The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-08-30
WORK TO BEGIN.
Dirt Will Fly Tomorrow on
Street Car Line.
Col. A. e. johnson Arrives From Mime.
polls With Word That the Old Com
pauy Will Go Ahead.

Col A. E. Johnson arrived from |
Minneapolis on the noon train on mat
tiers connected with the street railway
franchise, which he purchased last
winter previous to the recognizing of
the company.
Mr.. johnson states that he is in
Mankato for the purpose of making ar
engagements to commence active opera
tions on the street railway line; that
he is glad to be able to say that in all
probability Mankato will have
street railroad in active operation
within few months; that the con-
tract for the construction of the entire
enterprise in accordance with the ORR
ginal plans has been let to the Barr
Contracting & Construction Co., a
large construction company, with
headquarters in the city of New York.
This company, said Mr.. johnson.
sis to build and equip the line for the
stock and bonds of the railroad COM
pany. Day before yesterday 1 received
positive instructions by wire from the
Barr Contracting and Construction Co.
to commence operations at Mankato at
once. Accompanying these insUruc-
tions was the assurance that matters
have been so arranged that the work
of construction would be pushed con-
tinuously, until the completion of the
enterprise. l am in town today for the
purpose fo making arrangements to
start the work. Tomorrow an engi
neer with corps of assistants will be
on the ground to take charge of the
work and superintend operations A
full construction outfit is expected to
be upon the ground soon, probably as
soon as the engineers have completed
the preliminary work, 80 that the SER
vice TO the construction crew can be
utilized. l have assurances from the
, construction company that the work
| will be pushed speedily and continu-
ously Mr.. Wilhartz and 1 have been
|, requested by the Barr Construction
Co. to go to New York to advise with
! the company as to the best manner of
pushing the work.
Mr.. johnson further stated that he
| understood that there is good deal of
dissatisfaction among the people of
Mankato because of the long delay in
starting work, and that there is more
or less Impotence on the part of the
city authorities because operations
have not been commenced under the
franchise before this. Mr.. johnson
said he realized that there was some
foundation for dissatisfaction and i'm
patience and he wished to say that he
did not criticise the council at all fol
the stand it has taken in the past
that he felt exceedingly grateful to il
for the extension of the franchise il
granted two months ago; that the ex
tension then asked for was for the pur
pose of letting large Boston concern
examine the proposition. This con
Germ sent an expert to Mankato TO
that purpose. The experts report wa
in the main favorable. but the con
Germ, after examining the experts re
port and going over the proposition
stated that it was larger proposition
than they had at first supposed; tina
they were disposed to consider tn,
proposition favorably, but that i
would be impossible to go over a pro
position of that size thoroughly, ant
properly prepare for the commence
ment of operations, within sixty days.
the time limited by the extension
therefore, inasmuch as the franchise
will expire on September 1st, they
would decline to go to any trouble and
expense in going into the proposition
fully. This concern said that if they
could have until January 1st next. tc
give time for thorough preparation
for the execution of the enterprise,
they would take Lold of the matter.
Mr.. johnson also said that it seemed
to be the fixed conclusion of capitalists
that street railway will not pay in a
city of less than 90, 900 people and that
it was impossible to interest capitalists
in the street railway proposition de-
tached from any other interest and that
without the outside interests connect
ed with the present enterprise, such as
a Car line into the country, there
would have been no possibility of in
teresting any one in the construct on
of the road. Mr.. johnson fur the1
stated that he had heard rumors to the
effect that the present company. never
had any intention of building the line,
but that the sole purpose in han ging
on to the franchise was to speculate.
He said that these rumors are all false
and without foundation, and he wished
to assure the people of Mankato that
himself and those interested with
him have worked hard and earnestly
for the success of the enterprise and
have spent large amount of money
and time for the purpose of making
| it success.
Speaking..of the statement of Engi-
neer Burch that he knew a Minneapo-
lis man who has $500, 900 to put into a
car line in--Mankato and vicinity Mr.
johnson stated that he had seen the
party referred to, who is merely a pro-
motor and claims to represent capital
in the east to the amount of 5000, 900