The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-03-06

NEE ting Tuesday. The first bust
ness was report from the good roads
Joint committee, made by DR.. Tai
bert, who said that the work was well
under way. 1t had been decided to
call a convention TO meet in this city
March oath, the details of which had
been left to the executive committee.
A special committee had been ap-
pointed to interview the county COM
missioners on this subject and invite
their cooperation.
Secretary Ogle read letter from
the Commercial Union, of OwatOnna,
ratifying the exchange of courtesies
with the club.
Mr.. Ogle read communication
from Supt. Wainman, of the North
western Telephone Exchange Co., Of
fering to donate the use of an instru-
ment to the club in case the club
would confer membership upon
Manager Buckholtz. This PROPOSE
tiOn was accepted.
Mr.. Ogle stated that Sheriff Bowen
desired that the annual meeting Of
the SheriffS of the state be held in this
city. He had seen IS sheriffs during
the year and all are strongly in favor
of meeting here. There would be
about eighty in all, and no induce
ment except the use Of the CONNER
Gial Club rooms one day is needed.
The club voted to extend an invita-
tiOn to the sheriffs' association to
meet here.
Gen. Baker brought up the market
question, and thought that if any
thing the markets were shade
higher elsewhere than here. At the
same price the farmers will haul to
the nearest market. He could haul
four loads of hogs from his farm to
Garden City and three to Good Thun-
der while he could haul but one to
MankatO. Prices here would have to
EuIe materially higher than elsewhere
to attract produce except from the
territory naturally tributary to Man
kato. The economy of hauling cut
the main figure.
G. L. Alleman said that it had been
claimed that the farmers would go a
long distance for higher prices.
Gen. Baker replied that this is not
the case. If the prices are raised
here it could only be spasmodicly.
The small towns have more active
buyers than Mankato, and when he
lived on his farm not day passed but
what buyers were on hand from the
towns, while they came hardly once
a month from Mankato. There was
never a time when it would not be
loss to haul hogs from his farm to
Mankato, as compared with Garden
City, Good Thunder and Lake Crys-
tai. Some of the papers are also
careless about giving exact market
prices and cannot be relied upon.
When the Cassidy packing house was
in operation, the prices were the best,
for the farmers knew that there was
always competition here. There are an
immense amount of hogs marketed in
the county, and Mr.. Cassidy and his
agents were soliciting at every farm
house. The stoppage of the packing
house was the hardest blow that
MankatO's produce interests ever had.
What is needed is better roads. The
Jones' ford road should flank the hill
on this side. 1t is now the worst in
forty miles, but last fall the county
commissioners decreed that the far
mers should continue to GU up and
down the hill. A beautiful road
might be made for the farmers and
wheelmen, perfectly level, and at very
little cost, and trifie shorter.
Geo. M. Palmer emphasized all that
mad been said about good roads. The
grain fields. grow close to the towns,
and the conditions cannot be COM
batted: as you cannot expect to pay
much more and draw much away
from the towns. What we can do is
to get better roads. The South Bend
road has been standing invitation
10 the farmers for forty years past to
keep away, until it was improved
last year. The object Of the good
roads move is to crystalize sentiment.
Many of our people do not know how
miserable the roads are. The Kern's
hill and the road to Rapidan are bad
Farmers are petitioning for bridge
at Red Jacket crossing. We cannot
sit down here in Mankato and let the
roads go. We have got to wake up.
and all can help to work up an inter-
est in better roads. The farmers are
waking up on the subject, and one
said the other day that he would paw
$500 toward graveled road to his
farm.
President Alleman said that good
roads do more good than all else. He