The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-06-18
Council Is Urged To
Purchase More Land
from Mondays Daily.

II. 4. Patterson and T. W Hunt ap-
pcared before the city council this
morning on behalf OF the MankatO
Commercial club and again urgCI that
the city council take up the matter Of
huying the 22"5 acres of land al the
junction az the Minnesota and Blue
Earth rivers az an addition To Siblcy
park.
Mr. Patterson called too mind that
the matter vas brought tO the attCn
ton of the city council some time ago
and the council decided TO defer aC-
ton. Mr. Patterson said the commit
tee now hoped that the council would
find some means of granting the wish
Of the Commercial club. Mr.. pattcr-
son remarked that the Commercial
club was composed of heavy tax pay
Crs of the city lie said IL was brought
before the Commercial club some
time agD and IL seemed to be the unan
imous opinion OF that body that II
would be very desirable to have the
city own that strip OF land as an ad =
dition to the park
Mayor Meyer remarked that he hal
understood that individual citizens
were going TO raise a fund for this
purpose.
Tax Of But One Dollar.
Mr.. Patterson replied to this that
he believed that the business men who
were backing the move would a great
deal rather go down into their own
pockets for 10. than to see the city
turn the proposition down. At the same
time he did not think u would be- fair
Ia hav" these men pay privately for
the park or part of IL and he also
taxed for the city's expense. for that
would amount to double taxation. II
would he largely for tho benefit Of 9th
or people that would go to- the
parks more than the business mon
who sought to push the project
through. The cost of buying the add
tional strip would amount to n tax of
ono dollar on each resident OF Man
kato on the average
Mr.. Patterson went on to say that
the purchase Of this strip Of land was
not I'm the nature OF an expenditure
that would not show for anything i'm
the future hut II was really an invest =
mcnt. He himself would readily take
over the park from tho city at any
time for the amount that the city
would have to pay for II. lie said the
present owner. Mr. Mclaughlin. asked
$1,000 for the strip. The value would
always be there. IL the city ever wish =
cd to sell the land
+. w. Hunt stated that n gentle
man who had been very successful I'm
selling lots had come TO him and ask =
cd him tO join with others I'm the
project of buying up that strip aud
cutting II up into residence lots. Mr..
Hunt replied that he would be sor-
nv To see this done. when the property
was so desirable as an addition tn
Sibley park. Mr.. Hunt said the gentle
man who came 10 see him was Joseph
Waddcll. Mr.. Waddcll had come Z"
own accord. Mr.. Waddell figured that
money could be made by plating of
the land
Council Should Consider Matter.
Councilman Bekke was of the opin-
ion that the council ought TO take the
matter under consideration. but he
did not thing the city ought to pay all
nf that money at once. Neither did
he believe that the city ought to give
any more than Mr. Mclaughlin him
self had paid for the land.
Mr.. Patterson said he believed the
business men who were backing the
proposition would gladly take over
the property themselves. putting their
own money into II. II they were as
sured Of getting their interest
Mr.. Bekke interposed that he would
not like to see Mr.. Hunt fill up the
place with Niger shacks." Mayor
Meyer quickly remarked that he did
rot think Mr. Hunt meant to threaten
the city with niger shacks' and
then there was n general laugh Mr..
Patterson remarked, however. that