The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-06-14
NEW SIDEWALKS.
Council Condemns Large Number
of Old OHes.
Certificates of Indebtedness will be Is.
sued 10 Pay for Improve meuts as.
sessed Against Property,

gan with the customary secret session.
The open session commenced late and
lasted late.
As one result of the meeting, Man
kato will have large number of new
sidewalks where old wooden ones now
are, and where rough stones are used
for walks, as is the case in front of
several of the best residences on South
Broad street. A great deal of COM
plant has been made by the people
about these rough stone walks, and as
they do not comply with the ordinance
the council has at last ordered them
replaced with more modern walks.
The street committee reported re-
solution condemning long list of OBJ
solete and defective sidewalks and it
was adopted.
The council ought also to extend the
territory within which only stone or
cement walks can be built. Wooden
walks ought to be tolerated only in the
outskirts of the city. Last year &C
cidents on this class of walks cost the
city over 5000. They are the most ex-
pensive kind of walks that property
owners can put down, in the long run.
The city allows property owners a
certain length of time to put down
new walks where the old ones are con-
demned, and if new walks are not laid
it proceeds to put them down and as
sess the cost against the property. The
assessments made for this purpose last
year have all been paid.
Certificates of Indebtedness.
The council reached solution of the
question of how to pay the contrac-
tors for doing work that is assessed
on the property, before the assess
ments are paid in. The city recorder
holds that each improvement should
have an account of it's own and should
not draw on any other fund. The
| charter provides that certificates of in
debtedness may be issued until the as
sessments are paid in. The recorder
has not allowed Contractor Effer any
| thing on his South Second street con-
tract, although the council has grant
ed the estimates, and to find a way
out of the dilemma the matter was re-
ferred to the committee on ways and
means at the last meeting.
Last night the committee reported
in favor of issuing certificates of in
debtedness as provided by the charter,
to bear seven per cent interest. 1t
! also reported that this would not be
practicable in every case especially in
the case of the sprinkling contract,
where the assessment does not come in
until the following year.
The council adopted the report, and
also decided to follow the same plan
with the Fulton street sewer when
that is constructed.
Hospital Abandoned.
1t developed that.Tourtellott hospi-
tai has been totally abandoned, al
though the promise was made last
| winter that it would be used this sum-
mer for the purposes for which it was
given the city. Mankato is in fair
way to lose this splendid gift from Col
Tourtellotte, through lack of apprecia-
tion and care of it. Under the terms
of the gift the city has forfeited any
right to hold it if the heirs should de-
mand it back. A man is supposed to
have been sleeping in it to have it
nominally occupied, but he has only
slept there occasionally. He now
wants to leave absolutely. The build
ing has fallen into a state of disrepair.
Aid. Taylor brought the matter up
by moving that it be referred to the hos
pital trustees, hospital committee and
mayor to devise some means of taking
care of the property.
Mayor Petersen said that he had
heard reports that tramps use the
building to sleep in, and that pillows
and bedding have been stolen from it.
The water tank has played out and
many other repairs are needed to put
the property in good shape.
The motion was CARED.
Aid. Deebach moved that the proper
city officials be authorized to sign a
three-year lease with L. Patterson for
the third floor of his building, corner
Front and Cherry streets, for an ar
mory for the militia company. The
rental is $175 year. The motion was
carried.
The Lampert Lumber Co. petitioned
the council for permission TO place a
scales in the street at 101 South Second
street. The permission was granted,
the work to be done under the super
vision of the city engineer.
Thos. Hughes appeared on behalf of
P. K. Johnson. who has claim for
damages to lot of his done in laying
out Franklin street. Mr.. johnson
wishes $3.50. Mr.. Hughes said that he
came voluntarily without pay, as Mr..
johnson is the oldest resident in Man
kato and is deserving of hearing.
John Diamond also appeared for Mr..
johnson.
A letter from Mr.. johnson was read,
in which he said that he was the frs
settler in Mankato, and had given
away much land to help the city along,
until now he has little left. Hnueuer