The Mankato free press., 1905-02-10
FAVOR STATE PARK
Leading Citizens of Mankato
Approve of the Gates Bill.
Advocate the Preservation of
Natures Beauty Spots.
From Fridays Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
Several leading citizens of Mankato
have been interviewed concerning the
proposed purchase of tract of land sur
rounding Minneopa Falls by the state
for a public park, as provided in a bill
recently introduced into the state legis-
lature by Representative Ezra Gates
of Garden City. Nearly everyone thus
far approached by The Free Press is en-
thusiastic in favor of the measure, agi-
tation for which was initiated by this
paper.
Judge Cray has long been looking to-
wards the time when something will be
done to preserve this beauty spot of ma
ture to the use of man in the best way,
that is, as a place of recreation. The
judge tells how once movement was
started to induce the Omaha Railway
company to buy up the territory sur
rounding the falls, but the matter fell
| through. Such natural parks as this
do not appear very frequently, and
where Minnesota has them, they should
by all means be taken care Of The Min
neOpa park land ought not to cost the
state more than 500 to $3.50 per acre.
If the state should only buy twenty,
thirty or forty acres on both banks of
the creek from few rods above the
| falls down to the Omaha railroad cross
ing, it would be an expenditure of the
public money that the public would
never have reason to regret. The out
| lay required would be a mere trife for
the rich state of Minnesota. The re-
suits would be grand. And even if a
hundred acres, as provided in the bill
should be purchased thus making for
the people park extending both above
and below the falls, the cost would be
no great matter. The result would prove
a source of delight to countless genera
tions to come.
|
would also be found to have natural beau
ty spots for the state to purchase. Has
every county such a place as Minneo-
pa park? If every county had, it would
do no harm for the. state to purchase
them all, as the population increased.
Since the new ditch has been CON
structed, draining into Lake Crystal,
that lake, better fed than before, has be-
come a better feeder to Minneopa creek.
The falls have been rendered more CO.
pious, more beautiful and more last
ing in dry seasons.
L. X. Mcagher remarks that the Min
neopa property would make a magni-
fcent park and he hopes to see the
measure adopted.
jay Hubbard thinks the Minneopa
park idea splendid one. There is no
reason why this part of the state
should not have her beauty spots bought
and improved by the government, as
well as othef parts. Let Blue Earth
county claim her rights.
II. A. Patterson says he is glad to
hear about that bill. He hopes it will
pass. The Minneopa land is ideal park
territory.
G. H. Saulpaugh regards that as an
elegant place for a park. The project
is a splendid one.
F. NJ. Currier says it would be very
nice for the people of Blue Earth coun-
ty to have that park, but as matter
of state policy, it would not in his
opinion be wise. Beauty spots would
be found in all parts of the state, and
there would be no excuse for not pur-
chasing them all, inasmuch as Blue
Earth county had been thus favored.