The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-02-24
Proposes to Connect Mankato
and Albert Lea.
Has Very Little Faith in the
Steam Road Scheme.
He C0nfides His Ideas to a
Free Press Man.

James H. Collins, president of the
Collins Construction company of Chi
cago, was in the city today, and had
quite a talk with representative of
The Free Press. Mr.. Collins, it will be
remembered, was one of the leaders in
the promotion of an electric street rail-
way here a few years ago, but the
scheme fell through. Now Mr.. Collins
pays little attention if any to promo
tions, but confines himself to the bust
ness of actual construction.
Mr.. Collins has been turning his at
tention to the project of establishing an
interurban freight and passenger road
that would connect Mankato with Al
bert Lea and st. Cloud, along the way
of the proposed Duluth, St. Cloud, Glen
coe and Mankato railway. He has little
faith that the parties who are pushing
the project of establishing steam rail-
way along this route will succeed. He
believes they are asking too much from
the people. He thinks that same railway
company might be willing at some time
to establish an electric railway along
this same route. Such railway would
cast less than the steam locomotive sys-
tenn, and could handle the traffic, both
freight and passenger. The line would
have no parallel line to compete with
and would open up new territory that
has heretofore been reached by no north
md south road. Central Minnesota GER
tainly needs north and south road.
He deems such road a far safer in
vestment than an electric road between
Mankato and the Twin Cities would be.
The latter has many railroad lines to
compete with.
Mr.. Collins has little confidence in the
success of any line running from Man
kato to neighboring town as there
would hardly be enough traffic to make
it pay. In order to make such ven-
ture a success, it would probably be
necessary to operate an electric lighting
and commercial power plant in connec-
ton with the railway power house.
If the Collins Construction company
took hold of the work at all, it would
be in the way of simply doing the job
for other parties for stipulated sum
of money. The company does not wish
to go into any promoting work.
The company is at present engaged
in constructing a line in Wisconsin from
Sheboygan to Elkhart Lake. This line
is nearly finished. The company has en-
gineers at work on new electric line in
Michigan, running from South Haven
through Kalamazoo, lansing, Saginaw
and Bay City.
Mr.. Collins left this afternoon for
Chicago. Before going he said that he.
would not have to come to Mankato at
this time if he had known how matters
stood as regards the mayoralty. He
will await the outcome of the spring
election.
Mr.. Collins visit yesterday was in
a measure in conjunction with that of
Secretary G. H. Mckenzie of the Central
Minnesota Railway company. He has
also consulted with Capt. Reed, and
states that he is willing to build either
road. He states that all that is asked is
that the right of way and the prelimin-
airy surveys be furnished. Any bon
uses voted can go to pay for those.
Mr.. Collins stated that his company
could build just only one more road this
season, aside from contracts it has, and
can handle the Isl miles of road from
Albert Lea to st. Cloud.