The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-30
ROAD BUILDING.
Board of Trade Considers This
Subject.
Suggestion That $500 Prize be
Offered for the Best Mile of Good
Road to be Built

The matter of good roads occupied
considerable attention of the board of
trade at its meeting last Monday
Mr.. Brett stated that he thought some
thing ought to be done to secure better
roads leading out of the city. He be-
lieved that some movement ought to
be ina1gurated toward securing the
graveling or building of macadam
roads.
Replying to questions Mr.. Haynes
said that it would cost at least $40, 600
per mile to macadamize a country
road. This was being done in the east
at fully that expense, and they find
that it pays.
Mr.. Willard thought something
might be done toward encouraging the
making of better roads leading to the
city, by offering premium for tn
best piece of road built.
Mr.. Brett thought pretty good roads
could be built for good deal less
than Mr.. Haynes estimate. He
believed that 81, 900 per mile would
put a road in pretty good shape with
gravel.
Mr.. Haynes said $1,000 would not
90 far. Of course considerable could
be done, but it would soon have to be
done over again, if spread out that
way. Mr.. Brett replied that the road
way did not need to be made very
wide, and if fixed so the water would
drain off quickly, gravel would make a
fine road with pretty good lasting
qualities.
President Andrews thought that if a
fund could be raised out of which
sums could be given against like
amount used by township, it would
encourage good road making.
| Mr.. Brett said we had talked good
deal, but that it was time to do some
thing along a practical line.
| Mr.. Haynes called attention to what
had been done at Rochester to en-
courage good road building on roads
| leading to that city. Said If the county
would get stone crusher that could
be used to crush granite boulders
| wherever found, that it would dc
much for good road improvement.
The city could help in crushing
the rock and there is no better ma
terial for making good permanent
rad than crushed granite.
! DR.. Follman said that in Nicollet
county strips of road were made by
the farmers getting together and each
agreeing to draw SO many loads OF
gravel, and the road they made was as
coed as Front street. If the business
men could get crushed stone, ne be-
lieved there would be no trouble in
getting the farmers to haul it out and
use it. Thought they would be GLAD
TO. A little money might be raised te
help defray the expense of hauling il
needed.
Mr.. Brett and others thought tina
the offering premium for the pes'
mile of road built, leading into Man
kato good scheme, and would slim
ulate the work. Mr.. Brett thought
$500 could be raised and would be none
| too much to offer the town building
the best mile of good road. The mat
ter was referred to the committee OF
road and bridges.
President Andrews said that his at
tention had been called to the fac
that many of the trees along tn
streets needed trimming as tn
branches hang so low, as to interfer
with the carrying of an umbrella dur
ing a rain. He thought the appear
ance of the street would be improve
! as we'll. The matter was left with tn
committee on public improvements.