Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-03-15
THE new DEPOT
Letters Read at a Meeting of the
Commercial Club.
Mineral Point, Feb. %, 1917.


Bishop, President.
Centlemen:-At the last meeting OF the
club the Promotion committee was given
complete authority to proceed as 1t saw TIT
in the matter of securing new depot IN
this city. Your committee wish to report
to the club from time to time OF the action
taken and the progress made.
A meeting of the committee was held 1t
was decided that it was necessary to obtain
all the information possible and to decide
on a reasonable request that could be sub
mitted to the officials of the ST. Paul rail
road.
The city council applied to the Railroad
commission last summer for an order to
compel the Railroad company to build a
new depot. The Railroad commission held
a hearing in this city and finally ordered
that certain improvements be made to the
old depot. This decision we find does not
meet with the approval of the people OF
Mineral Point nor with the officials of the
Railroad company.
Your committee deemed it best to send
its representatives to Chicago to talk the
matter over with Mr. Hart. the general man
ager, and Mr. Kelley, the vice president of
the railroad Arrangements were made
through Mr. Snow for the meeting which
took place on Monday, February IL. Com
plete reports of the business done by the
Mineral Point station together with all con-
tracts between the St. Paul and the Mineral
Point & Northern, as well as the history of
special rates made for the purpose of en-
abling the Mineral Point Zinc company to
mitted to us fo~ examination.
We believe that few people in Mineral
Point realize that if the Zinc company
could not obtain low rates on hard coal
screenings, ore etc, that it could not afford
to keep its plant here. Low rates on soft
coal screenings have enabled the Zinc
company and the Public Service company
to maintain and build up large plants in
our city. Without these favorable rates
these plants could not compete with other
plants located in sections closer to coal
mines What would Mineral Point be today
without these two plants which give steady
employment to over three hundred men?
Mineral Point is therefore indebted to
the ST Paul railroad for these benefits
Owing to the dissatisfaction arising out
of the contreVersy over the depot, many of
our business men through a.misunderstand.
ing of the real facts, have been shipping
their merchandise over the C.. & ~ W. and
NJ. p. & N. under the impression that it
would make the St. Paul sit up and take
notice. The St. Paul did take notice and
sat back, not up. While the business lost
has not seriously hurt the St. Paul it has
angered the officials and they we're disposed
to see the people of Mineral Point go to
warmer place before they would grant a
new depot. All this was brought oat at our
conference ON Monday, February II. 1t
was also pointed out to us that, under pres
ent conditions with material and labor at
the highest prices on record, it would be
much better 10 wait year or so before
anything was done.
While no definite promises of any kind
were made by the officials as to what the
St. Paul would do, Mr. Hart promises to
bring the matter before the meeting of of
hcers and let the committee know the re-
suit of its action as soon as possible. We
made the request that if it was possible to
secure a suspension of the order of the
Railroad commission, that the Railroad
company should make no repairs to the old
depot and that the Railroad company con-
slider the question ,of building new depot
instead, when financial and other conditions
are more favorable.
Your committee wishes to take this op-
portunity to impress upon the members of
the Mineral Point Commercial club and all
business men, the wisdom of showing loyal
ty and good will towards the St. Paul Rail-
ECaQ company anu give II your DuSlneSS IL
you expect to receive loyalty and generosity
in return.
We wish to report that Mr. Snow gave the
committee his hearty support in every way
and we wish to thank him for his kindness
and assistance.
1t is the opinion of the committee that if
the people of Mineral Point follow our rec.
concentrations that we will be able to Sc.
cure the new depot we all wish for.
Yours very truly,
PROMOTION COMMITTEE.
F. C. LUDDEN, Chairman.
Chlcauo, Milwaukee & St Paul Railway Co.