The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-03
Sum Necessary to Buy Tub
Factory Site.
TWILL BE RAISED ALL RIGHT.
Other Cities Are After the Plant, So II
Was Reported at Meeting
Last Evening.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesday S DAILY
The special meeting of the CONNER
o;aI club last night was not largely at
tended. and it did not warm up very
well. In the absence of Secretary Spen-
GER at the rate hearing at st. Paul,
President Hixon asked Prof. I. I. owen
to act as temporary secretary
S. ID. Works presented a report Tor
the committee on tub factory. lie SAID
that General Manager c. IL. Hlggs had
submitted a definite proposition. 1t was
to the effect that if the citizens were to
purchase the present site, consisting OF
five and half full sized lots, for SlO,-
600. and were to donate an acre OF
ground suitably located, the company
would put up new and up to date
factory, with enlarged capacity, and 1t
would maintain the plant in the city
permanently. The committee had under
taken to get subscriptions OF twenty
men for $3.50 each, and had eighteen OF
be secured 1t was estimated that the
salvage form the buildings would be
$1,000. and that $500 to 5000 could be
raised among the residents near the
present factory, which would buy the
new site. On Friday he had submitted
to Mr. Higgs an offer of $4,000 cash Tor
II
the property. A telegram just received
from him saws that his former offer
still holds good. and that a letter fol-
lows.
Mr.. Works said that it seemed that
the city does not consider the lmpor-
tance of retaining the factory. If new
factory employing the same number of
men could be secured, the city would
move heaven and earth to get it. Some
thing ought to be done, and the citizens
ought not to run any risk of losing the
factory. If anything is done to retain
it it must be done quickly. 1t appears
that there is $1,000 that is still to be
raised.
DIR. Schmauss thought that the ma
terial from the old buildings would be
worth more to the company than to
anyone else. and that it should allow
for it. There ought to be $500 raised
in the neighborhood of the factory, for
it was worth at least that much to
10 -,
from that locality.
John Nyquist said that it had been
hard to raise over $500 to 5000. Many
would like to give something, but are
too poor. The largest subscription was
$25. Several who were benefited the
most and could afford to give had not
subscribed anything.
Mr.. Works said that there seemed to
be an effort being made on the part
of other cities to get the plant. The
Commercial club of Owatonna had asked
whether the factory would consider a
$4,000 bonus to go there. Manager c.
p. Cooper had written to Mr. Higgs, rec
ommending that the factory be moved
to the Midway District, Minneapolis.
The actual value of the present site is
$1,000, or possibly $4,000.
f. NJ. Currier said that the people
of NIankato do not seem to recognize
the situation. There are two ways to
build a city. One is to hold out as
liberal inducements as competing cities,
and the other is to give fair treatment
to factories after you get them. Cir.
culars are coming here from as far
away as New York and Ohio in the
effort to get factories to move there.
If Mapkato expects to get beyond a
country town and expects the people to
come here with money the citizens have
got to wake up.
w. ID. Willard said that the citizens
would be making very serious mistake