The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-02-26
Jackson Street Property Owners Want
No Saloon There.
Council Postpones Action on J. P.
iDineen's Application.
Bath House Will Be Moved to New Lo-
cation Down Stream.
City Will Ascertain Cost Of Reopening
Bunker Hill Well.
From Saturdays Daily.


The council meeting last night was
preceded by quite a lengthy secret ses-
sion, attended by all of the members, the
mayor and city attorney. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY warm one, to judge from the
eloquence that was waited on the air
through the closed door. The subject
under consideration was the employment
of counsel to assist the city attorney
in the paving suit Aid. Jor.gensen made
hard fight to have H. l.. Schmitt en-
played in addition to Messrs Andrews
and Clark, and at first he was support
ed by one or two other aldermen. It
turned out to be the general opinion
that two attorneys will be sufficient to
assist the city attorney, and that the
selection made by the latter was very
good.
This matter being settled, Hasn1.
Andrews and Clark were called IN and
consulted in regard to what compensa-
ton they would expect. 1t was suggest
ed by some one that $500 each would be
about right, and this figure seemed to be
satisfactory all around. However, no
amount was fixed, but the attorneys
agreed to leave the amount of their COM
pensation entirely in the hands of the
council to be decided after the litigation
has ended.
The open session was then held
A petition signed by fortyone prop
erty owners was received, asking the
council not to grant liquor license to
any person for saloon on Jackson
street for the following among other
reasons: That neither necessity nor the
convenience of the people require another
place in this city for the sale of in
toxicating liquor, that there is now one
saloon for each 366 inhabitants, that
jackson street is essentially resi-
dence street, that the federal building,
normal school and dry goods stores are
located on that street, and that the
location of saloon there would be a
public and private nuisance, and injuri-
Gus to the property rights of many citi-
zens, as well as offensive to all the resi-
dents on jackson street and in the i'm
mediate vicinity.
I'D, oId hn
ell on behalf of the petitioners. He said
he was not here as a temperance fana-
tic, nor as prohibitionist. He was
opposed to the abuse rather than the
use of liquors. He was opposed to high
license for various reasons, not necessary
to recount No man has an absolute
right for the sale of intoxicating liquor
anywhere 1t is not matter of law but
reasons, not necessary to recount. No
man has an absolute right for the sale
of intoxicating liquor anywhere. 1t is
not a matter of law but of discretion on
the part of the council. The discretion
as to the granting of license must
be exercised in a reasonable manner
Three public halls and the federal build
ing stand within stones throw of the
place where this license is applied for.
Most states have laws forbidding the
sale of liquor within certain distances
of certain educational and other build
ings. Jackson street is residence
street. with the normal school at the
head of the street. Everybody knows,
if he knows anything, that saloon
always brings into the community GER
tain degree of vandalism from the abuse
of liquor. The saloons now are all on
Front street, under police surveillance.
There are enough saloons in the city
now, and those here now must run after
hours. sell to miners and entertain wom-
en- because of the fierce competition
due to so many saloons. There is one
saloon for every seventy five adults,
which is enough 1t would be better for
each saloon keeper to make $1,000 a
year decently rather than bare living
by such means as they do now. I would
reduce the number of saloons to fifteen
if l had the power, and make them
run decently. There are thirty licenses
in force now, and twenty eight saloons
IN operation. Every signer of the petit
personal slight if the petition is not
granted. There may be possibly three
persons asking for the license, as against
forty-one who are against it, and hun
dreds would have signed the petition
if they had been asked. The other saloon
keepers do not want another saloon
opened
Aid Coy said that Judge Severance
had expressed his views and he was OPP
posed to saloon at that point. On
his motion the petition was placed on
file.
The application of ]. P. Dineen for
liquor license to do business at llS Jack
son street came up for a hearing. He
desires to open April LIST. He furnished
bond signed by the Bankers Surety
company.
Aid. Kleinschmidt said that he had
not thought that there would be opposi-
ton to having saloon at the point
named, but strong opposition has devel-
oped. There is saloon in the City Ho-
tel, on a side street, and the city has