The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-22
PROPOSED P[AN FOR E[EC7R|C []NE'
Massmeeting Discusses New Proposition
1T Looks Like Good Thing to Many
Mankato Men---Subscription
Paper Is Started.

the fence" Mr.. Deegan said he was
ready to furnish references to show
who and what he and his business asso-
ciates were.
Mr.. Hance went on to tell the meeting
that he did not consider the Fargo Moor
head situation nearly so favorable to
a car line as that in Mankato. Five
miles of road had already been built
on that line. He saw fifteen or dozen
new houses going up at Moorhead, where
the people had been desirous of building
because the taxes were so much higher in
Fargo.
Mr.. Hance said he had written for in
formation about lines that had been
built in other towns about the size of
Mankato, and found that in every in
stance such lines had paid.
Mr.. Andrews presented letter from
R. E. Lopez & Co., fiscal agents, Phila-
delphia, stating that that company had
always financed Mr.. Deegan's roads and
was always ready to do so in case of the
Granting of the prcpsr franchises. The
c,zse.!e!@e CT the company witi Mr.
neegan had always proved satisfactory.
A letter 10 NJ. Hance from l. B. POL
ION Oskaioos2, Iowa. stated tGat on>
year ago line had been huilt III that
town, which had a population OF ten
to twelve thousand. 1t had proved AZ
excellent investment.
Mr.. Hance spoke of the route that Mr..
Deegan haI suggested as one down Front
street from the quarry district to the
other end of the city, around through
the region of the cement works, over
10 Fifth st>eet ard northward along that
street anl back 10 The plsce OF beginning.
Letters were read and talks given by
NJ. Andrews and others 70 show
the success ct street car lines at Mason
City, Iowa, and other small cities. He
alsc remarked incidentally that MIR.
Deegan wants no lighting contract mix
ed in with his street car enterprise.
Carl Dice said the matter looked to
him like a first class proposition. He
was perfectly satisfied that street car
line in Mankato would pay. He would
be glad to aid the project.
G. N. Andrews here produced sub
scription paper by which the undersigned
were to pledge themselves to purchase
bonds of corporation to be known as
the Mankato Electric Railway company.
w. L. Hixon said he would take some
, of the bonds. If the road did not pay it
was rather the funeral of the stockhold-
ers than of the bondholders. He believed
that the street railway would not only
pay on the bonds but would pay in a
; way that would be surprise to many
people. Mankato is a much longer city
!, than Oskaloosa. 1t is laid out in such a
way as to demand a street railway. 1t
, is an ideal city for a street railway. 1t
will pay six months after its initiation.
Moorhead even now is building up on the
strength of the coming of the railway
line. What will the result be when there
actually is a railway line?
Mankato is surrounded by great nat
ural advantages, lying in the midst of
some of the richest territory on the
! continent. He hoped that for once the
people could get together and pull to-
gether. The city has come to a parting
of the ways. Something must be done for
, the business interests of the town or it
will be backward movement from now
on. He felt that he was running no risk
! in putting up the money for bonds. He
predicted that the bonds would sell above
par after few years.
George Atchison said he was eager to
see street railway come and he would
not get out an injunction against it
either. Applause greeted this announce
ment. He would like to see Mr.. Dee
gan himself come to Mankato and speak
, to the people.
Mr.. Hance replied that Mr.. Deegan
, could not come just now. He would come
, to do business as soon as the $4,000 was
raised.
Mr.. Pihale spoke about the success of
, the road between st. Louis and St.
Charles, which took away nearly all the
business between these points from the
Wabash railroad.
M. o. Sundt thought the proposition
, looked like very good thing. He was
one of those who went under on Texas
OIL
III. A. Patterson said he was in favor
of the proposition of having street rail-
way in Mankato whenever the matter
should present itself in businesslike
way. Mankato is now like an engine
with its eccentrics in the center. The
Mankato people could afford to put in
a railroad for series of years with
out direct profit. Returns would come
Indirectly. He was heartily in favor
'of street railway if one could be
built, and was ready to invest.
Aid. Schroeder spoke of the rapid
growth of st. Charles as a result of
the building of the car line between that
city and st. Louis. A car line would
make West Mankato grow up in the
same way. His firm would contribute
what they could.
III. J.. Nixon thought his company