The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-10-15
Much Encouragement Is Given
To Independent Chautauqua
Proposition
From Fridays Daily.

kato Commercial club In the Elks'
dining room last evening, made
things look very hopeful for the
project, though there is still a great
deal of work TO be done and many
questions to be answered.
The only action that the club took
was to continue the committee OF
which F. E. Crandall is chairman and
leave the matter in the hands OF that
body. But the talk brought out that
there was an excellent prospect of the
leading citizens OF Mankato and
North Mankato getting together on
the proposition. In a general way
the sentiment was nearly unanimous
in favor of the proposed addition to
the union depot and the filling in OF
the river that must go with those
changes.
AS A. c. Edwards. president of the
North Mankato Commercial club,
tersely put II. the people OF North
Mankato did not like the idea Of hav-
ing the river showed over on them
when they we're trying to keep dry.
Still they were as anxious as anybody
else TO see the depot improvements
go ahead.
the resolution adopted by the
North Mankato Commercial club ar
the meeting OF the night before rec
commended q I'LL OF not more than
twenty feet. but Mr.. Edwards stated
that was rather the idea of the COM
mittee than OF the club members in
general and he did not think there
would be any serious opposition on
the part OF North Mankato people
TO the project of filling in forty feet.
Maintain Capacity Of Channel.
Other North Mankato representa-
tives who spoke on the subject were
]. B. Nielsen. w. f. Stewart and Louis
Larson, and the general trend OF
their talk was that North Mankato
would favor any reasonable plan,
which would not iniure their property
or shove the current of the river
over upon them TO eat into their
holdings. The great point was to
maintain the present capacity OF the
channel.
Mr.. Crandall, Judge Lorin Cray and
F. NJ. Currier all took the position
that Il would not be wise TO go be-
for the Omaha company with a prop
osition of building the yards out into
the river only twenty feet. There
should be about forty feet.
There were two who did not favor
the committees program at all. These
were George Pass. ST., and Logan
Rose. Mr.. Pass still urged his favorite
plan of an overhead bridge. He thought
the river could be filled out far
enough for six tracks and dug out
enough on the other side to make up
for this. These tracks. running I'M
der the overhead bridge. would give
all the room that was needed for
traffic for many years to come. The
river would be Strengthened cut to
some extent. and the overhead
bridge would promote the public
safety. Mr.. Rose favored a union
depot on the site of the present
Northwestern freight depot. and the
filling in OF the river adjacent. so as
TO provide the necessary yardage,
On the North Mankato side cor
responding space could be added to
the river channel.
The committee was continued on
motion by Professor J. r. Brandrup.
Move to Buy Park Land.
Definite steps were taken at the
meeting of the Mankato Commercial
club last evening. looking to the
purchase by the city OF the tract OF
twenty-five acres adjoining Sibley
park and lying between that and the
Minnesota river, and also to the
purchase by the state, of the fourteen
acre tract adjoining Minneopa park
on, tho hillside across the creek.
On motion by =. VI. Currier II was
decided to appro3riatn $1,000 to help
in the purchase of tho Sibley park
tract provided the city cc-ncil APP
propriate the rest. On motion by e.
+. Wise Il was determined that tn"
proper steps be taken To have tina.
tract adjoining Minneopa' park cor
demned and the club appropriated
5000 TO add to the $1,000 set aside
for this purpose by the state lcgis-
lature. II necessary.
Judge Cray stated that the cwnc-
OF the Sibley park tract had reduced
his price from S11.OO9 to sl0D0n
Councilman Eiahstaedt said that some
time ago the councilmen had this
matter under consideration. and some
Of them. including himself. were in
favor Of the city buying that tract
II IL would cost the city not more
than sS,80a II was thought that the
additional $4,000 or $4,000 could be
raised by the citizens Interested.
judge Cray stated that lie had n
letter from the attorney general
stating that his office was now ready
20 authorize the purchase of the four
teen acre tract at Minneopa park.
The state legislature had approprlat-
ed $1,000. but the owner wanted 800
an acre. Judge Cray stated that II
the matter was not attended to, the
$1,000 that had been appropriated by
the legislature would be lost.
Others who spoke for the purchase
OF the two park additions were DR..
]. w. Andrews, F. M. Currier. Theo-
dore Williams and BENJAMIN Taylor
Good Road Talk.
Judge Lorin Cray, on behalf Of the
committee on good roads, stated that
during the past year the commtte'
aided I'm LeSueur county in the grad
ing OF the road from the. county line
to Kasota. He believed this road
would make one of the best ones,
running from Mankato to st. Peter.
He thought the quality of the gravel
used was superior 20 that on any OF
the other roads The committee had
been trying TO induce the Omaha
railroad to buy the gravel pit In that
neighborhood and deliver gravel TO