The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-31
He Replies to F. Y. Realtors Criticism
OF Board of Trade.
Says Hord and Keator Are PeddIing
the Franchise Around.
Board Instructs Street Car Committee
to Resume Its Work.
Plan Adopted for the requirement Of
New Factories.
From TUESDAYS Daily,

From Tuesdays Daily.
The board of trade held quite an in
teresting meeting last night, the mem
bers present, being President Andrews
Secretary Taylor and Messrs. Brett, Foil
man, NJ. G. Willard, Jensen, Hughes
Stewart and DR.. Andrews.
The most important subject considered
was the street railway. Mr.. Willard
said that he had been at work at it and
had gotten a good deal of information,
but the committee of which he was chair
man had not put itself in the way of
Hord & keator. He had found out that
the franchise which Hord & Keator hold
is the greatest bugbear against getting
anybody else interested. There are also
one or two other obstacles, but they are
not insurmomtable. Mr.. Keator had said
in May that if dirt was not flying by
June LIST they ought to vacate the field.
Nothing more was heard of the matter,
and nothing is ever heard until an agita-
ton starts in Mankato, and then some of
them come and make more promises.
Mr.. Willard said that contrary to the
wishes of the board the council had last
October granted Hord & Keator a fran
elise for two years, not requiring them
to do anything to hold it. On July 18th
he, as chairman of the committee, wrote
to Hord & Keator about the matter. Not
c pecting to get an answer, he had gone
to Chicago to see the firm. When he
got there he found that Mr.. keator had
come to Mankato. while Col. Hord had
70, TllinniS 10 hoI nntina1 hot Nfr
Keator had criticised the board. If any
che was at fault it was Hord & Keator,
as they knew that the board had ap-
pointed a committee, yet had not con-
suited the committee.
Hord & keator want to hold On to their
franchise, said Mr., Willard. They either
represented the old company Ma
son, Lewis & Co, to keep matters
stirred up until new lighting contract
cen be given the company, or they have
had the foolish notion that they could in
terest someone to build the line. 1t is
the general impression that street car
company will not pay. Mr.. Willard
thought that a line could be secured, but
that Hord & keator and the other OBJ
stacles must be gotten rid of as quickly
as possible. When in Chicago last week
he had found that Hord & keator were
not looking out so much after Mankatos
interests as they were after their own.
They have tried to peddle the franchise
around One man not resident of Min
nesota had told Mr.. Willard that Hord
& keator had tried to sell the franchise
t. him. Another man not asIesident of
Minnesota had said that he had heard
that Hord & keator had tried to sell the
franchise "Hord & Keator haven't
dollar in the enterprise in legitimate
way" declared Mr.. Willard. "They have
not put in dollar into terminals, sur
veys or other preliminaries. 1t looks as
though they were some attachment of the
old lighting company" 500
If our sitizens were to take hold of the
enterprise, said Mr.. Willard, outsiders
would not be so afraid of it. Another
obstacle to securing a street car line is
the agitation that certain business men
are making in regard to the lighting
question. One man who is interested in
the street car matter and talks of put
ting in his money, when shown newspaper
clippings of the past week by Mr.. VIII
Lard, said that the people here should get
together. The plan of the business
mems committee will only take up time
and stand in the way so that nothing can
be done this year toward getting street
ear line. There is one man outside of
the city, at least, who is willing to help
us. if these obstacles can be removed,
and we should try to get things in shape
su as to order the rails by Jan. lst, as
it is hard to get rails. He believed that
it is as certain as death that there will be
another lighting plant in the city, even
is the council was 20 patch matters up
with the present company. This being
SO, it ought to be put in on the basis OF
a street railway, which could furnish
light for street and commercial purposes,
and power for less than half what is now
being paid. What is wanted is good
bio plant, and lines should be run to
St. Peter and st. Clair. There would be
no hope of getting cheap power from a
municipal plant or from the old company,
as neither would have a large enough
plant. A street railway plant need not
altagonize the old lighting company, and
not all of the subscribers for lights with
the business mems committee will stand
by the latter's plan.
DIR. Andrews and AIT. Brett conceded
with what Mr.. Willard had said on the
street ear question.
No Cold Water Wanted.
President Andrews said that he had
been informed that the committee had
written to capitalists, throwing cold
water on the street car project, saying
that it would not pay, etc.
Mr.. Willard said that none but he had
written, and the report was an Infamous
lie. He had made no such statements.
President Andrews said that the COM
mittee should not be criticised in its
work, but he didn't know who was to be
Judge that street car line would not
pay in Mankato, and it seemed as though
citizens should not kill the hope that it
will pay by spreading abroad the idea
that it will not pay. This is a school
town and in such towns street car lines
pay.
Mr.. Willard said that he was convinced
that Hord G. Keator will not dc anything
and he was thinking of calling the COM
mittee together.
Mr.. Brett did not think that Hord &