The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-12-21
THE CITY COUNCIL.
Fire Chief Phillips Gets
a Whistle.
To Be Placed in the Pumping Sta
Notwithstanding Waste of City
Water-How 1t Is Being Misused
No Additional Lights.

council was called to order by Tempo
rary Chairman Fowler in the absence
of Mayor Weaver, who telegraphed
that he would not be in until s
, o'clock.
An application for liquor license
was read from Otto Mann and Nick
Becker. They were referred for
, future hearing.
!, City Engineer Haynes made an ap-
plication for an amendment relating
to the construction of sidewalk ordi-
nance No. Sc. 1t was referred to the
committee on ordinances.
Mayor Weaver came in at this
juncture, and Alderman Pitcher read
a letter. from Kirkland & Starkey, of
ST. Paul, relative to damage to the
gas mains while they were performing
a sewer contract on Third street. The
firm says that whatever breakage
took place on the gas mains while our
contract was pending was repaired by
the Gas company, and they sent us
bill for which we hold a receipt in
full. The question of our liability to
the Gas company or to Mankato for
any damage done to pipes four months
after the completion and acceptance
of our contract by the city seems to
us remote" And they did not agree
with the city as to their liability in
the matter. The Gas company put in
a bill at the last meeting for the same
matter and it was referred. The mat
ter was tabled.
Alderman Higgs, chairman of the
committee on lighting, said the COM
mittee had considered the applica-
tions rfor two additional lights on
Agency hill and it had been deemed
inadvisable for the reason that the
granting of the request would develop
others, and the city finances would
not at this time Justify the expendi-
ture.
Chairman Beatty, of the board of
public works, advised uniformity in
the construction of sidewalks. He
wanted the sidewalks laid on top of
the curb and he thought definite
action should 'be taken in order that
the board might go ahead and order
the sidewalks built according to one
plan.
Something ought to be done" said
Alderman Pitcher, Ito prevent the
use of shale rock in the construction
of sidewalks"
Alderman Petersen could not see
any advantage in placing the side
walks on top of the curb. He said
the joints would have to be made too
tight and that the water would be
backed up into the cellars.
There was a general pointless dis
cussion of the matter, when Mayor
Weaver said:
care we going to build any side
walks this coming week."
This brought the talk to sudden
end and on motion the sidewalk ques-
tion, together with the proposed
amendment, was referred to the COM
mittee on ordinances.
"You've got chance now," re-
marked the city engineer, ito talk
about the thing all winter"
The street commissioner and the
board of public works could not agree,
it seems, on the completion of Vine
street. 1t was moved by Alderman
Bashaw that the street be finished
from Front street to the railroad
tracks as it has been commenced.
Carried.
Fire Chief Phillips appeared before
the council and asked for whistle on
the pumping station. He said the
boys living in distant parts of the
city could not hear the bell on the city
hall and much time was lost in get
ting to fires.
Alderman Widell moved that a
whistle be placed on the pumping
} station at a cost not exceeding S25.
Alderman Bashaw asked the engi-
neer at the pumping station, who was
present,if he had steam enough to sue
cessfully blow whistle, and he said
that he had eight pounds of steam in
the boilers when he banked the fires.
The mayor wanted to know, incl
dentally how much water he was
pumping.
eve are pumping at an excessive
rate" he said, 'for the last five days
we have pumped 100000 gallons per
day, from o'clock in the morning un-
til 5 the next. This is more than we
pumped in June with all the lawn
hydrants and the sprinklers running,
and as soon as we put notices in the
papers about the waste OF water by
the consumers, off it goes.
The whistle matter was again
brought up, and on motion it was de-
cided to allow Chief Phillips his
"blower."
Chairman Beatty, speaking about