Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-08-03
A ROUs|NG MEETING
DecOrah Commercial Club Discusses
Matters Of Interest to DecOrah
and Vicinity.
TRAIN SERVICE TAKEN VI
New Officers Elected, Hospital Pro-
ject, Gas Plant and Other I'M
prOvements for DecOrah
Interest Business Men
of the City.


of the City.
The largest and most enthusias-
tic meeting of the Decorah Com
mercial Club in recent years was
held at the city hall on Friday eve-
ming when the council chamber and
a portion of the clerks Office was
packed with business and profess
siOnal men of the city, who had
responded to the call for the pur-
pose of a general discussion of mat
ters pertaining to the upbuilding and
Improvement of the city of Decorah.
Everyone present seemed imbued
with the booster spirit, and the
various talks and discussions of the
evening were animated and en-
thusiastic, showing the desire on the
part Of all the business men to get
together for the general good of the
best city of its size in the United
States.
The meeting was called to order
by the president, G. F. Baker, and
Fred Biermann acted as secretary
pro tenn. The matter of the cleo
ton of officers for the ensuing year
was taken up, and the following
were elected: President, G. F. Ba-
ker; Secretary, H. J. Green; Treas
urer, Ben Bear; Executive Commit
tee, e. j. Curtin, C. ]. Weiser, N. L.
Bailey. H. A. Warner, E. C. Bailey,
H. Engbretson, and ]. j. Hopper
stad.
The meeting was then turned into
a general discussion of various p;o-
jects looking toward the improve
ment and advancement of Decorah.
including the proposed extension Of
the Rock Island railroad to Owa-
tonna, Mimi; the running of the
short line train on the Rock Island
from West Union up to Decorah at
night; the securing of additional
train sssxice over the Milwaukee.
meeting all trains at Calmar, as
we'll as getting some agreement as
to better track facilities, so that
circuses, carnivals, etc., may be
brought to Decorah; the county hos
pital project; the new gas plant;
the manufacturing plants of the
city, and various other matters in
which all public spirited citizens
should be interested. A number of
the business men were called upon
and gave short talks upon these
matters, among whom were H. Eng
bretson, H. ]. Green, L. B. Whit
ney, Ben Bear, e. A. Waterbury,
c. N. HOuck, H. A. Warner, I. w.
Brunt. Ray Algyer, DR.. p. M. Jew
ell, DR.. A. F. Barfoot, DR.. A. ].
Swezey, DR.. T. StabO. and possibly
others. The speakers took up diff
ferent phases of the various matters
discussed, and all expressed their
enthusiasm and belief in the fu-
ture of Decorah. The hospital pro.
ject was discussed at length, and
those present were found to be un-
animously in favor of it. 1t was
shown that 1t would be a financial
gain for the county. outside of the
great convenience, and oftentimes
the means of saving life; that the
railroad fare alone paid out by the
people Of Winneshiek county to 60
to hospitals in other places would
easily support the hospital; that the
fact that the payment for 1t would
be stretched over ten years would
make 1t SO light that no one would
notice it.; these and other reasons
were advanced, all of which show
ed the great benefit coming to the
county from such an institution.
Something like thirty new names
were added to the roll of members
Of the Commercial Club, and it was
decided to hold regular meetings on
the last Friday evening of each
month in the future.
Letters were read which had been
received from parties contemplating
the construction of an ice and cold
storage plant In Decorah. and di-
rected to be answered.. Also with
reference to the building of a rail-
road from Winona. Minn. through
Preston. Decorah. Waterloo. Grin
nell and to Des Moines. giving us
a direct southwestern connection.
These, and various other matters
held the meeting until a late hour,
and the business men went home
feeling that 1t had been time well
spent, that there is an opportunity
to do great things for Decorah by
getting together. and that the Com
mercial Club 10 the means through
which to do them.