The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-05-28
Business Men Urge Council to Submit to People PROPOSE
ton Calling for Purchase of Fairgrounds, Cape Rock
Tract and Fort at Southern End of City.
WILL BE ASKED TO
CALL SPECIAL ELECTION
Many Speakers Address Meeting Predicting That Bond
Issue Will Be Approved by Voters-McPherson Says
it Will Help City Grow.

At the mass meeting, called by the
Commercial Club last evening to dis
cuss the proposed bond issue for the
purchase of the Fairgrounds, and park
improvements, it was unanimously de-
cided that provision be made for the
! city to buy the Fairgrounds, also 200
acres of land upon which is located
Cape Rock, about two miles north of
this city, and the site of the old fort in
the southern part of the city.
President J. H. Mcpherson in ex-
pressing his views on the subject, said:
"By the appropriation of 100000 for
the purpose suggested, to include the
purchase of the Cape Rock proposition,
and the $4,000 for the old fort, for its
historical value, would give every Sec
ton of the city park, and would form
a system covering the entire city.
Boulevards would be constructed and
fine driveways established throughout
the city and the north park river front
drive would form one of the most at
tractive features of the city"
Judge Kelly offered the following
motion: 81 move that it is the sense OF
the meeting that the Mayor be advised
or requested to call an election for a
bond issue of 100000, to be used in the
purchase of the Fairgrounds and other
lands, and to improve those belonging
to the city"
The motion was seconded by Edward
Regenhardt.
When President Mcpherson asked
for expressions from different mem
bers present, Otto Kochtitzky said:
ga thought which has occurred to me-
is this: There are few of the gentle
men here who can remember the lin
its of the city of Cape Girardeau ten
years ago.
eve were confined to a very small
area and the street cars thought they
were circumscribing the city when
they built their line, and today the
greater part of the city is outside of
the borders in which it was confined
when the tracks were constructed.
Southeast Missouri is stronger and
better able to support a city than it
has ever been. Its capital is doubling
almost every year, and Cape Girardeau
is its metropolis.
"a bond issue to run thirty years
will look silly and insignificant at the
end of that time, and then a 100000
bond issue will look too small. In fact
we will do that over once or twice dur
ing the period.
owe should get a real grasp of the
things We are going to do 100000 is
perhaps enough to start with, but no
one should feel any hesitancy about
favoring the bond issue.
owe can carry that load very easily
and ] doubt whether a bond issue will
not carry easier for $4,000 than
100000.
Judge B. F. Davis said: 81 believe
that $4,000 bond issue could be car
ried Just as easy as 100000 issue,
and the time to buy parks is when you
can get the ground at a reasonable
price, for in few years we will not
be able TO get them at any price.
"This town voted $4,000 bonds
many years ago to get the Normal To-
Gated here land that is the best $4,000
the town has ever spent, and it will
soon be paid.
'The only objection 1 have is that
it is not large enough, and think it
will carry before the people"
Mr. Glenn stated that it was his I'M
derstanding that at the present time
the city proper has no bonded indebt-
edness. He stated that there still re-
manned a few Normal School bonds |
and few township bonds, but that all
bond Indebtedness of the city proper !
had been paid.
Prof. w. S. Dearmont expressed his |
views as follows:
off a man is spending money for
things that are soon gone, he might /
consider it carefully, but when buying !
property that IS bound to be worth |
four or five times as much as the city |
will be called upon to pay for this !
property, it is really good invest
ment, and it seems to me there should
be no hesitation whatever on the part !
of this city to make the investment.
"Cape Girardeau is too far advanced |
to have any question about its being
a considerable city in the near future. /
We might delay its development by not
taking advantage of the opportunities,