The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-11-20

N Line Company, was
Pres. Philo Hall here from Minneap-
oils and spent the day as the CONNER
cial Clubs guest, and at the evening
meeting he outlined the progress Of the
road and its plans in so far as Brook
ings was concerned. Following the
meeting a grand banquet was served
at the Leon hotel, to celebrate the
change of management, and Mr.. Luce
and Prof. N. E. Hansen, the plant ex-
plorer of the State College, were the
guests Of honor. The occasion was
one of the most pleasant that the club
has ever participated in and it seems
certain also to be the most profitable
one.
MI. Luce arrived on the early norm
ing train in time to see the big Hobo
Day" parade, which interested him
greatly and he said that it was one of
the best stunts he had ever seen. He
was formerly a member of the Univer-
sity of Minnesota football team and is
a great football fan, and he enjoyed
the game in the afternoon between the
college and the School of Mines i'm
mensely. He attended the meeting
and banquet in the evening and de-
clared just before leaving for home
that the day was n of the most en-
joyable he had ever spent.
The Commercial Club meeting was
called to order at the assembly room
at eight o'clock by President Hall.
Every seat was taken and many stood
up. Mr.. Hall said that it had been an
eventful day, as the city had escaped
from the ravages of the hoboes and
squaws and the college had won a big
football victory. He gave a short his
tory of the growth Of the college and
city, and said that the question with
Brookings was not one Of regrets for
the past but of hopes for the future.
I1C IHClIiouCu LhS Cultl luptItOL VI
the meeting-the electric road-and
told how anxious Brookings was to get
this line and how much it needed it.
He then introduced President Luce.
Mr.. Luce told Of how much he had
enjoyed the hoboes and sQuaws and
the football game, and of how well i'm
pressed he was with Brookings. He
then launched in the subject nearest
his heart and the one that the au-
dience was most anxious to hear
about. He explained how he and his
father came to be interested in the
electric road. Some ten years ago
they were the owners of a big string
of grain elevators, but f~orseeing the
coming Of the farmers cooperative
elevators they sold out. Where to
best invest their money was a problem
but after much investigation they
chose the electric railway field. They
went to work quietly and it took them
five years to get title to the present
splendid terminal property of the
company in the heart Of the whole
sale district and close to the retail,
hotel and theatre districts of Mime
apolis. With this important work
completed they started the actual work
of building the line westward. They
proposed to build forty miles of road
free Of Indebtedness and bond the
line to extend the work on westward.
They had expected to retain the com
plete ownership of the road them
selves, but a Q by prominent bank.
ers and business men Of Minneapolis
induced them to form a stock com
pany. The bankers and business men
asked for an opportunity to invest in
the stock Of the company, and Presi.
dent Rogers Of the Minneapolis Com.
merce and Civic association, at the
request of the Luces, appointed q com.
mittee OF prominent men to go over
the company's books and investigate
it's immediate and future prospects.
This report was so highly favorable to
the company that they found ready
backing from the most prominent
bankers and business men, including