The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-16
FOR BETTER STREETS
A Move on the Part of South Second
Street Properly Owners.

RaSst tfSF~tty 0Ws~tos
That the people Of Mankato have
suffered long enough with nasty,
muddy streets, unsightly to look upon
and unfit to drive over, cannot be de-
MED. 1t is encouraging, therefore,
that an effort is to be made to SO i'm
prove two or three residence blocks
to show what can be done for the
betterment of our thoroughfares at
small cost.
A meeting of several Second street
property owners, between Cherry and
Bryon, was held atetbs board Of trade
rooms Friday 10 discuss the mat
ter and to agree upon some line of
action to be pursued. Doctor Andrews
was elected chairman of the meeting
and L. P. Hunt secretary.
Judge Cray, who was one Of the
moving spirits in calling the property
owners together. briefly stated what he
Thought ought to be done. First, he
said that the council should be ap-
pealed to to pass an ordinance regulat-
ing standard width for the construc-
tion Of walks and curbing from lot
lines. AS the ordinance now reads
some of the blocks require that outside
of walks shall be ten feet fiom pro-
perty line, while other blocks only re-
auire eight feet The street being
straight, he saw no reason for zigzag
walks and curbing. The Judge also
spoke of the delporable condition of the
street and truly said that lie was the
worst in the city in rainy seasons He
had consulted with the city engineer
as to the cost of removing six inches
of surface dirt and replacing it with
six inches of gravel-rolled down
thoroughly in layers of two inches
each. This. the engineer hid esti-
mated, would cost property owners
about $14 for each SO feet There is
considerable property along tie street
in front of which there is nocurbing
or guttering, This ought to be put
in at the time of improving tbs street.
and the estimated cost to such property
as required this is approximately $73
per 68 feet, that is for curbingI gutter
ing and graveling.
After Judge Cray had made BIS state
ment q general discussion of steet i'm
proyement was participated II by all
present. All were of one miid-that
the street ought to be improved And
all felt that the cost OF $i4 f9 resi-
denee lot to put the street ID good
shape was very small. II it pst SO
or even SIS 1t would still be cheaper
than to wade through mud AID slosh
about four mouths in tlp year.
Finally, to test the temper of she pro-
perty owners present, Judge Gay pre-
scented the following petition. address
ed to the city council, when was
heartily approved and signed b every
one present. with a single exception.
The petition reads:
10 lnb 0IIuluDu lOuuIti OI tuGIlty OF
Mankato:
We the undersigned, ownersof real
estate fronting upon the improEements
hereinafter mentioned, ard LAKE to be
assessed therefor, do hereby petition
your honorable body. as foilowI
ist. That all sidewalks onSecond
street la said city between Cherry
street and Byron street thereto be or
dered laid and placed, and be Allowed
70 remain withsfh outer edge thereof
eight feet from the property lila
2nd That you Gauss 90 bacurb0d
| and guttered said Secoud street upon
both sides thereof from Cherk street
| TO Byron street In said city, asbording
| 70 the present grades lines All levels
established for such cuTb and pstfer.
Sd That you cauee 30 be approved
said Second street between eaid Cherry
and Byron streets as follows
| Al surface dirt 10 be- remoVa there
from 10 q depth six inches bios the
trus established fevsl and grad there
LOT. and then six inehss 10 thckneas
/ of fine Indian Lake gravel fAa fyursz
azonea be placed thereon III hf least
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