The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-23
Arnory Site Chosen
Council Took Action
From Mondays Daily.


By a three to two vote in the
council this morning. the property
on the northeast corner of Plum ana
North Second streets was designated
as the site for the new armory TOT
Company H. The interest In the
armory site brought to the council
meeting forty or fifty prominent busi-
ness and professional men, and after
listening to remarks from severai
of them, Councilman Lamm moved
that a vote, on the armory site be tax
en-. This motion was carried, ana
then Councilman Lamm moved that
the Plum street lot be purchased 1or
$4,000. Councilman Lamm, Gerlich
and Bradley voted AYE" to the mo-
ton, and Mayor Meyer and Council
man Lack voted mo" There was
no discussion in the council on the
two sites, but several short talks
were made by citizens who were
working to have one of two lots
purchased.
Favored Central Location.
DR.. ]. w. Andrews was the first
speaker, and his argument was IN
favor of the purchase of the property
on South Second street owned by
George w. Scherer. This city needs
a convention hall such as would be
supplied by the new armory, sald
DR. Andrews, "and it should above
all things, be we'll and centrally To-
Gated. | fought hard, and went down
deeply into my own pocket for Wash
iuefon park, the Lutheran seminary
and the two hospitals, and am
fighting hard for this proposition In
regard to the wards, and to the pop
ulation of the city, the Scherer prop
erty is more centrally located than
the other. We are past the time OF
ward politics, and / wish We could
drop the terms, "up town" and down
town." This is a matter which
should satisfy all the people, and the
property on Second street between
Hickory and Walnut street is closer
RI the farther corner of Dukes addl-
ton than it is to West Mankato, so
why should we locate the armory
still farther from the west end OF
the city,"
Argued For Plum Street Site.
DR.. ]. A. Hielscher argued for the
Plum street site, and emphasized the
fact that this lot is on corner, and
on account of this fact much more
suitable for an armory site. h. e.
Jorsenson, a former representative
to the state legislature, favored the
site on the south side of Main street
and thought that this site would
more nearly accommodate all the
people. E. ]. Zimmerman, proprietor
of the Hotel Heinrich spoke for the
Plum street site, by saying that II
case of fire, the fact that three sides
of the building would be exposed
would make exit from the building
much easier. Louis Mayer did no
consider it good business policy t.
spend more money for the Schere
property than for the Plum stree
lot when the former lot is an insld
location, and the latter a corne
location.
Talked About "Party Walls"
Rev. A. F. Winter fired most O
the guns for the adherents of tn
Plum street site, and claimed tina
this corner was nearer to the stree
car line, was more centrally located
did away with the possible necessit
of building party walls" as he sal
might have to be done on the insid
lot on the South Second street, an
also that this lot was $4,000 cheape
He also condemned the terms, u
town" and down town" and sal
that all must work together for
greater Mankato.
DR.. A. F. Schmitt thought ths
Rev. Winters arithmetic was Ii
tie incorrect when he said that tn
Plum street site was more CENTRAL
located, and corroborated the sent
ments of DIR. Andrews in favor of til
South Second street property.
Henry Zimmerman made sho
talk in favor of the Plum stree
lot. claiming that the north end
Tie city utScENcu W nave lhC al hioi
built there. When asked to expires
his opinion, Captain A. o. Scott r
fused to do SO, saying that Il
company would accept any locatit
which the council would offer.
The council has now agreed
furnish the site for the armory, al
voted bonds in the sum of $4,000 f
the purchase of this site. The bon
are payable in five years, $500 ea'
year and draw five per cent intere!
This secures the $4,000 state aid {
the erection of the building; al
besides this, the citizens of Manka
will have to raise about $1,000 ad,
tional. The site must be approx
by the state board of armory dire
tors, which consists of the colont
of three Minnesota regiments a.
the adjutant general Colonel C.
Johnson of this city is a memb
of this board.
The property selected is owned
George Hoerr and not the Hoerr
tate.
A communication from the co
mittee appointed by the couI
commissioners to investigate a
proposition of building a county
berculosis sanatorium, was read