The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-02-21
Court House and Lake Shore Lots Do
Not Meet With General Approval
Because of Distance.
CHOICE NARROWED TO TWO
Business Men Favor the Land Near,
Beltrami and Fifth or on :
Second Street. IA

With the passing of an appropria-
ton bill by the national house of
Representatives allowing $4,000 for
new federal building for Bemidji,
speculation is rife as to the proper To-
cation of the building. It appears
that there are several sites available
from the point Of view Of convenience
but the price at which the land is
held is believed SO high that the
amount left for the structure may be
depleted. g.; ;
For some time it has been the gen.
eral opinion that the half block OPP
posite the court house has been kept
}by the town site company in order
that the federal building might be
placed there. Since it has been
learned that the money for a federal
building is available, there has devel-
oped much opposition among the bug
Mess men to that site. - .,
The general argument put forth
Thy the busienss men is that the court
house site is too far from the business
district Many concerns do a large
mail order business and it is -neces-
sary to have mail delivered as soon as
the trains arrive in order that an
swers may go back on the next re-
turning train. Often the time be-
tween trains is so short that it would
be impossible to answer mail deliver
ed by carrier. The only recourse,
then, would be to special messen-'
ger.
Interviews with about fifteen bus
mess men brought out the fact that
the site generally favored is the one
opposite the present postofice: Should
the building be placed on. the inside
lots, it will be necessary to- purchase
six; on the outside lot, five only will J.
be necessary. The corner lot is own.
ed by the townsite company, the two.
next by the Odd Fellows AMI the in
side ones by the town site company.
Other locations talked for the
building are the lots on the north
west corner of Bemidji avenue and
Fourth street facing the lake, the
same corner of Bemidji and Third
street, and the same corner Of Bel
trami and Second streets. OF these
three, the last mentioned appears to
be the most favored inasmuch as 1t Is
within the quarter mile zone of the
depots and the railroads, would then
have to deliver the mail to the build
ing without charge.
Another argument put forward In
favor of this location is that sight
ly federal building there would i'm
prove the first appearance of the city
to people coming here for the first
time and would also be nearer for the
mills and wholesale houses. With
the new Markham hotel and possibly
q new Rex, the view from the rail-
roads would be solid line Of sub
stantial well built structures.
It has been proposed that meet
ing of the Commercial club be held
in order that the different opinions
might be brought forward and pos
sibly q decision reached before. the
government engineer who will pur-
chase the property arrives. Postmas-
ter "A. r. Erickson said this morning
that he believed the engineer will be
here within three months and that
the property will be bought at once
II the people are agreed on a location.
II the building is located on inside
lots, land must be provided for 2
forty foot space on each side OF the
building as the government assumes
its own are risk and will not place IS
building within forty feet Of another
49,