The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-03
BOOST A GOOD THING.
BUSINESS MEN BOOST THE IN
TERURBAN PROPOSITION.
Believe Enterprise Would Be Benefi-
cial to Mankato; Number of Inter
views Are Indicative of State of
Public Mind; One Resident States
That He Would Build 1t Himself
if He Had the Capital.

ManKato business men as . rule
seem to favor the proposition to build
an electric railway from this city to
Savage, to connect with the Dan Patch
= line to the twin cities Several of them
expressed their views today, as fol-
lows:
Henry Kruse: If they expect to
raise great deal of money in Man
kato it would be a difficult matter
Possibly $4,000 to $4,000 of stock
might be subscribed for locally. 1t
would probably help the city more
than it would hurt it, especially if the
fare was not put so low that people
would be induced to do their trading in
the big cities. Towns located close
by such big cities are drained, as is
the case with Saltwater, but Mankato
is far enough away so that it would
cost considerable and take much time
to take trip to the cities. In Iowa,
same size, and they do not draw bust
ness from one another"
Would Build 1t Himself.
George w. Monks: Il am in favor
of it. If | had the money / would
build it myself. Everything like this
helps the city. There ought to be a
line from Mapleton to Mankato, as the
farmers have a long haul in that direc-
ton. and the roads are not the best.
w. j. Merchant: 'The road would
hurt the merchandise Mankato. When
| was in Indiana | noticed that the
roads running into Indianapolis hurt
the small cities that they connect with.
What we want is lines coming from
the smaller places to Mankato.'
Joseph Stahl: at would be all
right"
George w. Sugden: ut is only a
matter of time when this whole coun-
try will be covered with network of
electric lines If Mankato gets III on
the ground floor, it will have the adj
vantage of being a center for busl-
ness
Thinks 1t a Good Thing.
w. d. Willard: Il don't know
enough about the present proposition
to express thoughts upon it, but L
think that il would be a great thing
to have line built along the general
line of the route suggested in the pa
per last evening. 1t would be good
thing both for the city and the coun-
try and would be good paying prop
osition"
F. NJ. Currer: 81 hardly know what
to say. As general proposition,
think it would be a good thing. This is
the history of interurban lines in the
eastern states, so far as | know just
what effect it would have upon Man
kato | don't know, of course, but 1t
might hurt us in some ways and might
help us in others, but on the whole
have no doubt but what it would be
beneficial
Dr. j. w. Andrews: Steam rail
ways sometimes hurt a town because
they build up new towns in parts OF
the country that were tributary to thu
towns already in existence before the
railroads were built This is not thu
history of electric interurban railways
they always build up the towns alread.
in existence, as well as develop thu
country through which they run. Their
is but one question before the peopl
of Mankato as to the great benefit
this city will receive from the buildin!
of electric interurban railways connect
ing Mankato with other towns AM
cities; that question is answered in tn
affirmative. The proposed interurbal
connecting NIankato with the twi
cities would be worth untold thousand
to Mankato. 1t will tap a very ric
country much of the trade of whic
would come here