The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-02-28
WILL ORGANIZE {; Ii
Sentiment Favorable to a Com
merciaI Club.
Meeting Held Last Night to Talk the
4 Matter yer.---Some Talk of a
Merger.

About. thirty gentlemen assembled
at the. board of trade room Tuesday
evening". to take further steps toward
organizing commercial club. If 20C
had s,been.there as should have been
the case, the club could have been per-
manently organized then and there,
but as it was, very little progress was
made. The committee on constitution
and bylaws was not ready to report.
The"membership committee was in
creased, to twelve and is expecteds-to
gosout-s and solicit names among the
business men. 60
Quite sentiment developed to the
effect. thats.s.it would be better to have
one strong organization, instead OF
three-a commercial club, the board OF
trade and the Merchants Protective
association.
: W. L. Comstock presided and j. R..
Brandrup was elected temporary score
tary.
DIR. Andrews offered suggestions az
to how to procure members he said
that it was not the idea for the COM
mercial club to enter into competition
with the Merchants Protective asso-
citation. He was in favor of one good
organization that would work in the
interest of Mankato.
Frank J. Busch stated that COM
mercial club would not conflict with
the Merchants Protective association,
although the latter is now working
along the same line.
DR.. Andrews wanted the meeting tc
take steps toward making permanent
organization. ....
Prof. Koehler suggested that CON
stitution and bylaws be prepared first,
but Mr.. Comstock said that the com
mittee appointed at the last meeting
was not yet ready to report. ...
Geo. Achard wanted everybody tc
express himself about forming the
club, and said that he was in favor
of club broad enough in its scope t.
take in everybody who has business
interests in Mankato. All should stant
shoulder to shoulder and boost Man
kato. The club should have rooms
where it can entertain guests. HI
would not place the dues too high
Mankato is the best town in the north
but has got into rut and has got tt
get out.
Prof. Brandrup spoke of the las
commercial club, and how it hat
soon drifted into exclusively pur
poses the rooms being used smerel.
for card playing He thought that
different start should be made thi
time.
Mr.. Comstock said that the last clu
made errors that would not be repeat
ed. However, it had accomplishe
much for the city. Mr.. Comstoc
called on various persons present TO
their views
n A. Patterson thought tina
49, was a crying need for
commercial club. A new club coul
learn from the mistakes of the old
Prof. Koehler endorsed what MI
Comstock had said.
c. L. AlIeman thought it advisabl
to start a clab.
NJ. E. Babcock favored the RICH
b. nd ne Ol,1h 10
through its efforts Mankato could oil
tain a street Car line and other inter
ests not here now.
Jno A. White said that a wise
move could not be made than to OF
ganize commercial club. He though
that the same freight rates q
Minneapolis has could be gotte
for Mankato and this city mad
a distributing center. There ought
be first class implement house i
Mankato, and there was no reason VIII
there should not be. Not much capits
would be needed to run it, This SEQ
ton of the state is the garden spot {
the world, and Mankato is in it's in
fancy. If the city gets to the from
it will have %, 900 to 35, 900 populatio
in fifteen or twenty years. There is a
opening for a factory to make over
alls, shirts, etc., and such enterprise
should be encouraged. The club shout
not lose sight of the social side.