The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-04-11
CONTRACT is LET
]. B. Nielsen & Co. Will Com
pIete Library This Year.
The Contract Price is $30,082, With
out Electric Wiring and Fixtures.
Secretary's Report.

Inc library DOaru nolu lGS IoSulaA
meeting Monday night and
awarded the contract for putting up
The new building to J. B. Nielsen %
Co., the North Mankato contractors,
1T a modified figure from their bid
submitted Saturday night. The con-
tract price is $50, 0S2, and the contrac-
tors have until March 1st, 1908, to COM
plete their work, but expects to finish
it by Jan. 1st A hond for the amount
of the contract is to be furnished.
The reduction in the contract price
from the first figure submitted was
secured largely by the board taking
out of the contrac, the electric wiring
and light fixtures, which are to be
furnished and put in by the board
under separate contracts. Mr.. Nielsen
estimated these items at 50, 700.
The balance of the reduction was
secured by making a number of minor
changes in the interior of the building
cheapening its construction through
out. Lime is substituted for cement
in the brick laying, cement blocks are
substituted for thing on the basement
floor, pine lath will take the place Of
wire, and the weight of the steel
beams is reduced where it can be done
without lessening the strength of the
building.
No changes are made inssthe outside
of the building, nor where it will be.
very noticeable on the inside. The
tile floor in the entrance is retained,
and the building will be large and
handsome structure and credit to
Hon. Andrew Carnegie and to the
city.
The board has selected Columbus
pressed brick for the outside of the
building, with buff stone trimmings
from the Manksto quarries. The
brick are steel gray, and are OTTOMAN
size, or half again as long as the ordi-
nary pressed brick. The effect will De
very pretty.
The letting of the contract to j. B..
Nielsen & Co. insures good, honest,
thorough work, and also means that
more Of. the money expended will
remain in Mankato than would have
been the case had an outside contractor
secured the job. Nielsen & Go. are
thorough workmen, and have put up
number of large buildings They
will take a pride in erecting the
library building, which will be a
standing advertisement of their work.
T. R. Coughlan will furnish the
stone for the building. He bid $50
lower than the Mankato Lime and
Stone Co., and $500 lower than
IC. W. Babcock of Kasota. Mayer
Bros. secure the iron work and @. NJ.
Masters will do the plumbing.
The board will receive bids in few
days for putting in steam heating
plant
The board awarded the contract for
| the steel book cases or stacks, and also
the iron stairway to the basement,
vault door, counter, seventeen tables,
and other iron and steel furnishings,
to the Art Metal Construction Co. of
jamestown, N. Y. This contract foots
up to about 49,, 600.
The members of the library board
feel relieved, now that the principal
contracts have been awarded and the
building will soon be under way. 1t
has acted in careful, conservative
manner, and pushed things as fast
as it could under the circumstances.
People who have come to the city
to figure on the plans have said that
they are most complete and up to
date, and have said that the board
made no mistake in getting them from
firm that has made library buildings
a speciality.
The board transacted considerable
routine business at its meeting last
night. and instructed the librarian to
purchase a number of new books, in
Guiding many of the late and popular
works of fiction.
Secretary Patterson submitted hif
annual report, which was as follows
To the Library Board of the city Of
Mankato.
Gentlemen 1 have the honor te
present the report of the secretary fol-
the year ending February %, 1902.
Balance in bank March 1, 1901.
$1.31; balance with city treasurer
3 $495; received from librarian TO
| fines, etc., 1885; received from sal
t building ION library site), $3.50. 90; re
ceived from tax levy, 81, 900. 33. Total
r 2, 212. "a. Disbursements. Expenses
Including salaries and rent, 1907. 80
advanced toward building fund
: $3.50. Oh; books for loan department
STA. 81; reading room supplies. 1915.
So: reference department, 1854. 81
Total disbursements, 81, 742. 90. Credit
ed in 1901 report as having been re
ceived from city, but-never received
$1O7. "a. Total, 81, s5O.44. Balance i
bank March 1, 1909, $sOS. Sc; balanc
| with city treasurer March 1. $780,
| $15S. "a. Grand total, 50, 212.94
| E L. PATTERSON,