The Mankato free press., 1919-10-31
BEAUTIES or MANKATo
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osS INV ~ uUvuvttTVt "
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eye Is the window OF the soul. and II
that window, be closed or allowed 10
be- darkened. the soul can never grow
strong or beautiful. If this is true.
as | contend, II behooves us ali TO
make the most of those beauties
which We are permitted to enjoy.
even in cur small world of Mankato
and vicinity
II wish TO hrst of all TO call atten-
ton to some things which | have OBJ
served. and which / believe call for
an opology on the part OF the per-
retrators TO an outraged and offend
Ell public refer TO the practice OF
putting up great glaring and often
sive bill boards at every turn in the
rodd advertising the private business
or some tradesman. II seems thar
the more beautiful the scenery the
larger and more numerous the bill.
boards. Surely these men are nal; :,
ing the most Of the Scenic attrac-
tions OF thc vicinity Mankato APP
pears 10 have Il large population OF
tages in this sort OF advertising. but
The lover OF the beauties OF nature,
. and he who is interested in making
. the most CT our scenic attractions,
secs in il nothing but "A disfiguring OF
the beautiful pictures which nature
las painted 10 gladden. the heart and
r'ease the eye Of him who views IL
day after day, and TO lift for mo
ment the load OF the weary traveller
passing through the land. AS YOU
:cme into this city from the south,
lou pass down one of the most Won
derful valleys in southern Minnesota.
Dropping down Strand Ravine Ga
very common affair 10 us. but OF
enough Importance 10 strangers so
That an Iowa gentleman who came
ever the route this year, went back
the following day. turned his auto
al the top of the hill. and came back
! for the sole purpose Of seeing il
again)-coming down this hill, you
/ strike the LeSueur River and follow
/ It's course for something like mile
with scenery on either hand that
f; one might travel for hundreds cf
miles and never see its equal; but
| here the bill board iiend has gotten
in his ugly work of dissertation, and
! instead of an uninterrupted view OF
! Gods best handiwork We are con
. fronted with glaring bill boards pro-
claiming that Cooper makes the best
barrels and that Dobbenstein sells
the best mud, or something else
| equally illuminatin A man who
burnes his house q 1 is considered
a criminal. even though il is uninsur
ed and ne is the cnly looser, He is
guilty of willful obstruction of prop
erty What then is the status of
those who willfully destroy the seen
cry of the land in which all citizens
have heritage do nc mean that
this is willful practice On the part
OF all who 10 these things. and have
no d. hat many are putting up
these : c..ooards because competitors
have first started the custom. / be.
lieye that many would be willing to
discontinue the practice II their at
tention were called to the offensive
ness of it.
ss.sMeny of these boards are obsolete,
ID bear the names of firms and men
a. lave long since passed away.
Poor. and unsightingly epitaphs OF
the helpless dead. shall come TO
the cure for this evil little later on.
The Lake Project.
,'U there is any one thing which
could be termed hobby of miEe. II
| is the question of converting ,ile
/ slough in West Mankato into lake
| This certainly would be making the
most of our scenic attractions. Ma
ture' evidently intended this 10 br q
lake. With it's high and woode,;
shores and sloping banks, 81 il
| needs is water 10 become one of the
| beauty spots of this section OF the
state. AS 1t stands today it is an IN
slightly. lnsanitary and dangerous
waste, unless TO the city which owns
! It from Front to Shaubut Streets and
70 it's owners farther up. This piece
# property should, by all means, be
made into a lake which would be
Useful Hnd pleasureablo to the citi-
zens of Mafkaio and vicinity Flood
ing the area seems impractical be-
cause of the great expense of having
TO buy the land which would become
water covered, but by dredging proc
ess. TWO thirds of the area In this
tract coxild be made into lake deep
enough TO stop the growth Of vegita
ton and TO afford boating, bathing.
skating and fishing within easy reach
of all. A citizen of Mankato of large
business experience told me last year
that he would be delighted to serve
on, a. park board whose work would
be to construct this lake for the city
II was his opinion that enough resi-
derce property co'ild be built along
the shores OF the proposed lake TO
more than pay; for the construction Of
the sanfe9 THIS r believe 10 be true
i The superintendents of parks of Min
neapolis. who saw This property last
year stated that he believed the pro-
ject entirely feasible. and much
easier problem than the Lake OF the
Isles in that city. He remarked that
II Minneapolis had such proposi-
ton. they would not wait over night
10 begin operations. The question OF