The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-12-30
Yesterdays Meeting Appointed
Committees to Place Bonds
Tobie & Co.'s Proposition Con-
sidered a Favorable One.
Road Will Be Built Next Year
If the People Say SO.
From Thursdays Daily.

1t now seems to be up to the people
of Mankato and Albert Lea and the
country between to say whether they
want a railway built from Albert Lea
to Mankato, later to be extended to st.
Cloud and possibly Duluth. If they
want it, they must speak quickly, for
the construction company, E. L. Tobie &
Co., of New York, must have a definite
answer by Jan. 5th. If no more inter
est is manifested than was shown by the
business men of Mankato yesterday the
matter will be dropped and no further
efforts will be made to secure the road
The attendance yesterday on the part
of the business men of Mankato was
certainly a Encouragement for the di
rectors who represent this city and Blue
Earth county. Outside of those inter
ested in rival projects and aside from
the local directors there were not over
three or four business men present, and
only one of these had anything encour-
aging to say. To judge from the way
the business men avoided this meeting,
one would judge that their interest in
the building of the road, which has here
tofOre manifested itself in loud talk
where there was no chance of its being
built, is really only skin deep, and that
they are in fact Indifferent to the pro-
ject. Much more interest was shown by
farmers who were present, and had come
miles through the cold and over bad
roads. Everybody present considered
Tobie & Co.'s proposition a very favor
able one.
Mr.. Fisher read the following modi-
fed terms regarding payment for the
work, received from E. L. Tobie.
cat the following times you are to
pay and deliver to me or as l may di-
rect the sums in cash, bonds and stock
as indicated opposite the following re-
spective items, wiz
"When surety bond is delivered, $l2,-
500 cash.
''When each ten miles of grading is
completed, $500 cash, $4,000 bonds,
$500 stock.
"When each ten miles of track is laid,
$S,653.9O cash, $76,923.lO bonds, $780,
500 stock
"When equipment is shipped, $4,000
cash, $l25,OOO bonds, $4,000 stock
when fencing is completed, $35, 900
bonds, $4,000 stock.
'When buildings are completed, $751;
600 bonds, $4,000 stock.
| ''When telegraph line is installed, $l5,-
600 bonds, 5000 stock.
''When water stations are completed,
$4,000 bonds, $4,000 stock.
'When road is ready for operation,
$4,000 bonds, $4,000 stock.
'Total, $4,000 cash, $4,000 bonds,
1864, ZOO stock"
Taking up the discussion where it was
left off in yesterdays Free Press, it
was in substance as follows.
Mr. Fisher asked why not let both the
steam and electric lines use the same
track from st. Clair. There is no sense
in the roads fighting each other. If
they want to do what is right, they can
both use the same track.
Mr.. Willard said that the electric line
goes to Eagle Lake, with Madison Lake
as a possible terminus later
Mr. Bruals said that he felt discourage
ed. There was an excuse for not many
people coming from the country and
Albert Lea. He had spent months in
working for this road, and felt like
dropping it now and let the people get
their own road if they want one From
the reception which the proposition has
received, he felt like dropping it. He
did not propose to spend days going
through the cold importuning the people
to help themselves.
Mr.. May thought that the directors
were more discouraged than the facts
warrant. 1t is a bad time for farmers
to leave home after blizzard.
Capt. Reed said that it was the peo-
| pie of Mankato who are lukewarm, not
the country people. Mankato has been
deceived so many times by railway prop
ositions that it does not like to accept
them too fast. He would head the bond
subscription. He thought the PROPOSE
ton was one that ought to go through.
The taking of 100000 bonds ought to
be small matter When the road is
built and the first train runs into Man
kato over the Illinois Central road, as
he hoped, the people would find their
bonds going above par, as the bonds of
other roads are doing that cost much
more.
Mr.. Juliar thought 100000 of bonds