Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-08-10
MADISON MAY LOSE
BIG REQUEST FOR
TWO CITY PARKS

has been much speculation as TO
whether the city of Madison will ae-
cept the provisions laid down by the
former Baraboo resident. The Madi-
son Journal questions whether the city
will ever comply and reasons as fol-
lows:
The will of the late w. w Warner,
for many years a prominent citizen of
Madison, provides for approximately
100000 for improvements in Madison,
under certain restrictions. Mr.. War
ner planned to give $4,000 for a city
park on the location of the Conklin
ice-house and to give $4,000 for a sea-
wall on Lake Monona. This will was
probated on May of this year, and
the provisions specify the city has
one year to accept the offer.
If the terms Of this will are &C.
cepted within the remaining 10 months
in which the city has to act, it will en-.
tail an outlay of something like $V5G,.
900, judging from an admittedly super
fetal survey of the situation.
Holds Property at $25o,oo0
Mr.. Conklin wants $25O,OOO for his
ice house property The land and
buildings are assessed at $51, 400, ae-
cording to the last assessment rolls.
This is what Mr.. Conklin has to say
in regard to the size of the price he is
asking for the property:
"My proposition to the city is that
they pay $250000 for our property on
Lake Mendoza. That price may look
swelled all out of shape, but when
consideration is made of what selling
means to us, the proposition takes on
a different aspect.
1--WE have an ice-house capable Of
storing 10000 tons of ice. We can har-
vest this ice at our present location
for Is cents per ton. If we sell it will
mean we will have to move over to the
Kleuter marsh, either on the east or
west end. We have houses there now.
It would cost us rs cents per ton to
harvest ice there. That is differ
ence of some so cents per ton and on
10000 tons Of ice makes a difference
of $4,000 in one season. Over term
of 10 years the difference in what 1t
would mean to us is apparent. The
increased cost of carriage would be a
large item, and there are others. We
do not want to sell for $250,OO0, bw&
if the city wants it at that prace, we
will take the $4,000 gift Of Mr.. War
ner as first payment and the city can
issue bonds for the remainder. AS
long as they would allow us to occupy
our present quarters, we would accept
these bonds without interest, for .
reasonable term of years. That is our
proposition. If the city accepts it, we
will virtually be forced out of busi-
ness, and the price of ice to the con-
sumner will be raised"
Can Condemn Property
There is another angle to this prop
osition. The state law provides that
city can condemn property for park
or other purposes. But the constitu.
ton of Wisconsin provides that land
condemned by city for this purpose
must first be viewed by jury to
ascertain whether or not such a park
is public necessity. The city may
be able to obtain this property at
much less than the price quoted by
Mr.. Conklin. Again the fact that
Madison has more park acreage than
any other city of it's population in the
country might be determining factor
in the jury disallowing the city's claim.
Whatever this price, the cost of i'm |
proving the property to suitable park
purposes would almost double the in !
itial outlay and necessitate large
bond issue. Probably 100000 would
see the proposition through, without
1O1 l41C p0AGhu00 Va OIACA 1
property in this block except the
Steam Boat property" where the !
Conklin barns now stand, and which |
would be absolutely necessary.
Then there is the third lake i'm |
provement, for which Mr.. Warner do !
mates $4,000 for sea-wall from Mo- |
mona avenue to Blount street.
Would Cost City 100000
This sea-Wall, which would measure
straight line across the arc formed |
by the shore line, would be about l.
700 feet long, and extend some dis
lance into the lake. The water at this
point is deep, measuring, although |
there is no survey to determine this
exactly, some twenty feet. Concrete
wall of the character necessary for
this wall costs about SIS per cubic |