The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-21
ALERT |. c. OFFICERS
Keeping An Eye on Movements
of Tobie & Co.
Reach Albert Lea and Confer
With Contractors.
Mankato and st. Cloud Railroad
People Are Busy.
Buying Right of Way and Push
ing the Survey.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
The right -of-way men of the new rail-
road to Mankato are now at work ar
ranging with farmers and property
owners for tile purchase of the ground
on which to construct the road bed,
sidings and depot yards, says The Free
born County Times. They are H. w.
Fisher of st. Paul, experienced rail
road promoter, and Herbert Bruels of
St. Clair, business man. The two agents
arrived here the first of the week and
Immediately commenced work. They
saw several interested property owners
in this city and then started out by
team along the route between here and
Mankato. The result of their efforts for
the few days they have been at work
has not been learned
Belief that the Illinois Central is be-
hind the project for the construction of
the road to Mankato grows more and
more general. In addition to the cir
cumstantial evidence of such backing
for the new road, which has been noted
previously in these columns, it develops
that certain Illinois Central officials
are keeping close watch of the situation
here, receiving almost daily reports not
alone on the progress of the work but
on the staus of public sentiment, many
newspaper articles bearing on the SUBJ
ject having been furnished them. Also
it is stated on reliable authority that
leading officials of the Central have
been here within the past ten days
and have conferred for many hours with
contractors E. L. Tobie and G. NJ Nor
an. Observers have noted both the H.
linois Central and Duluth, st. Cloud,
Glencoe & lIankato representatives
have been frequently at the offices of
w. A. NORM. 1t will be remembered
that Mr.. NORM acted as the construc-
ton agent and right-of way man for the
Central wnen it built in from Lyle and
is understood to hold quite close rela-
tions with some of the officials of that
system. 1t was Mr. NORM at the meet
ing of the commercial club who sug
gested that Albert Lea vote $4,000
bonds to aid in the construction of the
new road and he was chairman of the
clubs committee which recommended to
the council that the question of issuing
bonds be submitted to the vote of the
people.
| 1t is now believed that the Illinois
Central is keeping strictly in the dark
in the matter for two important rea-
sons, first, because it is under agreement
with the other granger" lines not to
build into their territory and so could
not proceed openly to run line into
the Mankato and Glencoe country which
is recognized as territory of the North
western and Milwaukee roads. Second,
because townships and towns along the
route will be more likely to vote bon
uses and farmers will sell the right of
way cheaper to the alleged independent
Duluth, st. Cloud, Glencoe & Mankato
company than would be the case were it
known that the stronger Illinois trunk
line, whose stock is worth nearly two
dollars for one, is behind the project.
Contractor E. L. Tobie and his men
have continued hard at work all the
week surveying and running transit
lines up into the country.
They have gone through Manchester
township and by the end of this week
will be well into if not through Free
born township. Mr.. Moran, one of the
firm of E. L. Tobie & Co., who mas
been here with Mr.. Tobie from the first, |
has been away this week, it is stated, |
on private business. He is expected
back today. When seen at his rooms |
at Hotel Albert, Wednesday evening Mr.. |
Tobie said that nothing new had occur
red during the week. They are proceed
ing as nearly in straight line as pos
sible, they will strike the village of |
Freeborn and they find some hills to be
cut and some law places to be filled
though the cutting and filling will not
be as costly as the first two or three