The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-16
OMAHA :||AI|' S ROAD! a BED
Is the Bone of Contention In the
Board of Trade. 81
Will Bring Railroad Track Too
Close to Falls.
Electric Companies Stand Pat;
Peace Commission.
kssSs5s s.ast- sfAa
Several Other Matters Are Dis
cussed by Directors.
From Mondays Daily.


be held by the Omaha railway officials,
the park committee of the Board of
Trade, the South Bend town board and
other interested parties, before the exact
location of the new road bed of the
Omaha, and other matters relating to
AIinneopa park are decided.
The new road bed between the viii
lage of South Bend and Minneopa park,
as contemplated by the Omaha railroad
officials, begins to diverge, as does the
present bed, from the Northwestern, at
South Bend village, but instead of GO
ing by the d. p. Davis residence, and
crossing the highway into the village,
it is TO go straight westward through
the Mcconnell farm, crossing the public
highway two or three hundred rods east
of the Mcconnell residence Then it
crosses the Pigeon hill road little far
Their down the hill from where the pres
ent road bed crosses. 1t strikes the, pres
ent road bed again just as it approaches
Minneopa creek. Then it crosses Min
neopa creek little to the north of the
present culvert on a new culvert en-
tirely, and runs across a southeast cor
ner of Minneopa cemetery, as now fenc-
ed in. Then it passes the present depot
at Minneopa on the south side of the
same, and thence westward. This takes
the new roadway to the extreme south
ern limit of the company's right of
way at the park, and, if depot is put
on the south side of the track at this
point, as is contemplated, this new de-
pot will have to stand on the park
ground.
The new roadway will cross the pres
ent Minneopa road twenty five feet be-
low the grade of the highway, making
deep cut below the corner of Ahnneopa
cemetery. The company will give the
public an overhead crossing at that
point
This Minneopa road at present crosses
the railroad track only once in the park
region. BY the new scheme it seems
that it will be necessary to make the
crossing three times in order for teams
and pedestrians, who have come by the
wagon road, to get into the park.
With this idea in view, some opposi-
ton to the railroad program has arisen
in the Board of Trade committee. An
endeavor will be made to have the new
road bed moved two rods or there
abouts farther away from the falls, cut
ting farther into the cemetery. This
will give room enough to erect depot
on the side of the track towards the
falls, without using the park grounds.
There will also be room enough then for
a wagon road between the depot and
the falls This would obviate the ne
cessity of crossing the track three times,
only one crossing being necessary.
The railroad company is willing to
give the public the use of the old
roadbed as wagon road approaching
n.
road bed for that purpose, however, it
would be necessary TODD considerable eX
cavating into the hige bluff near Pig
con mill, where the new road bed is to
run over the present right of way. 1t
was proposed at the joint meeting of
railroad, Board of Trade and South
Bend representatives last Saturday,
that the railroad company eXcavate into
the bluff sufficiently to make a road for
wagons at this point, but the COM
pany's representatives said that this
would involve an expense of about $685.
900. Without such excavation, how
ever, it seems hardly possible to make
use of the old road bed, for wagon
road
The Omaha railroad company proposes
to put up a beautiful rustic depot on
the park ground, structure that will
be in harmony with the beauties of the
landscape.
There was quite a discussion of the
situation at this mornings meeting of
the local Board of Trade There
were many opinions as to where the new
depot ought to be, some thinking it
should be farther west and others far
Their east. DIR. Andrews made quite a
lengthy report on the progress that the
committee had made. He also exhibit
ed map of the proposed park and its
surroundings.
The law as it reads, he explained, con-
templates the purchase of fifty four
acres. But the fifty -four acres describ-
ed are not those that are the most suit
able for park purposes. A part of this
tract is not desirable for park land, but
it would make very good cemetery land.
The committee would like to see the
ffty-four acres described, including