The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-10-15
MANKATO STONE.
1t Enters Largely Into Building
Operations Through the
Northwest.
What WideIl & Co. Are Doing In the
Way of Contracts That Take
rlankato Material.

While the people of Mankato are
aware of the important part that the
stone quarries bear toward the pros
perity and building up of the city,
yet it is doubtful if, as whole, they
fully realize the full magnitude of
the stone business carried on. Thou
sands of carloads of stone are ship
ped out of the city every year, giving
employment to hundreds of men to
to take from the quarries and dress
ready for use. A visit by a FREE
PRESS representative to the quarries
of Widell & Co. day or two ago, gave
an inkling of the great Importance of
the stone industry to Mankato. At
the quarries a busy scene was pre-
sented. A large force of men were at
work in each quarry quarrying the
stone, dressing the large blocks ready
for use, and loading them on to the
cars to be sent in every direction to
fill the many contracts that firm has
in hand.
Widell & Co. are at present ope1at-
ing three quarries Just north of the
city and are getting out and shipping
about thirty carloads of stone per
day. This stone is for all purposes
from culvert and bridge work to that
of various buildings. 1t is of fine
quality for that purpose and gives
everywhere the best of satisfaction.
Some idea of the extent of the bust
ness transacted bp this company may
be gathered from the contracts they
have in hand for the present season.
These contracts include ninety Gull
verts, eight bridges, one large retain
ing wall and the foundations for two
water tanks on the Nj. & St. L. road.
One hundred and twenty five culverts
and forty-seven bridges for the G. &
n. w. road and also stone for
changes in the Mississippi river
bridge at Winon for this road. Also
1900 carloads Of stone for
the Omaha road at Elroy,
Wis.,, to be used for piers and abut-
ments. They also furnish the stone
for two freight houses, one in St..
Paul and one in Saltwater. Also one
hundred carloads for the st. Anthony
Falls Water Power company. Besides
this it has furnished the stone for
quite a number of business buildings
outside of Mankato and a large
amount for local use. The company
takes the contract not only for fur
nlshing the stone for all of the rail-
road work above referred to, but for
doing the work also, and this season
they have kept fifteen crews busy and
| it will take them to nearly the end OF
the year to finish up their contracts.
The firm covers field of operation of
some 400 or 500 miles in all directions
from this city.
To get these large number of con-
tracts and maintain this volume of
business from year to year is no easy
matter, as competition is very sharp,
and it is only by furnishing good
stone and doing first class work that
gives perfect satisfaction that the
firm is enabled to walk away with
them. The securing and looking
after these contracts is personally at
tended to by Mr.. Gust. Widell. He
is close tigurer in such matters and
has the reputation of generally get
ting a contract when he goes after it.,
He understands the sGoIe business
fJom A to Z and deserves great credit
for the great business he Is so success
fully building up to The material
bent ill., of his firm aud city. He is on
IT, G load musU of the time looking al
ter the contracts ia hand and keep
ipg an eye open for new ones.
The business here at home is care
fully looked alter by Mr. j. E. Peter
son, who keeps every detail in view.
1t is no small job to keep things NOV
ing so that the numerous crews on
the road are constantly supplied with
the material they need, and Mr..
Peterson has little leisure during the
busy season. Mr.. John Widell is su-
perintendent of the quarries and
keeps everything moving there as
smoothly as clock work.
TO fulfill the different contracts
the company gives employment to
about 1926 men eight months in the
year, with pay roll amounting to
about $4,000 per month. There is
also more or less work done during
the other four months. These men
live in Mankato and the money is
spent here, making an important item
in the business volume Of the city.
This shows the Importance of build
ing up as many industries as possible
in our midst and swelling the aggre
gate volume of the pay roll of EN-
ployes to the greatest amount pos
sible for therein lies the foundation
for the city's future growth and pros