The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-08-31
IMPROVEMENTS.
What the School Board Has Ac-
cOmplished this Year, With
Little Money to Spend.

ing ahead with any Improvements it
may determine to be necessary in a
business-like way, with no great flour
ish of trumpets. What it does is well
and economically done, and this again
proves the wisdom of putting business
men at the head of our affairs. The
tax levies are reasonable, yet the
board manages to save enough to
make needed repairs and improve
ments and to pay off some of the
bonded debt. At present the only in
debtedness of the district is the $780,
600 of high school bonds, and 81, 900 of
old bonds. OF the latter $4,000 fall
duetneXt April, and the balance year
from then, and they will be paid as
they mature.
During the summer vacation which
draws to a close this week, much has
been accomplished, and the board de-
serves more credit than mere pass
ing notice. A FREE PRESS reporter
had the pleasure of inspecting the
buildings this forenoon with Hon. l..
G. M. Fletcher. The East Mankato
building was first visited and was
found situated in beautiful grove of
native trees, in slightly locality in
the center of the large and growing
settlement of East MankatO. 1t is
turn in the cross street, SO that it will
always be conspicuous, having the
street on two sides. The building is
the annex that formerly occupied
portion of the Union school grounds,
and is a substantial, two-stOry frame
structure. 1t is in much better con-
dition than when in it's old place, as it
now rests on solid wall foundation,
and is well braced. 1t has been en-
tirely replastered, calsomined and
painted, and is in every respect a
model building, with large and wei
ventilated recitation rooms, lighted
on three sides. The upper floor will
not be needed at present. but the
lower floor has been furnished, and
school will begin Monday. Carpenters
are at work laying sidewalks about
the property and to two sides of the
building, and it is the intention later
on to improve portion of the grounds.
The city has agreed to have sidewalks
built along the stress leading to the
school from both ways, and the street
is to be graded. The entire cost Of
moving the building, furnishing it,,
making fouddation, walks, paying for
the acre lot, ETC., is not over 81, 200.
This building will be ample for the
needs of the suburb for ten years, I'M
less an unlocked for growth occurs.
At the Franklin building the two
front rooms on the second floor have
been finished off, and south one fur
nished. This makes the entire build
ing complete, twenty-five years after
it was erected, yet there will still be
one unoccupied room. The entire
building has been calsomined, and
new cloak rooms on the second floor
completed. The entire cost Of all
these Improvements, including desks,
is less than $3.50.
A two-story brick addition has been
erected at the rear of the Union build
ing, giving one large additional reel
tation room on each floor, with large
hall. Closets have been put in the
basement, and the detached outhouSeS
will be removed. The old part of the
building has been recalsOmined. The
work on the addition and plumbing
is rapidly nearing completion. The
entire cost of everything at this
building, including the furnishing of
the two new and elegant rooms, will
be less than $1,000.
The Pleasant Grove building has
been improved by putting in sewer
connections and recalSOmining. The
outhouses have been replaced with
water closets, and the entire cost will
be less than $500.
The work that has been accom-
plished will afford accommodations for
over 200 more scholars, while all the
surroundings are made better. AS
will be seen, the cost has been remark
ably low, and the school board is de-
serving of praise for what it has
accomplished. The parents of the
children, and tax payers generally
would do we'll to visit the different
buildings and see what has been done.