lieu
of $14, 900 of subscriptions, which re-
duced the cash subscrip tions to $31, 600,
and of the latter, $40, 600 could be re-
tanned to pay the first year g interest
on the bonds. So only $40, 600 of
Mankato money would go into the
actual construction of the plant, the
remainder being eastern capital. He
did not know whether the eastern
men would be willing to take up the
negotiations again, but he was willing
to do what he could.
Directors Willard and Palmer stated
that they had learned good deal dur
ing the evening that they did not
know before, and which placed the
matter in another light
W. L. Comstock moved that it be
the sense of the meeting that the por-
ton of the contract covering the bond
issue be approved.
Mr.. willard said that if there had
been a half hour longer conference
with the eastern parties Wednesday
afternoon, there might have been
different result.
Dr. Webster thought that the direc-
tors ought to vote for the proposition.
Geo. E. Brett said that he was
deeply interested in having street
railway in Mankato. With the added
information given by Mr.. Hixon and
with the engineers estimate the
directors would no doubt sign the con-
tract. The people want the railway,
for it will help the city more than
any enterprise that has ever come up.
Mayor Petersen said that Mr.. Hixon
had worked hard to get the street rail-
way. Everybody wants IL and the city
needs it. If there was any way to
carry out the contract, he hoped that
it would be done.
F. M. Currier said that he wanted
to see the street railway, and if
necessary he would put money in to
get it. The directors had acted eau
tiously, but not wisely in rushing the
matter along. 1t was not desirable to
force things too fast. There had been
a lack of diplomacy. The people here
could trust their $50, 900 against the
other fellow $500, 900,
Aid. Taylor said that the mass meet
ing had voted for the street railway,
and the council had worked to get it.
The directors of the company had
done the same and now ought to try
and get the matter closed, as the
people certainly want the street rail
way.
G. N. Burg said that before coming
to Mankato he had looked over many
towns and had decided that Mankato's
prospects were the best. He would
like to see the city go ahead, and
would be willing to donate his sub
scription and increase it to help the
matter along.
Dr. Webster said that the facts did
not warrant the feeling among the
directors and the people that the nego-
tiations were off. Too much had been
said about the matter being dropped
There had simply not been sufficient
time given for the directors to move
in the matter.
Mr.. Hixon said that he had learned
that the eastern men were still in
Chicago 1t would be necessary to act
Mr. Comstock's motion was carried
DR.. Webster then moved that it was
the sense of the meeting that the pro-