The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-06-22
Plan to Buy Highway Improv-
ers for Pasmasters.
SUGGESTED pr COMMITTEE.
Commercial Club Takes Hold Of This
Matter With Vim; .Dfisswais
to Be 9etaefed.

The COMMITTEE. on good roads present
ed written report to the Commercial
club last night 1t said chat two es-
sentials must be carried out, in which
case the committee was willing to under
take the work imposed upon it. First,
! it must have a little money. Second, the
city streets leading into the country
must be placed in good condition. Some
Eof these are in very bad condition., al
Smost impossible The report went on TO
saw that macadamizing to any great eX-
tent is impracticable at present. The
lroads should be graveled when possible,
hut the committee believes that good
ldirt roads can be had at little expense,
Draos can be made for 81 EACH some
! of which are now in use IN Belgrade
township. The report suggested that a
flew of these be made and presented
| to pathmasters on several of the mann
lroads leading into the city, so that the
result could be seen. the club to pay part
of the expense of doing the work, II
necessary. The club could not spend
money in a better way. #
George NJ. Palmer was asked about
how much money was needed, and re-
Iplied that 5000 would enable the commit
10 no
road was graveled a year ago, but is
now rough and cut to pieces and full
of holes for the next rain to make worse
A pathmaster was found at work on the
road, who had never heard of the road
|draos. and the committee had offered to
pay half of the expense if he would go
over the road and fix it with a road drag.
1t was the intention to see other path
masters. There is company in Map
kato which will furnish the drags at S.
each. Near Kearns, AIessrs. Parsons and
Randall have. the drags and have three
miles of fine road, but the road this side
of them is as rough as seen anywhere,
whereas it could be made as good by the
Euse of drags, at trifling expense. 1t is
Ientirely out of the question to get farm
sers to gravel or .macadamiZe the roads.
Judge Plymat moved that the report
be accepted and that 5000 be appropri-
lated subject to the order of the COM
|mittee.
John Nyquist said that there is enough
money in the good roads fund on deposit
in one of the banks to pay the expense
lof taking care of the road in Belgrade
township.
President Hixon said that the matter
Of drainage is very important.
Mr. Palmer replied that the committee
would try to get the township boards
and the path masters to attend to that
Many of the roads are properly drained
Fat present, and all that they need is
dragging.
Alderman Atchison said that the city
Eis getting the streets leading to the
country into shape. They would be rip
raped, and gravel placed on top and
rolled down. He had learned that be-
cause the roads are so bad the Eagle
Lake and AIadelia merchants had sold
more wire fencing this spring than Man
kato merchants. This showed how Man.
Eato is losing trade Oh account of the
bad roads.
Mr.. Palmer said that the business men
have not realized how they are losing
money on account of the bad roads
keeping trade from the city. Mankato
is handicapped because of the hills
around the city, which gives the smaller
towns natural advantage. and every
thing should be done to so improve the
roads that it will be an inducement for
Farmers to come to AIankato.
President Hixon said that around Ely
sian, Jefferson Lake and that section the
farmers work out their poll taxes by
hauling gravel upon the. roads and max
ing drainage bitches instead of by scrap
ing sod into the middle of the roads, and
the roads are better than the unpaved
streets of Mankato.
Alderman AtchisOn said that on tbe
roads around Mankato gravel is no good
for it sinks down and the dirt rolls over
Iupon 1T, as on the Pohl road. Ripran n,
fstone must be put down first. Madison
avis, has purchased stone crusher and
furnishes broken stone free of cost r.
Ithe farmers.
DIR. Andrews said that there was oood
reason to take courage, for at the recent
republican county convention a drastic
resolution on good roads had almost
been adopted. and probably would have
been had it been explained more fully
A few years ago the farmers would have
jumped all over it, Around Lake Crvs
TAI good roads have been made bv mar
rowing the driveways, putting in drain