The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-05-28
BOARD OF TRADE.
Telephone Matters Talked over at
This Mornings Meeting.
The Recent Fires and the City's
Water Supply Discussed.

OF GraQe MONDAY morning was we'll al
tended.
President Shoemaker reported that
the fifty pounds Cf sugar beet seed
purchased from the state had been all
distributed in pound packages, and
that portion of that sent by Con-
gresham McCleary had also been dis
tributed, and that the balance will be
given out as rapidly as called for.
f. NJ. Currier made a report of the
sale day of the dairy board cf trade
lasr Monday, and said that another
sale day had been set for next Mon
day, May 3lst. There seems to be
lack of interest among the creamery
men The organization would be a
success if the creamery men showed
the proper interest. Unless they DO,
it will probably fail.
Jno. G. Noe said that the commits
sion men seem to be down on the
move to establish butter board of
trade in Minnesota. He did not
think that much more would be
heard of the boards at St. Paul and
Minneapolis, on account of this hos
tility. The commission men would
lose their commissions, which would
be added to the prices which the
creameries received for their butGer.
w. M. Farr said that the
Chicago & Northwestern pas
senger train for the east
in the Afternoon does not stop at
Smiths Mill. People from there who
come in at loo p. N. cannot return at
400 p. m., but must remain over night
in the city. If the trains stopped
there, this city would receive more
trade from that point.
Mr.. Currier said that the Com
mercial club is endeavoring to get the
Minneapolis & St. Louis road to
reverse the running time of it's trains,
so that one would come in in the
morning and go out in the evening.
This would accommodate trade from
points along the line and let people go
out to Madison Lake in the evening
and return in the morning.
Mr.. FAIR said that almost every city
now has an independent telephone
system. Rochester and Owatonna
have them, and the one at Winona last
year declared dividend Of twenty
five per cent on its capital stock.
There are $50 local patrons and fifty
or sixty outside points are connected.
M. G. Willard said that before the
subject was changed too much and
matters mixed up, he would move
that the railroad committee be re-
quested to take action to induce the
Chicago & Northwestern road to
have it's afternoon trains stop
at Smiths Mill, and that it cooper
ate with the Commercial club in
the latter's endeavor to change
the running time Of the Minneapolis
& st. Louis trains. This was carried.
The telephone matter was then re-
verified to, and John Klein said that
the North Central company had leas-
ed room in his Jackson street build
ing for three years and had paid the
rent up to date. He thought that this
company and the Blue Earth Valley
are trying to join but that there is a
hitch between them. He said that
Mankato would have another local ex-
change, and that for the present it
would be we'll for the board not to
mix in the matter.
The subject of the recent fires was
taken up and talked over. Different
members called attention to the
straw, boxes and other rubbish in the
alleys. One suggested that the city
ought to purchase fire engine, and
others thought that the pressure was
strong enough now. One expressed
surprise that the big establishments
do not have private watchmen, and
another said that the rear doors and
windows of stores should be covered
by iron shutters and doors.
This talk led up to the matter of
water supply, and M. G. Willard spoke
of the repairs made to the artesian
we'll at the fibreware works, and how
the stopping of the leak had increased
the pressure FROM nothing to twenty
five to twenty-seven pounds. He
thought that the city should repair
it's wells.
M. B. Haynes said that the board of
public works had been trying for three
years to get the council to put down
another well. This must be done be-
fore the old wells can be repaired, and
would not cost over $1,000. The ad-
ditional we'll is much needed. If the
leaks in the old well can be stopped,
the saving in fuel at the pumping sta
tion would be considerable, as twenty
five pounds pressure of the water
would be saved.
The members generally favored the
city putting down another well, and
motion by Mr.. Willard that the COM
mittee on nublic improvements urpe