The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-07-20

did thing. There are people here who
are opposed to the building of car
line. but after the railway was started
lall would be satisfied and it would make
the turning point of the city in progress
and population. This has been the his
tory of car lines the world over Talk
about the franchise being too liberal is
a bugaboe. The people here think that
they have something to give away, but
they have not, Street car people say
| that we have the necleus7 of city and
that street car line would develop it
and thus cause the stock to become pay
ing, They are willing to back their
Judgment by cash, but it is diseouraging
when our citizens will do nothing. They
say that not one city i nten was ever
presented with so liberal proposition
as Mankato, The most liberal franchise
that can be granted under the law would
be none too liberal to tide the company
over until the time when the line will
pay. The city has had several PROPOSE
tions from adventmers, but this is the
first time that bona fide offer has been
made. The moneyed man has been tied
down with a bond, yet the proposition
looks like a failure. Mr.. HiXOn asked
whether it was the desire of the club to
make one SUPREME effort to land the en-
terprise or to let it go by default.
Mr.. Hall Supports Proposition.
John NJ Hall said that the city had
never before had such proposition. If
it was to be sumbitted to South Da-
kato town half or a fourth the size of
Mankato it would be snapped up before
night He was surprised that some
names were not on the subscription
list. If the proposition cannot be COM
piled with in a few days he would begin
to think that Mankato had seen her
best days. Thirty years ago the city
would not have turned the proposition
down. Local people must take some
risk.
Il Judge Plymat said that the city
would meyer have a street railway un-
less the people help, and there was
never. so goodba time to help as now. He
moved that the door be locked and that
all present be asked to subscribe 500
in addition to what they had already
given.
DIR. Schmauss thought that if there
was some competition the amount would
be quickly raised. He suggested that
the matter be turned over to the fair
association boosters, who would raise
the balance needed The lighting COM
pany and the fair association ought to
favor the enterprise
President Hixon said that Mankato
should feel proud of its professional
men, They were always public spirited,
1 liberal and regular attendants at the
I meetings. If the other business men
would follow suit it would be good
thing. He called upon H. A. Patterson
for remarks.
Mr.. Patterson said that he was heart
lily in favor of street railway. ."The
lefty has reached the. point where the
street railway would be beneficial under
Icertain conditions and along proper
lines" he said "Nye should all give out
assistance to this proposition if it merits
it, and | believe it does"
| Mr. Hixon called upon DIR. Andrews
for remarks.
/ DR.. Andrews Talks Plainly.
DR.. Andrews said that he hesitated to
speak because he had not subscribed. He
gave the reason for not subscribing He
said that he had heretofore subscribed
literally to street railway and all other
projects for the benefit of Mankato. He
had subscribed $500 toward the st. Jos.
leph hospital, and 5000 toward the new
German Lutheran hospital. He had been
| PuohS oPiiitSu III ouu-
scriptions for anything for the good
of Mankato. "But here was cold fact, y
said the speaker. "Our business men
| from one end of the street to the other,
with few exceptions, are injuring Man
kato hospitals and destroying the bust
ness of MankatO physicians. You say
nightly that anybody has the. right to
go where he pleases for assistance when
he is sick. Suppose that when people
come from other towns to trade at
Brett's are surrounded by business and
professional men and urged not to 90
to Bretts, saying his goods were not
good, and advising them to 90 elsewhere,
and that their wives did the same. This
is exactly the fact in regard to Manka-
to physicians and hospitals. l do not
like to say this. Patients come to Man
kato from surrounding towns and would
leave quite little money in the city.
They have confidence in the Mankato
hospitals and physicians, but if they
happen to go to the stores to do any