The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-08-05
PRESENT THE|RPLAN
Mr.. Willard and Associates
Electric Railway Scheme.
Route From Mankat0 to St.
Clair, Via Eagle Lake.
A City Line Also, and in All
Twenty-one Miles.
Company Organized Construc-
ton Cost 100000.
From Mondays Daily.

The Free Press today, gave out the COM
plete history of the plan for, street
railway, which he and his associates
have long been working upon. Mr.. Will
ard begins by calling to mind that
ago appointed committee to work on
street railway proposition. That COM
mittee has been at work ever since. The
committee held several meetings and got
the matter started and then Mr.. Will
ard went to work personally. He studi-
ed the subject for months and became
satisfied that a freight line would pay.
He then succeeded in interesting several
prominent citizens and induced them, as
well as many along the proposed line, to
furnish money for the preliminary work.
For six or eight weeks through the win
ter he had corps of engineers making
surveys.
Mr.. Willard states that these engineers
secured very easy grade from Mankato
to st. Clair, after a survey of two or
three routes. The services of con-
sulting engineer, Oscar Claussen of st.
Paul, were then secured, to go over the
surveys and profile, to examine the
route, to find out the probable traffic in
passengers and freight, and to estimate
the cost of construction and equipment,
including the power plant. Mr.. Claussen
reported that a city line or country
passenger line would not pay, but that
freight and passenger line would. The
report covered the cost of construction
and equipment, operation and gross and
net earnings.
This report was submitted to Mr.. Will
ard and his associates three months
ago. As it was so favorable, they de-
termined to place it before the financial
and bond people in various money GEN.
tiers. Several propositions, more or less
favorable, were received as a result. One
by the Municipal Bonds & Securities
company of New York, of which Albert
Norvale is president, was accepted by the
men who were interested in getting the
line. An agreement was made, whereby
the promoters were bound to pay over
certain moneys. This they have done.
Mr. Norvale, for his company's part,
agreed to finance the proposition to build
an interurban line to Eagle Lake, Madi-
son Lake and st. Clair and city line,
altogether making mileage of twenty
one miles, and power and lighting plant
in the city. The agreement was as
scented to by the company under certain
conditions, which are said by Mr.. Will
ard to be reasonable and can readily be
complied with, but which for certain
reasons cannot be disclosed now.
This contract was made with Mr.. Nor
vale personally when he visited Mankate
in July. He went over the whole route
at the time. He also sent n. D. Pound
of Chicago to make further examination.
Mr.. Pound on his arrival informed Mr..
Willard that he had told Mr.. Norvale
that such road would not pay. After
he had been over the line he changed his
opinion and said he would make favor
able report. He wired Mr.. Norvale,
proposition good and people enthusiast
tie"
A company, to be known as The Man.
kato Railway, Light & Power company,
has already been Incorporated by the
following persons: George NJ Palmer,
George E. Brett, Charles E. Wise, A. o.
Eberhart, M. G. Willard, W. D. Willard,
L. S. Lamm, Nicholas Juliar, Henry
Theilman of st. Clair, and Joseph B.
Morris of Eagle Lake. The company
was organized last Saturday. Officers
have been elected as follows: A. O.
Eberhart, president; Henry Thielman
vice president; NJ G. Willard, secretary
w. D. Willard, treasurer. The substan-
tial character of the officers and direc-
tors is well-known.
Tonight the city council will meet and
the draft of a franchise will be present
ed. The franchise is much on the same
plan as that which was passed for the
Collins proposition and is to run fol
twenty years. The aldermen will not b.
asked to pass the franchise tonight, bu
it will undoubtedly be referred and thel
taken up again at the regular meeting
next Friday night.
1t is proposed to have the line complet
ed within eighteen months. The tota
cost is to be 100000 or more and bond
to the extent of eighty five per cent o
the cost of the road will be issued by tn
company The length of the route with
in the city is to be nine miles.
Committee Makes a Statement.
The above proposition of course run
counter to that on which W. L. Hixor
H. E. Hance, G. N Andrews and other
have been working 1t is proposed to dis
cuss the two propositions at join
meeting of the board of trade and tn
Business Mems association, to be hel
at the city hall next "Wednesday eve
ming.
The committee appointed by the recen