The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-12-26
WORK MUST STOP
Wendell Hodapp to Defy the
Railroads.
The Location OF the lnterlockmg
Switch House Partly in Plum
Street Causes Trouble.

There is apt to be something DO
ing at the west end OF Plum street
within a day or two. Wendell Hodapp,
who addressed a communication to the
council on the subject last Friday
night, has taken to the warpath and like
Ajax defying the lightning, will Did
defiance to the railroad corporations.
Late Monday afternoon he visited
the new switch building which is
nearing completion partly on the
street and took list of the names OF
the dozen or more carpenters and
others working there. A rumor spread
that all were to be arrested this morn
ing,
Mr.. Hodapp was seen by Free
Press reporter this morning and said
that he was on his way TO the county
attorneys Office to procure a warrant
for the arrest of the foreman. He did
not think that the street committee OF
the council, to which the matter was
referred Friday night, intended to
take action.
Work was stillin progress this after
noon. Inquiry at the county attor-
news Office revealed the fact that Mr..
.Hodapp had been advised by that off,
cial that the matterwas entirely one
within the province and jurisdiction
of the city attorney, as no state law
was being violated.
City Attorney DALEY was calld up
and said that. Mr.. Hodapp had called
upon him and made inquiry as to
when the street committee was likely
to meet to consider the matter. From
this it would appear that Mr.. Hodapp' &
wrath had subsidized somewhat.
1t is understood that Mr.. Hodapp
has consulted, c. N. Andrews in re-
gard to the matter.
A Free Press reporter visited the
scene of the trouble today, aid found
quite a handsome two-story frame
building partly on railroad property
and partly overlapping into Plum
street. The building is located on 9
narrow strip of ground between the
railroad tracks, which at that point
take up all the ground 70 the river
bank. What good the end of the street
will ever be to thescity, it is hard tt
discern. Whatever there is left of tht
street consists of one or two little
strips of earth in the network of rail
road tracks, ..and. the street goes. tt
nowhere except the jumping Off. place
in the river.
While the end of the street. will
probably never be of any practica
value to the city. still it is worth a
least the asking. which the railroa'
companies seem not to have taken tn
trouble to do. The owners of propert.
on, the street, and especially Mr.
Hodapp. feel that the railroad did
high handed act in locating thei
building on the street without 8
much as saying "Dy your leave. "
1t is likely that the matter could b
adjusted by the council vacating tn
end of the street. the city to receiv
an equivalent in some form, either L
money or land. The property ownss
are excusable for feeling that the rail
roads have not treated the city fairl
in the matter. On the other hand
the companies are making most--de
sirable improvement at an expens
of s25. 900. ..t.
As----the.. matter..z now. stands, = Tia
council can at any time order tn
building removed from the street, an
1T is astonishing that. the railroad
should have located 80 expensive a
improvement where any council coul
put them to lot of trouble. 1t woul
appear to have been the part of wi
dom for the roads to have first acqui
ed the property.
It was rumored this afternoon thi
Mr.. Hodspp would get out RESTRAIN
ing order, preventing further work
the building.
The interlocking switch, as near
as can be learned, is being put in |
the Milwaukee and Great WesteI
= roads, and possibly the North westerl
Fifty-seven switches will be operate
from the building, the sides of Il
second story of which are nearly
u;ndoU glass