The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-15

cago & North Western at all. The other
roads could do the carrying trade.
On motion of DIR. Andrews the rail-
road committee was instructed to keep
at work on the matters that the board
and the Business Mems association com
planned of and if possible find some So
luton.
DR.. Andrews spoke of the great incon-
venience to travel at the Main street
crossing. There was great number of
tracks and the Milwaukee trains were al
ways doing some switching there. The
rain had sunk down the earth between
/ the tracks. 1t was necessary therefore
to drive slowly over the tracks. There
should be planking or some kind of pave
ment between the tracks. Moreover there
was not a sufficient safeguard to pre-
vent accidents at the crossing. The Mil
waullee and Great Western trains were
accustomed to cross Main street at
rate that would result fatally in case of
a collision. Sooner or later somebody
would be killed There shoul6 be a
flagman or some other device to warn
people of the approach of the Milwaukee
and Great Western trains. The matter
ought to be brought before the city coun
Gil.
On his motion the president was in
structed to appoint committee of three
to interview the council in regard to
these matters. Vice President Pond pre-
sently appointed DR.. Andrews, Mr.. White
and w. E. Young.
The suggestion of the crossing natur
ally led to the consideration of the
matter of the crossing of the river by
the Belgrade farmers. T. w. Hart said
there was certainly need of another
bridge Farmers would sometimes leave
their teams on one side of the river and
carry their produce across rather than
drive across the tracks.
Nh Brett was heartily in favor of a
new bridge. If the city could not be
gotten to appropriate the money, it'll
might be raised by subscription. There
should be bridge farther up the river.
Mr.. Hart suggested a pontoon bridge
farther up the river. Such a bridge
would not cost more than two or three
thousand dollars and would answer the
purpose of relieving the Main street
congestion for some time to come.
Mr. Pond thought such device would
create demand for permanent bridge
at whatever place the pontoon bridge
should be located.
Mr.. Hart said that the hill and the
bridge were the two reasons the Belgrade
farmers were accustomed to give for not
coming to Mankato. The Belgrade hill
was fright to drive up or down. Far
mers did not like to'drive down it with !
heavy loads of their produce; nor could
anything heavy be sold to the farmers
of Belgrade in Mankato, as the heavy
articles such as coal and hardware could
not be hauled by them up the Belgrade
avenue hill.
G. A. Chapman suggested another rem
edy for the bridge crossing difficulty. |
An overhead crossing would obviate all
danger from the locomotives. An over
head crossing would probably accommo-
date the people better than bridge up |
the river would do. An easy grade could
be gotten from Main street and the |
bridge could be built high enough to
clear all of the tracks. If it should be |
decided to build another bridge some |
where there would be great deal of |
wrangling as to where it should be. One
party would want it at one place and an |
other party at another. A sufficient |
rise could probably not be obtained from
Front street. 1t would probably be /,
necessary to bridge over Front street and
obtain the rise from Second.
Mr.. White thought Mr.. Chapman's idea !
was very good one. He suggested that
the entire board of trade walk over
to the bridge and look it over at the
close of the meeting He called atten-
ton to similar engineering feats that
had been accomplished in Chicago.
H. A. Patterson thought great OBJ
stacles would be found to bridging over
Front street. Such proceeding would
damage great deal of very valuable
property.
DR.. Andrews spoke of the proposed
! new road whereby the Belgrade hill
would be obviated This road was intend
ed to run up the big ravine by the john
son quarry.
F, A motion by Mr.. Hughes was carried
providing for the appointment of spe-
cial committee to look into the matter
of revising the agitation for the new
road around the Belgrade hill. Mr..
Hughes, Mr.. Hart and DR.. Andrews were
appointed upon that committee.
| A communication was received frbm
the Woodmen's picnic committee request
ing aid in the raising of funds for the
entertainment of guests at the picnic
to be held in the city on June s. Prizes
for all sorts of contests at the park
would have to be provided for, and the