The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-02-25
WANT A FRANCHISE
New Telephone Company Ask
for Some Rights.
Aid. Zimmerman Proposes That Good
Sized Bond be Given to Ensure
Against q Sell-0ut.

The meeting of the council Satur-
day night was not as prolonged as the
arranged meeting. Vice President
Petersen presided, while Mayor Ptau
remained in his office across the hall
All of the aldermen answered to
their names.
A petition was received for an in
candescent light at the corner of
Seventh street and the Goodyear
road, and was referred to the lighting
committee.
A remonStraDce against the boule-
varding of Fourth street, from Spring
to Jackson streets, was received and
referred to the street committee. The
petitioners recited that narrowing the
driveway from Sc feet would be in
furious.
The board of public works reported
the hospital water pipe extension
bids, and they we're referred to the
hospital committee and board of pub
lie works to report during the session.
A recess. was taken to allow the hos
pital committee to meet. After the
committee had been out three
quarters of an hour, it came back and
reported in favor of rejecting all
bids.
Aids u;r,roo mo N opd dams or lod
for an explanation. Aid. Fowler
moved that the report be adopted.
Aid. Bradley explained that the ad-
vertisement for bids called for bids
by the lineal foot, while the bids
speak of windmill and other matters.
The committee favored advertising
for bids for what it is now wished to
do.
Aid. Fowler said that the city en-
gineer had said that the city would
have to be careful or the water would
freeze. The aldermen feared that
this would be the case and the exten.
sion rendered useless.
Aid. Peterson said that the bids
we're in such shape that he favored
rejecting all of them. There were
bids on too many different plans.
The motion was adopted, Aids.
Adams and Zimmerman voting "no."
Aid. Bradley moved that the city
recorder advertise for bids to be re-
ceived next Saturday for the laying
of the water pipe to the hospital, the
pipe to connect with the present ap-
paratus. This was carried.
The street committee reported un.
favorably upon the petition for the
boulevarding of Fourth street, and
this was carried.
The following petition was re-
seived:
To THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND
MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
We, the undersigned directors of
the Mankato Citizens Telephone Co.,
of the city of MankatO, hereby petit
tion your honorable body to grant to
said telephone company franchise
authorizing said company, its assign
and lesSees, to build, construct, main
tain and operate its telephone lines,
exchange and connections, within the
limits of the city Of MankatO, Mimi,
for the term of fifty years from the
date of such franchise, and to have
the right and privilege to build, con-
struct, maintain and operate it's lines
and connections, and place telephone
poles in the streets and alleys within
the limits of the said city of Man
katO, and such other rights and privi-
leges as may be lawfully granted by
and under such franchise, in accord
ance with the laws of this state, and
the charter and ordinances of said
city, and subj ct to the lawful super
vision and control of the proper of.
ficials OF the said city Of Mankato.
Respectfully submitted,
o w. SCHMIDT,
E | P. STAEDE,
f. KRoN.
w. A FUNK,
LoRIN CRAY,
H E HANCE,
j H JAMES,
JNo G. WISE JR.,
JNo. B. MEAGHER.
City Attorney Pau said that TWEEN.
ty years is as long as a franchise can
be granted for. No exclusive fran
chise can be granted.
Aid. Himmelman said that in case
the franchise il granted the company
should be required to put up good
bond to protect the citizens from a
sell-out, as has been the case in many
cities where new companies have