The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-05-08
BANQUET ENJOYED LAST NIGHT
GROWING EVENT Of THE BIG DAY;
MANY SAT- At THE FESTIVE BOARD
"Mankato For Mine" and Boost Were Slogans
Of Speakers; Their Enthusiasm Permeated
Large Audience.

Guided Mr.. Palmer, bringing forth a
big burst of applause.
Mr. Emery introduced a young bust
ness man, who although he made few
hits on the baseball diamond, scored
heavily in an Indirect way i'll many
occasions when the general welfare of
Mankato was involved-Mr. II. \. Pat
1 terson.
Enterprise Will Pay.
' Mr. Patterson discussed the topic:
"Will the Street Railway Pay?"
+ He believed that while the invest
ment might not pay in dollars and
cents, it would be profitable in the
point of benefits to be returned TO Man
kato. Whether it would pay would
depend largely upon the support ac-
corded it by stockholders and citi-
zens. One great advantage the local
company enjoys. is the fact that its
property was constructed upon COM
parativelv small investment. The local
trackage represents an expenditure OF
from $4,000 to $1,000 per mile
That of tthe Twin City Rapid Transit
company represents cost many times
$4,000 per mile.
Mr.. Patterson referred to the fact
that the directors can succeed only III
the same measure as those who sub
scribed to the project, and bespoke
for the street railway the cooperation
of every citizen of Mankato. He cited
the need of ball team for Mankato
and the need of good ball park.
Mr. Patterson interpreted his remarks
with a few good stories and was well
received.
Rev. Mr. Emery then introduced Mr.
+. VI. Currier, who gave Il very inter
esting talk on Mankato as iobbing
point Several things are necessary
to make city grow, Mr.. Cur
rier remarked, and then referred
to the question of freight rates,
which is his hobby, and upon
which he is beginning to be considered
a crank he said An outlet at the
head of the lakes, Mr.. Currier said
would prove great boom to the en-
tire west, which would then be re-
moved from eastern competition. Lit
tie could be accomplished at present
i'm the way of rate benefits, inasmuch
as the whole question of freight rates
now is tied up pending decisions in
the supreme courts. The only thing
for jobber to do now is to go after
| new business as hard as ever he can.
! The street railway would probably re-
, turn small profit to the Mankato job
! bers for the present at least, ncyerthe
less, Mr.. Currier expects that in
, time this section of the country will
F., be network of electric lines which
will bring great improvements-bet
terments in the next twenty-fi years
which will far surpass thoss of TWEEN
ty-five years past.
Mayor Andrews Is Enthusiastic.
Mayor j. w. Andrews was intro
duced and delivered very impressive
and effective speech May first, 1908,
would 90 down in Mankato's history
as very suspicious day. On this day
$4,000 of the cty's Indebtedness had
been paid off. On this day, the street
railway system had commenced oper
ations. When the doctor boarded a car
| for the first time yesterday morning
| his feelings We're such rs could better
| be imagined than expressed. He felt
as if he would like to put him arms
around Mankato and hug her to his
heart. He preferred to the long ear
nest effort to procure Il street railway
system for Mankato, which was well
recited in an article last evening, in
one of the enterprising local newspa-
pers. He wished to supply, however,
a chapter, adding the story of the
winter of 1856 when he was a coun-
Gilman and secured from Messrs. r.
d. Hubbard and John Meagher an
! agreement to build a trolley line in
Mankato provided the city would give
them contract for city lighting for
five years at the rate of Sis per
are. This was brought before the
council which ignored it and nothing
ever came of it.
| DIR. Andrews then spoke at length
in complimentary terms of the boosters
organization, Mankato as a place of
reside and closed with dramatic
tribute to the directors of the Mankato
Electric Traction company. He was
frequently interrupted by applause
cheers
The POSTMASTER then enlivened the
program, saying that DR.. Andrews re-
marks might be summed up in Man
kato for Mine!" and then this yell
was given by the entire assembly.
!! The next speaker was Henry E.
! Hance, who was introduced as Il good
iinisher"-a man who, although re-
tired from the clothing business was
still delivering the goods"
! Hance on Past and Future
Mr.. Hance opened his remarks by
| saying that the gathering meant more
to him, perhaps, than any other man
present. He wished to say that he
had worked conscientiously also that no
five miles of trolley line had been
built. during 1907 with as small an
investment as the five miles in Man
kato. He was delighted over the char
acter of the property which is far SUI
perior to that in most towns of Man
kato's size.
Mr.. Hance believes tnat Mankato
is on the eve of something greater
and better and urges the citizens to
do all possible to realize as much
as possible from the prospects.
Mr.. Hance plead for interurban ex-
tensions, quoting statistics to show the
excellent investment they are proving in
other localities, and served notice that