The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-24
COMMITTEE TO WIN0NA
Council Takes Up the Question OF
Street Lighting.
Present Service Of Gasoline Lights Is
Severely Criticised.
Bids to Be Secured on Paving of Fifth
Street With Asphalt.
Contracts for Grading of Poplar and
Cherry Streets Approved.
From Mondays Daily.

ton of it's time at the adjourned meet
ing Saturday night to the consideration
of the question of lighting the streets. The
present lights were severely criticised on
all hands, and held up as inferior and
more expensive than the electric lights
were. 1t seemed to be the general opinion
that the present service must not be
tolerated longer than this year, if rea-
| sonable terms can be made for the light
ing of the streets with electricity.
Aid. Plymat brought up the matter by
| saying that some of the street lights look
like fire bugs, and that person is not
! sure whether they are fire flies or some
| thing smaller. They burn, but afford
little or no light. He suggested that the
police report the poor lights as well as
| those that are out. He said that the
time has come to take action about the
| lighting question. Both daily papers
which reflect the sentiment of the public,
have suggested that the council send a
committee to Winona to investigate the
lighting question there. He said that
he was free to say that for himself he
would not favor the city putting in a
lighting plant unless it be in connection
with commercial lighting. The people
want this, also. The law which allows
cities of this size to issue $4,000 of
lighting bonds is very questionable, and
may not stand the test of the courts.
In some cities, where the funds are limit
ed, the councils put in plants that turn
out to be inadequate and are thrown
away. He was not in favor of this coun-
ell doing this, and he did not want
'cheap John" plant put in. He would
like to be member of the council that
should put in good lighting plant. He
moved that the lighting committee and
the city attorney be instructed to 60 to
Winona and investigate the plant, and
that the. police be instructed to report
lights out and defective lights. This
pe;nted to lighting the city with pri
vate plant for year, five or ten years,
he said, but what the people want is
good lights at a reasonable price.
Aid. Kleinschmidt stated that the en-
ployes of the company do not put enough
gasoline in their lamps, and some go
out at eleven o'clock.
Mayor Taylor said that some of the
mantles are poor.
Aid. Mckinley stated that one light in
his ward had not been lighted for five
nights.
AID Coy said that light in his ward
was out the night before.
Aid. Roemer said that on going home
Friday night he found four lights out in
his ward.
Aid. KleinschmiAt suggested that the
citizens report lights out to the police,
aldermen or city officials, as the police
cannot cover the entire city.
Mayor Taylor called Vice President
Plymat to the chair and addressed the
council on the matter. He told why
the contract was awarded to the present
company, and said that the council had
been justified in awarding the contract
as it had done. He had inspected the
lights which the company furnished in
st. Paul, and there were no poor lights
there. 1t is different in Mankato. He
favored sending the lighting committee
and city attorney to Winona.
AID Mckinley said that the present
lights are very unsatisfactory, and do
not light the city nearly as well as it.
was lighted before, although the cost
is much greater.
Both of Aid. Plymat's motions were
carried
Two Contracts Approved.
AID Plymat said that he had been in
formed that Messrs Lloyd and Spellman
have changed their minds and are now
favorable to the profile of Cherry street
as prepared by the city engineer. He
moved that the award of the contract be
10
proved. The motion was carried. The
contractor has IS days to complete the
work.
The board of public works reported the
award of the contract for grading Poplar
street to Geo. w. Monks, the lowest
bidder, at 261h cents per yard. The con-
tract, profile and bond were approved.
The bondsmen are j. P. Schweitzer and
O. Little. The work is to be completed
by March lst, 1904.
The board reported favorably upon the
matter of laying a sewer on Record and
Shawbut streets, estimating the cost
at 1860. The matter was referred back
to the board to secure bids.
Paving of Fifth Street.
The board reported favorably upon the
matter of paving Fifth street, and said
that the entire amount can be assessed
upon the property benefited. 1t esti-
mated the cost of paving with asphalt
the portion of the street from Hickory
to Spring streets, grading, boulevarding
and curbing it, at $l9,l96, and the cost
of grading, curbing, guttering and boule-
varding the portion of the street from
Spring street to Madison avenue at 3d.
s37. The specifications and profile were
adopted, and the matter was referred
back to the board to secure bids.
The board of public works was ordered
to place stone crossing at each end of
Florence street, on motion of Aid. Ply
mat.
The claim of Amel Ritter for damage
to his garden from overflow of water was
disallowed, as his garden is in good shape
now.
| Aid. Kleinschmidt said that the Man
kato Gas and Electric Light company
desires to have the second floor of it's
offices, formerly the public library, heat
ed by the city as in the past, from the