The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-05-20
Business Mems Association Not in Fa-
vor Of Suggested Structure.
Prefer That the Matter Be Left to
the Board Of Trade.
Scheme to Advertise Mankato in a
Minneapolis Newspaper.
Other Matters Considered BY the Or.
ganization Last Night.
From Thursdays Daily.

From InurSoays Daly.
Last night the Mankato Business
Mems association held a discussion of c.
A. Chapman's idea of an overhead bridge
over the railroad crossing at Main street.
o. w. Schmidt remarked that Mr..
Chapman thought the railroad companies
interested would be willing to pay
something towards the overhead bridge.
Mr.. Chapman had an idea too of lower
ing the Milwaukee tracks. Mr.. Schmidt
thought there might be some merit in
the idea. Whenever a second bridge could
be built, there would always be the old
difficulty of the tracks to contend with.
Many farmers of Belgrade do not come
to Mankato on account of the dangers of
the Main street crossing and the delays
of the gates. Other cities had accomplish
ed far more difficult feats of engineering
than this overhead bridge would involve.
Mr.. Chapman had addressed the railroad
companies about the matter and was
awaiting their replies.
DIR. Smith thought the scheme i'm
practicable. The grade would be far
too steep. The bridge would be costly
and unsightly.
H. P. Jensen thought such bridge
would be a nuisance 1t would be bet
ter to build new bridge somewhere
else along the river.
Judge Torey thought an overhead
crossing such as Mr.. Chapman suggested
would prove more dangerous than the
railroad crossing at Main street is to-
day. The trains would run under the
bridge just as they pleased. The bridge
would at times become crowded with
teams and vehicles.
Martin Wiltgen said the crossing
would be far less Objectionable if the
Milwaukee and Great Western roads
would not do their switching there.
There were plenty of other places where
such switching could be done. The over
head bridge would damage property at
both ends. Big loads would have to
climb up and down big hill in order
to get across the river. 1t would be an
unsafe bridge at that. Perhaps some
day the railroad companies will be will
ing to elevate their tracks and let the
teams pass safely under them.
j. A. Slama was the only member
present, besides Mr.. Schmidt, who
thought the overhead bridge idea all
right. He did not think the grade would
be difficult one at all. AS far as
switching is concerned, the railroads
must do their switching somewhere.
They could not be expected to go away
out into the country to do it.
j. B. Richards thought new bridge
could be built farther up the river in
such way as to lead under the North
Western and Omaha tracks to Mime
sofa street. He preferred that the mat
ter of an overhead bridge be left to the
board of trade.
The association took no action on the
proposition.
II. S. Weber of Minneapolis appeared
before the association with the old
scheme of offering advertising of the
city in return for subscriptions to the
newspaper he represented. He offered
to publish series of five to seven arti-
cles on the city of Mankato in his paper
three to five weeks apart. He said no
charge was to be made for such inser-
lions, but he expected in return that in
the future the business men would sub
scribe more widely to his paper, and
would give the paper paid advertise
ments. No definite pledge, however, was
demanded.
II. P. Jensen remarked that the large
papers of the state outside the city of
Mankato paid very little attention to
the city as a general rule. Sometimes
there would be tiny little bit of news
about Mankato published in very OBJ
secure way. Other towns of the state,
far less important than Mankato, are
mentioned far oftener and more promi-
nently.
All of the business men present ex-
pressed themselves on the scheme that
the Minneapolis man had preached.
Neither Mr.. Jensen nor anybody else
present could see any harm in it.
Judge Torrey incidentally remarked
that the Twin Cities had way of buck
ing against Mankato's interests and al
ways had done so. Whatever came ND
that would benefit Mankato in the least,
the Twin Cities have always been ready
to fight it. The Twin Cities have always