The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-08-08

| for suitablt park sites, and said thai
the Fred Kron's picnic grounds OF
Nicollet avenue cauld be purchased
for $500. The Frank Mention prop
erty at the end of Nicollet avenue
he said was held at $4,000. w. e
Stewart reported that William Page
would sell several lots on Range
street for $1,000 per acre. w. S
Hunt of Lake Crystal was present
and offered to sell three lots on
Page street for $4,000. A. L. Wheel
err offered to sell the lots near the
river where the ball park and shoot
ing ground were formerly situated
for $4,000
F. w. Lossow favored very much
the Hodapp property and Mud lake
providing the lake could be so i'm
proved to afford a bathing place. II
this was done, Mr. Lossow had no
doubt but that the street car line
would be extended from this side
of the river to the park and the
people from this side would be very
grateful for the bathing privileges.
Mr. Ball said that the street car
line would be extended as soon as
new bridge across the river was
built Mr.. Stewart agreed with Mr..
Lossow in the selection of the park
site, but said that all the other Of
fers were very reasonable. Judge I.
Roessler said that the village need
ed the park, but that a new bridge
was a great necessity. Mr.. Ball said
that Henry Robel had the bridge in
his pocket, and that he had the car
line extension in his coat sleeve,
and that all that was needed was
the park C. A. Keene advised buy
ing the park site before the bridge
was built, because the prices of real
estate would rise sudu.nly after the
construction of the bridge. Mr.. Ro
bel said that he couldn't build
the bridge any more than Mr.. Ball
could extend the car line, but he
urged that everyone boost for the
bridge, and get both Blue Earth and
Nicollet counties to get busy on the
proposition right away Mr.. Robel
thought that the corporation of the
Commercial club, if it were formed,
would not have money enough to
do business in the right way, and if
the Hodapp property was selected,
he saw no need of corporation
anyway, because the village could
certainly stand $1,000 expense in
three years for park improvement
Attorney j. E. Regan of Mankato,
advised that this $1,000 could be
levied as taxes for park improve.
ment at the rate of $500 per year,
as under the general laws of 1901,
the village was allowed to do this,
but could not issue bonds for the
purchase of park property without a
five-eighths vote of the people He
suggested that a committee be ap-
pointed to look into the finances of
the village, and see just how much
bonded Indebtedness there is at pres
ent, and how much more it can
stand. According to law, a village
can bond itself for not more than
ten per cent of the assessed valua-
ton of all the property in its linn
it's. He vetoed the corporation idea,
and said that if at the end of ten
years, the village did not see fit to
buy the park, the Commercial club
would still have it on hand and that
there would be no revenue coming
in to maintain it. Joseph Leonhardt
favored the selection of the Hodapp
property, and held the opinion that
the village could at least take care
of the $1,000 for improving it. Mr.
Stewart thought that if the lake was
dredged and bathing beach pro
vided, Mankato ought to stand half
of the cost of the improvement. F.
H. Ehlers asked where the filing for
the drive would come from, and Mr.
Hodapp answered that it could be
taken from the lake.
Mr.. Ball was doubtful if the vii
lage could purchase the additional
six and three-fourth acres, and pay
for the Improvements also, and he
said that the park would not be ade
quate without this addition for a
ball park and picnic grounds. There
fore he offered to head a list of one
hundred subscribers giving $40 each
for the purchase of the additional
tract. as a donation to the village
Mr.. Robel thought that the issue OF
bonds was unnecessary, and L. L
Larson suggested that vote of all
the people be taken on raising the
necessary $1,000. D. Donahue ia
vored the subscription idea, as the
cost of special election would BIZ
eliminated, no corporation would BIZ
required, and the cost of corpora
ton would also be cut out M. C
Johnson, T. e. Lindholm and ]. B
! Coy expressed themselves of tn.
same mind. Ed. Guggiesburg of Man
kato said that the cost of maintain
ing parks was considerable. HI
said thatrit/ cost Mankato $4,000 pei
year to keep up its parks, and es
! timated that it would cost NORTH