The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-27
HOSPITAL PROPOSITION is WELL
RECEIVED BY MANKATO CITIZENS

ter and Mankato are now under con
sideration. The building would cos
$4,000 to $4,000 exclusive of site
and it was expected that the citN get
ting it would furnish the site and
goodly sum of money. 1t would no
compete with the other hospitals 10
Gated here if Mankato got it. |
would draw from the church member
ship who now go to Rochester, tn
Twin Cities and other points. If tn
hospital was located here, nearly al
would come here. The association ha
1000 members in Minnesota, and tn
hospital would also draw from north
ern Iowa and the Dakotas. Friends
would come to visit the patients, ant
doubtless some would be struck will
the beauty of the city and locate here
The committee had been shown +;
number of desirable sites. If thu,
city wants the hospital, the COMMITTEES
would present the claims of MankatC
to the best of its ability. 1t would
then be up to the conference to weigl
the claims of the competing cities
and make a choice.
Me Juliar a director, spoke of the
success of the two hospitals now 10.
Gated here, and said that both are
filed and are talking of building addi'
tions. Good hospitals draw good doe.
tors. The new hospital would hurt
nobody, but do a lot of good. If the
city goes after it, he would donate
$500.
r. NJ. Weber said that hospitals
bring people to a city and make bust.
ness for the hotels etc. The Com
mercial club should do what it could
to bring people to Mankato.
Mr.. Currier Favored Hospital.
+. NJ. Currier said that he was
heartily in accord with the sentiments
already expressed. Looking at the
matter i'm the broad sense, the city
must get new institutions. Hospitals
bring lots of money to a city. They
are the principal industry in Roches7
ter. Mankato will be the most desir-
able city for the location of the new
institution, People are ~patrOnizing
hospitals more than ever before, and a
new one would not injure the local
hospitals. He would contribute, and
suggested that the Commercial club APP
point a committee to try to meet the
best that it can and show its good
will and get right after the new hos
pital.
DR.. A. +. Schmitt said that he
favored hospitals. When Emmanuel
hospital was started, the question
arose whether it would not injure
st. Joseph's hospital, but it was fin
ally decided that it would not, and
now both hospitals are full The last
annual report of st. Joscph's hospital
shows that it had 81 more patients
than the previous year, although I'm
manuel hospital was in operation. The
second hospital helped st. Joseph's
rather than injured it. Both
hospitals are now talking of building
additions, one of thirty beds and the
other of forty beds. The Evangelical
hospital is to be built either at st.
Paul or Mankato. If it is located at
st. Paul, the patronage that it will
draw will 90 there and not to the
present Mankato hospitals. Ii we
want to help st. Paul or Rochester
let us not get this new hospital. If
we get it, people will come here who
have not been here in the past. and
it will help to advertise Mankato as
a medical and surgical center and so
help all of the hospitals. We should
try to get the hospital.
Postmaster veigers Suggestion.
A. j. Veigel suggested that the city
give as a site one of the half blocks
North Fourth street that it bought
of Judge Cray for park purposes, and
keep the other for a park. The wishes
of those who contributed toward the
purchase of this land should be con-
suited, however. The hospital would
have nice grounds and the city would
be under the expense of keeping
up that half block. If the city will
do this, there will be a good chance
of getting the hospital.
F.. W. Hunt said that he was al
glad to see new institutions
come to the city. There are two
hospitals here now, and he would
like to see two more if they were
needed, and they would be needed
the way people are flocking here.
Hans Jorgenson favored trying to
get the hospital. Mankato is second
to none as a school town. He would
do all he could to assist in get
ting another hospital.
DIR. j. NJ. Edwards said that the
success of the Rochester hospitals
was largely due to the good work done
by the physicians there. Mankato is
getting some reputation in this line,
and the J mortality in the Mankato
hospitals is lower than i'm the Roches-
ter hospital. Some eases are taken
there when they should rather be TAX
EN- to al undertaken. Both of the local