The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-06-21
WILL TAKE TIME.
The Aldermen Consider the Mil
Yankees Request.
The City's Two Lots, Including the Pump.
ing Station Site, Held Inform.
ally at $4,000.

The mayor and aldermen held a Sc
cret, informal session Tuesday night and
talked over the request of the Milwau-
kee road that it grant right of way
over streets and alleys for the extern
sion of it's track from Plum to Spring
streets along the river bank, and that
it sell the road portions of the two. lots
which it owns, for right of way pur-
poses. The pumping station and tool
house are on these lots
Right of Way Agent Hewitt, Agent
Moore, and A. R. Pfau Sr. were at
the city hall to represent the road, but
were not let into the meeting. A. Z.
Clark and F. NJ. Currier, representing
the Duluth, st. Cloud, Glencoe q
Mankato road, also dropped in at the
city hall
The council decided not to act has
tily in the matter and does not expect
to be prepared to take final action at
the meeting Friday night 1t takes
the ground that if the right of way is
desired only for the purpose OF obtain
ing control of more ground in order to
shut out some other road, the petition
should not be granted. If, on the other
hand, the Milwaukee road is in ear
nest and proposes to go ahead with the
extension to Pennington, the council
will willingly grant it whatever rights
are needed.
There was some talk as to what
price to set upon the two lots which
the city owns, and which include the
two buildings. Two or three of the
aldermen thought that $40, 900 would
be a fair price. The feeling was that
the road should buy the entire lots,
as the pumping station would have to
be moved, on account of the jar to the
pumps from trains passing so close.
The pumps are Jared by Omaha trains
passing on track 100 feet away. and
the jar is expected to be much greater
when trains pass only % feet away.
The pumping station is of brick and
the pumps are set below the surface, so
it cannot be moved. A new station
will have to be constructed on Second
or Third streets, and the pumps moved
to it. Moving these great engines will
be no easy matter. This will entail
more expense in unloading coal. Under
the circumstances the aldermen feel
that the city would be out about $40,
900 if the right of way is granted.
The feelings of the Chicago Great
Western road will be obtained. If that
road has no objection to the proposed
right of way being granted to the Mil
waukee it will simplify matters
Mr. Currier desires that the council, !
if it grants the right of way asked for |
by the Milwaukee road, insert pro-
vision in the ordinance to require the
road to allow all other roads that may |
hereafter want to come into the city |
to use it's tracks upon the payment of
a fair rental. He feels that this should
have been required of the other roads.
1t is a common provision in cities
where terminal facilities are limited,
and would leave the way open for the
future. 1t is said that state law
provides for cases of this kind.
There is very little land left where
a railroad can come through the city. |
The law permits one road to cross an
other, but it cannot parallel it on its
right of way. 1t must cross and then |
Immediately get onto its own land
again. This might be an impossibility |
without buying out entire blocks of
stores, or else building an immense
embankment along the river front.
Both would be impracticable on &C
count of the expense.
W. E. Young states that he is not
prepared to say today whether the Chi
cago Great Western road is willing
that the request of the Milwaukee
road for right of way should be grant
ed. He has not examined the plat
submitted.