The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-16
EXERCISES CARRIED OUT
Many People We're Present TO Win SIS
the Ceremonies And View
The St ucturs.


Lutheran hospital. to the purposes to
which it was erected" So spoke Rev.
A. F. Winter in solemn tones in front
OF the magnificent hospital shortly be-
fore noon today, as he concluded the
dedicatory services, in which he had the
main part, assisted by several other
German Lutheran pastors.
The church building on North Second
street was crowded to it's full capacity
this forenoon. Hundreds from surround
ing towns were present, and other hun
dreds arrived on the noon trans and were
present at the afternoon services. It
had ben planned to hold the forenoon
and afternoon services in Central park,
close to the hospital building, but the
fall of snow caused the plans to be
hastily revised, and the services were
held in the church, except the actual
dedicatory services, which were held in
front of the hospital.
Numerous congregations in southern
Minnesota sent from ten to twenty of
their membership to witness the dedi-
cation. Among the towns thus repre-
scented were New Ulm, st. James, Will
low Creek, Good Thunder, Blue Earth,
Vernon Center, South Branch, CORTLAND,
Nicollet, Truman, st. Peter and st. Clair.
Had it not been for the fall of snow,
it is estimated that several thousand
people from out of the city would have
been present, but many who had intend
ed coming live on farms remote from
depots and could not well drive long
distances with such sloppy roads.
Had more come they could not have
gained entrance to the church, for that
was filled at all of the services. Ample
preparations had been made to feed the
strangers, and dinner and supper were
served in the basement of the hospital
and in the German Lutheran school. The
meals were toothsome, and were served
by the ladies of the German and Nor
wegian Lutheran congregations of this
city.
The morning services were begun at
1880 o'clock, with a hymn by the con
gregation. The liturgy before the altar
and scripture reading followed, and then
another hymn was sung
Rev. c. G. Seltz of Truman, the fnan-
cial agent for the hospital construction,
gave a preliminary address that was lis
tened to with marked interest. He gave
a historical sketch of the establishment
of hospitals, from earliest times to the
present, and told of the circumstances
that had led to the construction of the
new Emmanuel hospital in Mankato.
The hospital associat ion had been formed
two years ago, and after much nego-
tiation the heirs of the late Colonel
pOurtelfotte agreed to sell the TOurtel-
lotte hospital building to the associa-
ton. This was considered as very
favorable move until it was ascertained
that the city was not willing to 90 to
the large expense of extending the wa
tel mains and sewers to the building.
Efforts of property owners failed, and
i was then decided to purchase a new
location, and the land that the city had
purchased of the Omaha road, compris-
ing half block of land, was bought at
just the price the city had paid for it.
The Tourtellotte hospital building had
been torn down, and the material taken
from it was used in the construction of
the new building, which amounted to
quite an item.
Different congregations were called for
assistance in raising funds for the con-
struction of the hospital, and many of
them responded literally. About $4,000
has thus far been raised in this way,
and there are still some congregations
to be seen. Some subscriptions were also
secured among the citizens of Mankato
irrespective of denomination. The hos
pital will not have a very excessive debt
to start with if the collections to be
made at the building during the day
realize as much as is hoped for.
Rev. lSeltz then spoke upon the text
from Romans, 6:23: "The wages Of
sin is death, but the gift of the Lord
is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our
Lord" He brought out the idea of the
wages of sin being death by referring
to the sad side of life, with its sin and
sickness and death, and then spoke of
the joyful promise of eternal life
through Jesus Christ. The hospital was
one of the instruments for healing the
sick and thus ameliorating suffering, and
the church fulflls the same purpose with
the sinful souls of men.
After another hymn, Rev. F. Photen-
hauer of Hamberg, president of the Min
nesota and Dakota district of the Mis-
souri, synod, preached the dedicatory SER
mon. This, like all of the former exer-
cises and services, was in the German
language. 1t was an able discourse, the
q