The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-03-03
SIDEW
City Engineer Thompson Speaks
Out.
Owing to Frequent Personal Injury Sniis'
He Would Have no More wooden
Walks Built.

In his annual report, City Engineer
Thompson makes an important recon-
mendation in regard to the sidewalks
of the CITY. These are his words;
In view of the constantly increasing
exnense for repairs and the frequent
suits for personal injuries by reason OF
defective walks, it seems advisable that
that the building of wooden walks
should be prohibited and that the walks
be built entirely of stone, cement, GIN
ders. tar or gravel.
The area in which the cheaper walks
are TO be used should be limited to
definite streets, and the city could Of
fer a rebate of from to cents per
square foot for stone or cement walks.
s.The 1861 81 lost to the city IN side
walk repairs this year if applied as
bonus of cents per square foot would
help build 3, 3S7 lineal feet OF stone or
cement walk feet wide-or more than
la blocks; or at cents would help
build S,O15 lineal feet of foot walk or
more than % blocks.
This would not only make the gen
eral public pay for percentage OF the
walks built, but would soon do away
with the old wooden ones and add to
the beauty and real estate value OF the
city"
Mr.. Thompson states that the actual
expense of repairs last year was 81, BOG A.
of which $63S &c was for lumber and
1857 70 for labor. There was assessed
for walks so repaired $344.57, showing a
net loss to tne city of S961.97.
Aside from sidewalks, the street i'm
provements and repairs were also very
expensive. The street pay roll under
Mr.. Halstead was So, 377 "a, in addition
to which was 50, 662.75 spent for pur-
poses other than labor, making total
of 81, 041 80.
In his report, Mr.. Thompson says:
Steps should be taken at once to
have all plated streets opened, or at
least cleared of distractions in the way
of fences and buildings, or in short
time the city will be compelled to pay
for that which has been voluntarily
dedicated to it.
about 5000 per month has been ex-
pended in trying to keep Front street
clean. The success was only partial,
and no better success can be looked for
until Second street and all streets be-
tween Front and Second are paved.
During the year, SO sewer permits
were issued. The cost of sewer extern
sion was only $1,75O 81.
In regard to the waste OF water, the
report says:
''Meters have been placed on the
larger consumers as fast as clrcum-
stances would permit. This seems to
be the only way to stop the waste
which is going on in some instances,
and also to prepare for the inevitable
time when our water supply is made
quate to meet the demand.
"As each additional we'll that is made
decreases the pressure on the ones al
ready made, it seems advisable that the
drilling of wells should be regulated by
the city, to the end that there be no
leakage and that they be closed when
not in use."
There are now 6S meters in use, of
which 10 were purchased during the
wear. The total costs of all the meters
was 81, 946 80, but the last ones have not
cost nearly as much as the first ones.
The starting of two fires in the base
ment of the city hall the past season
calls attention to the pressing necessity
for vault for the security of the city
records, most of which, if destroyed,
could not be replaced.