The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-11
An interesting Meeting Largely
Bridse Advocated Over

anu WIS idTSc duuh- cutn'cidSllc
gathering. If such meetings could be
held every month, it would mean
something for the city. Scvcrai pro-
iccts were taken up and given a boost
forward. President Nyquist presided
Secretary Otto presened financial
rfort for The past year. The balance
ON hand at the beginning of the year
was Sl4S.29, and the dues and collec
tons. except for good roacs, were
Sl,020.70. The collections for good
reads were $46072, making a total OF
$l,4Sl.i2. The disbursements were
Sl.50S.70. so that the club was S27.2S
behind but Mr.. Otto said that there
is $40 subscribed for road improve
ment that can be had any time tnat
it is gone after. The amount expended
on road Improvement was $63440.
The report of the good roads com
mittee was received and accepted. as
appears i'll another column.
w. NJ. Wigham of Mahnomen, Mimi,
was present and was called upon for
remarks Mr.. Wigham is president OF
the Mahnomen Publishing company,
publishers of the Poultry World, and
lac Is also editor of it. He said that
he was glad TO see that MankatO has
live Commercial club. He was pres
idcnt of the one at Mahnomen, and
it was surprising to see how much
good could be done by one. His club
had raised $l,7O0 for good roads, III
though Mahnomen has been 800 to 600
population, and it had also raised
$1,000 and sent II delegation To Wash
ington, which had succeeded in getting
legislation to allow the Indians to sell
their land. Speaking of his printing
plant. Mr.. Wigham stated that it was
one of the largest in the state, out
side of the large cities, and that his
poultry journal was larger than any
west of Chicago. The town has but
one railroad and is go miles north
magazine was to be improved so Us to
compete with the biggest i'll the coun
Try it was necessary to have u new
building and machinery, and his com
pany had decided TO locate elsewhere.
1t had thought OF locating i'll Mime
apolis, but the local poultrymen want
ed it brought to Mankato. Tie COM
pany had issued $4,000 OF preferred
stock, bearing nine per cent interest,
for sale, and if the business men of
Mankato would take $1,000 of it the
company would move to Mankato. The
,,,f lriI l.
ing and at least fifteen skilled work
men and their families would move to
the city OH the start. The company
was also about to publish Il farm pa
per- 1t was not coming to compete
with the present printing establish
mcnts, for it makes a speciality OF
poultrymen's catalogues.
c. II. Wilson, secretary of the Wig
ham Publishing company, was also
called upon, and said that the poultry
industry is Il very large one, and that
there are several large journals of wide
circulation. His company's paper has
1900 circulation, and it was expected
to increase il to 100000. 1t would also
get out poultry books, and all this
would be a good crtioement for
Mankato.
President Nyquist told what Il good
move it mad been when the club got
the incubator factory located i'll the
city, for now it has grown to large
proportions. He called upon IL. +.
Neubert to tell how the business has
grown.
Incubator Factory's Growth.
Mr.. Neubert said that he was well
pleased with the success of the fac
tory, and he was working all that
he had room for in his factory, TWEEN
ty-six or twentyseven people, besides
children who work afternoons and Sat
urdays He could sell three times as
many incubators if he had the capa
city. lie would have to increase the
size of his plant, either by building
or by purchasing another building. lie
had to have four times the capacity
that he now has. He was 100 machines
behind in his orders. He could en-
ploy 100 men and get rid of the out
put easily. The location of the poul-
try journal in Mankato would help
his. business, as one thing helps an
other, and it would also advertise Man
kato.
w. ID. Willard said that he was well
impressed with Mr.. Wigham's PROPOSE
ton. and he thought that the club
ought to back it up.
Mr.. Wigham was asked as to his
capitalization, and said that it was
$l25.OO of which 100000 was com
mon stock, and the rest preferred. The
common stock had no guarantee of div
idends. After the preferred stock had
been paid its nine per cent dividends,
it would also get one-tifth of whatever
profit was left over. Mr.. Wigham said
that he had taken fifty one per cent
of the common stock of the company
i'll full payment for his interest.
Theodore Williams moved that a
committee be appointed to investigate
the proposition, and if it thought
favorable of it to draw up plans by
which the money needed can be raised.
Mr.. Wigham was asked as to what
his plant consisted Of, and he said that
the company would bring to MankatO