The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-03

tOuch with the outside world. Mr.. |
Murphy of the same town endorsed
what his colleague had said.
G. W. Dixon of Kimble Prairie said
that his information led him to be-
lieve that it would be easier for his
town to raise So, 600 in bonus than it
would to secure the right Of way. He
looked upon the right of way matter
as one that would require a vast
amount of work, for farmers were very
particular about giving up their land
and especially so if the track should
run diagonally across the farm; His
town was anxious for the road and
would help to its utmost to secur it.
Mr.. Benson spoke for st. Cloud. He
believed that the road could be con-
structed for less money than Engineer
Birch had estimated, although the
information cleaned from that gentle
man was valuable. If the road was
built as substantially as Mr.. Birch had
suggested, it would be necessary to
get a guarantee from the contractor,
and hold him down close to the line,
otherwise we would not get as good
work as had been talked. Said his
people felt that too much was asked of
st. Cloud, and the demand was really
greater than the city would care to
undertake. His city could not vote
bonds, and Mr.. Atwood, a member of
the city council of st. Cloud, said that
it probably would not if it could. But
it could not. Both gentlemen, how
ever, said that st. Cloud would do her
full share toward pushing the pro-
jecU to a successful conclusion, and
that the people were heartily in favor
Of the road.
In this connection we desire to add
to the remarks above quoted from Mr..
Andrews of Mankato, that he frankly
told the meeting that such information
as could be CLEANED in Mankato was
to the effect that too much was ex-
acted from our city by Col. Chase.
The city cannot vote bonds and what
ever was done must be accomplished
by Individual effort. Our people felt
that if a franchise for city street Car
service was granted and lands for ter
minal facilities given it was practi-
cally all that should be required.
! Mankato is heartily in favor of the
, road.
After some discussion as to what
course was best to pursue at this time,
it was decided to appoint a committee,
one from each town along the project
! ed line, to confer with Col. Chase and
submit to that gentleman a counter
proposition for the construction of the
line. The following committee was
accordingly named by the chair:
G. S. Benson, st. Cloud, chm. F.; W.
E. Harrington, Hutchinson; W. M.
Murphy, Kingston; G. N. Andrews,
Mankato; DR.. Jones, Gaylord; VIM.
Mansfield, New Auburn G. W. Dixon,
Kimble Prairie; G. G. Nelson. New
Sweden E. E. McGrew, Dassel.
Immediately after the adjournment
of the meeting the committee met and
organized by electing G. s. Benson
chairman and G.. N. Andrews secre-
tary. A subcommittee, consisting of
Messrs. Benson, Andrews and Har-
rington was chosen to take the whole
matter up with Col. Chase. This will
probably be lone by inviting the col
onel to meet the committee at some
central point in the near future.
Until this is done matters will resi-
in statu quo.
On the whole the meeting was in
teresting and harmonious. The ont
prevailing opinion, however, univer
! sally expressed, was that Chase ask
too much-in fact more than he Cal
get. If he refuses to recede from hi
} offer it is not improbable that tn
t meeting will finally result in the form
} alton of a local company, composed O.
representative citizens along the line
and by it the project pushed. Their
is no doubt about the feasibility an
value of an electric line from Mankat
3 to st. Cloud, and as Col. Chase is nc
the only pebble, the prospects for tn
construction of such a line are by n
means Vague.