The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-13
Minnesota Central Will Be Construct
ed, Say the Officials.
Several of the Officials Pay a Visit to
Mankato Today.
Look Over a Site for a Bridge Across
the Minnesota.
Also Take a View of the Right.of.
Way Situation.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Construction and operation of the pro-
posed Central Minnesota railway con-
Meeting Mankato with Duluth by way of
st. Cloud now seems to be assured.
Three leading promoters and officials of
the road were in the city this morning
and brief conversation with them seem
ed ample to put to rest all possible
doubts on the subject. These visitors
were George R. Van Reed of Reading,
Pa, vice president and chief engineer of
the new company; E. A. Dieter of
Brownton, Mimi, field engineer; and G..
81. Mckenzie of Gaylord, Mimi, -secre-
tary.
The gentlemen stopped at the Saul
paugh last evening and this morning
hired livery rig and drove out to Sib-
ley park to look over the advantages and
disadvantages that locality showed for
the establishment of the road and to de-
eide if possible on plans for suitable
terminus at Mankato. The matter of
more immediate interest, however, was
the railroad bridge that the company
contemplates constructing at the mouth
of the Blue Earth to support a single
track leading across the Minnesota river
into Nicollet county.
IrsI
ed quite time ago and plans for the
same appear pretty well matured. 1t is
to be a single tracked steel structure to
consist of three $50 foot spans, and is to
cost about $4,000. 1t is designed to
build this bridge either this winter or in
the early spring.
Plans for the terminal facilities are
not so far advanced. In general way,
however, it is purposed to obtain a
standard right of way of one hundred
feet across Chris Burmeister's corn field
and to extend the right of way in a
northerly direction until the Milwaukee
roadbed is reached. The gentlemen stat
ed that the depots and other terminal
buildings and equipments are to be in no
way inferior to those of roads already
established here.
The officials this afternoon drove out
to Nicollet along the right of way they
propose to secure, extending along the
north bank of the Minnesota river in
Nieollet county to point seven miles
west of the mouth of the Blue Earth.
Here they talked over schemes for cut
ting away portions of the rocky bluffs
here and there and making necessary ex-
cavations and filings. At the aforesaid
point several miles west of the mouth
of the Blue Earth, they stood in line
directly south of Nicollet. It is planned
to run the roadway from this point on
the river bank directly to Nieollet;
thence by way of New Sweden, Gaylord,
New Auburn, Hutchinson, Litchfield to
st. Cloud Here the Central Minnesota
will connect with the Great Northern and
thus establish connections with Duluth.
The promoters hope, however, in the near
future to have roadway of the COM
pany's own to Duluth from st. Cloud
The Central Minnesota Railway COM
pany has already secured absolute title
to roadbed hundred feet wide from
Nicollet to New Auburn. 1t has all been
done either by private sale or by alb
solute gift to the company by those who
see the benefits of the new road clearly
enough to be willing to do something
to help it along. No less than 25 per
cent of the way SO far secured has been
obtained in this manner.
Along the proposed road several COM
munities have offered substantial dona-
tions to help the project. New Sweden
has issued municipal bonds to the
amount of $1,000 for this purpose; New
Auburn up to $1,000; and Gaylord up to
$4,000. The citizens of Litchfeld have
raised cash bonus of $4,000.
The railroad proposition itself is very
Young. It was first discussed and de-
termined upon at Kansas City, Mo-, on
March II, 1903, by w. 8. Lambert of
Reading, Pa, and c. H. McKinzie of
Gaylord, MINI. The company was in
corporated under the laws of New Jer-
sey on May % last. 1t is capitalized at
100000 and bonded at two millions by
the Union Trust company of Philadel-
phia.
The promoters are all well known and
highly respected business men who have
already made a name in the commercial
circles of this country. Mr.. Van Reed
was for twenty years chief of the en-
cheering department of the Pennsyl-
vania system Mr.. Lambert has already
constructed dozen or more railroads.
Col. J. T. Small, one of the new COM
pany directors, some years ago built
the Pittsburg, Kansas City and Gulf line
200 -.:l1o EIxvo~s5 T. Of