The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-06-17

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erecting fine building to rent. The
street ears had also come since the
first meeting.
The First Speaker
l.. =. Hunt responded to the toast,
How Do We Stack Up?" He opened
by compimenting the club upon its
splendid attendance. In no city could
there have turned ont as fine look
ing and intellectual body of men as
here tonight. He was extremely graf
flied to know that the Commercial club
was doing a splendid work. He had
made an effort as editor of The Free
Press to bring both ends of the city
together. but it had been slow work
He had noticed that two years ago
the building of a bridge had been en-
Joined. simply because it was to he To-
Gated in certain part of the city.
This was not the way to build cities
The work of the Commercial club to-
day is to build up the city. Indifference
TO progress and to civic betterment
are not intended To help. All should
work for the city and they will be
benefited indirectly.
No Prettier Valley Anywhere.
There is no prettier valley than that
or the Minnesota river, nor prettier
city than Mankato, and it can be
made so much prettier that the resi-
IL 4,
This is the best city in the state, not
the largest. but the best things are
often put up in small packages. Such
meeting cannot but be beneficial
to all He hoped that the club would
be a large, influential body, that would
do things and not let its efforts get
no further than talk
ID. NJ. Neil of Redwing, president
of the State Federation of CONNER
cial clubs. spoke at length on "Commer-
common error for people of town
to get the idea That other towns were
doing much better than their town is.
He endorsed heartily the sentiments OF
the last speaker regarding Mankato. No
location i'm the state was more beautiful
except one. With the natural scenery
and beautiful residence streets, he did
not know where to find a more ex-
quisite place to live. 1t resembled Red
wing. The paving was credit to the
city. The street ear service is yet in
embryo, but is yet going to be po
tent factor in building up the city.
The public buildings have substan
tial appearance. With such signs OF
prosperity all about, it must be I'M
pleasant to good citizens to view such
an exhibition as you have on your
principal streets. (Applause.)
The modern Commercial club is the
successor of the old corner grocery 1t
is the collector and distributor of
public sentiment. Our time is so taken
up that unless we do it in such clubs
there is little chance to discuss NUM-
cipal questions. How else is the gov
eminent to learn what the people
supply this information, but they are
influenced to some extent by their own
views. Newspaper men are entitled to
a great deal more credit than they get.
They give the public a great deal more
than they get back from it,
Hint to Men Not Present.
The speaker said that it was the men
lt' IA no
doing their part for the public ser
vice, that he ought to speak 10. He
hoped that those present would carry
the message to them. There ought not
to be any undesirable citizens in any
city. The man who works only for
his own ends is an undesirable citizen.
To make of them desirable citizens
should be one of the aims of the Com
mercial club, thus at the same time
acquiring good thing and getting rid
of bad one. Many will say that they
have no time to give. but it is the
rule that the man who does give his
time is the ore who has more business
of his own than any of the others.
If there is any one thing to the
credit of Mankato it is the wdlderful
work that it has done on the highways.
and the speaker had been told that one
of the busiest men in the city was
entitled to most of the credit for it,
If so, Mankato owes him debt of
gratitude that it never will be able
to pay. The speaker had found no
where else in the state as good roads
as around Mankato. This was the very
best advertisement that the community
could get. Newspaper articles that
cost nothing are a first class method
of advertising. People know that men
have done these things. and men are
what make communities. One of the
first purposes of a Commercial club
is to get the drones out of the hive