The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-02-21
ANNUAL REPORTS
The City Engineer and Park
Superintendent.
These Officials Outline the Work OF the
Past Year and Make Some Re-
concentrations.

The annual reports OF the CITY
engineer, superintendent of parks ana
health officer have been issued IN
pamphlet form, and make an interest
ing volume. From the city engineer
report we gather the following - infor-
nation:
Sewers. But two contracts for new
work were let the past season, one
8-inch sewer running $50 feet easterly |
on. Walnut from Fifth street sewer
the. other a 10-inch sewer on RECORD
street from Pleasant to Fulton with
an s-inch sewer running easterly on
Fulton for $50 feet and westerly for
495 fees The former cost $25O. on, and
the latter 1914 55.
Number of permits issued was 3s.
The total length of the main sewer
is now SO, TAO feet, and the total cost
Of the system has been 1914, All. SO.
Waterworks. -Extension =. for, 1901
consist of 1, 800 feet of six-inch mains,
and hydrants, at cost of 81, O44 70.
It's gratifying to- note. that not
withstsnding the..-very dry season,
there was a reduction of. 81, 600, 600
gallons of water pumped from that OF
1900. We consider. this at least partly
to be attributed to the installation, OF
sixty-two new meters
Number of permits issued was luz,
of which ffty-two were for new con-
nections.
Number of water takers is 1908.
Total cost of system to date is $l14,
269,11. There are 81, 949 feet of mains
and 4, 27S feet of supply pipe.
Judge Porter's report, which has
already been published, is given.
The average daily use per capita for
consumers (6,s7O), free water excepted,
was 1872 gallons. The toal amount of
water pumped was.331, $50, 900 gallons.
Sidewalks. The citizens are to be
commended for the interest taken in
good sidewalks The past season there
were laid 116, $50 square feet of cement
walk, equivalent to 66-10O miles of
continuous walks, six feet wide. In
addition to the above there was laid
1872 square feet of wooden walk.
MANY of the walks condemned had
to be left over until 1909 on account
of the pressure of work, but all were
under contract and will be put in
early next season. Of all the walks
condemned the city had to build but
A, 652 square feet.
The amount assessed for repairs was
$418. 70, which was less than half the
cost of the repairs made.
Not a single claim for damages
arising from defective walks was filed
during the past year, which speaks well
of the services rendered by the two
repair men.
Streets. The expense of this depart
ment for 1901, was $15, $50. 81, divided
as follows: Pay rolls So, 412. 10; stone
and cement, 50, S34. IA; lumber, 81, ao1.
81 hardware and blacksmithing, S4O5.
10; miscellaneous, LOST. SO; Warren
creek culvert, block Z, Warren's addi'
ton, 1853. so; work on Second street,
Cherry to Byron, $3.50. So; total, $15,
350.67.
The only contracts were for thu
Warren creek culvert and the improve
ment of Second street from Cherry t.
Byron. The latter work was done &C
cording to the wishes of the propert.
owners and consisted of making tn
necessary excavation for sub-grade
placing thereon layer of river grave
three inches deep and covering with
layer of "Indian Lake gravel thre
inches deep. Use was made OF bot
the steam and horse rollers, as muc
as the condition of the street woul
allow. In connection with this wor
there was set /, 482 feet of combine
cement curb and gutter with four fee
of stone paving, at IA cents per linea
foot. The total cost of the improve
ment was 50, 7Sl. SO, of which 2, 100. z
was assessed to property benefited
There was about 715 feet of cemen
curb and gutter put in by progressiv
citizens on their own account 1t
a matter of regret that in these case
the whole block could not be curbed q
the same time, as there is no stree
improvement that yields such in
mediate returns in the way of beaut
flying and enhancing the value of th
property and lessening cost of repair
as curbing and cutters.
A considerable item in the increaG
of expenditures over last year aris'
from the number of crossings put
and in replacing with cement thoi
parts of walks from curb line to sid,
walk line in cases where the propert
owner had put down cement wall
Frequent complaint is made of IL
amount spent in street repairs. 4
the same time the public demands ar
expects better streets. They seem
forget that the city is growing and in
proving and that it costs money
keep up with these conditions If OF
streets are to be as demanded by Il
citizens they must expect to pay tt
bills.
A very great Improvement over pre-
ent conditions would be the macad
MIXING or graveling of the less II
portant and outlying streets and Il
paving of the more central part-b
this will not mean that all expens
are to cease. The expense for cleanil
and repairs on those portions will