The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-09
GUT OUT THE WALK Nh (,
Creamery Package Company
Wins the Council Over.
SIZES i1e topneli i
Concern Will Not Have to
Make Improvement.
Much Discussion and Several
Citizens Offer Protest.
Other Matters Acted Upon BY
the Aldermen.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
Aldermen Jorgensen, Schroeder and
Roemer, Mayor Taylor, City Recorder
Hodapp, and others had tedious two
hour wait in the council chamber last
evening, hoping that another city dad"
would show up and make quorum.
Aid. Kleinschmidt finally arrived from
Lake Madison and found the other Of
ficials very much bowed down with
sleep. Yet short business session was
held, and the nervous systems of the
to dispose of business with readiness and
dispatch.
Among the items of business transact
ed were the resembling of the order for
a sidewalk along the premises of the
Creamery Package Manufacturing COM
pany on Van Brunt street; the approval
of the boards report in favor of the
proposed curb and gutter on North
Fourth street; request that the coun-
ty board put in cement instead of stone
curbs and cutters; and various minor
matters. The armory provision was left
in the hands of the committee on city
property and will probably be disposed
of at special meeting to be held in the
near future with reference to the street
paving.
A remonstrance signed by forty-six
employees of the Creamery Package
Manufacturing company petitioned that
the council reconsider the resolution
passed at the last meeting, providing
for the construction of cement side
walk along the south side of Van Brunt
street, between Carroll and Record
streets - q. Is = 3 = = +
The construction of the walk in ques-
ton, it was claimed, would cut off the
buildings from the street and greatly
increase the labor in handling the COM
pany's product and would result in
much additional expense to the company.
1t would render it necessary to handle
with trucks all goods coming in or go
ing out instead of loading directly from
the buildings as is now DONE.
The petition went on to say that on
account of high freight rates and the
scarcity of timber in this vicinity the
company cannot afford to pay the adj
ditional expense that would be occas-
toned by the sidewalk, and would there
fore close down the plant and throw all
the petitioners out of employment, if
the sidewalk order was not rescinded
Aid Kleinschmidt moved that the Pc
tition be granted and the action in ques-
ton reescinded.
George Pass opposed this. He saw no
reason why this wealthy company
should not lay sidewalk as we'll as
the church across the street. The COM
pany's claim that the sidewalk would
handicap it's business was utter non
sense. Thirty or more property owners
in the neighborhood were in favor of
this sidewalk. 1t would be easy enough
for the men to drive up on the boule
ward and do their loading and un-,
loading in that way.
1t would not cost the company an
other cent to do business after the side
walk was put in. All the company real
ly wanted was to save the cost of the
sidewalk.
B. c. Taylor, representing the board of
trade, took the stand that the side
walk should not be forced upon the COM
pany. When the package company built
the factory, it was located on a line of
railroad. No one had any idea that that
line was going to be transferred to an
other place. The company here was lab
oring under great disadvantages. The
native timber was almost exhausted in
the neighborhood, and there had been
a great deal of talk of moving the fac
tory elsewhere. 1t was the personal
influence of Mr.. Higgs and Mr.. Cooper
that had kept the factory in the city
thus far. Mr.. Taylor had been informed,
as he thought reliably, that the factory
at Mankato had not been paying for
some time past.
The factory employed from forty to
fifty men. It's payroll was large and it
brought great deal of outside money
into the city. During the past month
the company had spent in the city for
various purposes as much as 1000.
This source of city benefit should not
be driven away. 1t may be only a
question of time when the company will
move its plant to more profitable To-
cation anyhow, and it should be kept
here as long as possible. He had been
informed that during the past six
months the company had made no money
from the Mankato factory.
Mr.. Taylor observed that the company