The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-06-08
Mankat0 Is Not to Be on The
"AIphabet' Road.
DEFINITE STORY IS TOLD.
Reasons Which Determine IN Inc
Present Plans; No Proposition
Can Change Them.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Nankato is not to be on the alpha
bet" road. That is the decision of the
eastern parties who are financially m
terested in the enterprise. The Free
Press is in position to make an outhor-
itative statement regarding the future
intentions of the company. The road
will not be built into Mankato. The
reasons are briefly set forth: Excessive
maintenance and operation.
Owing TO the topography OF the coun-
try surrounding Mankato an elevation OF
254 feet must be overcome in order to
build the road into this city. This
would necessitate an expenditure of $780,
600 per mile for five miles, or $25O,OOO In
the aggregate.
Another thing that governs the pro-
moters in their determination not to
build into this city is the fact that
four lines of railway enter here. A
fifth road could hardly expect to secure
a fifth of the business. If it was for
tunate enough to obtain tenth of the
business the receipts therefrom would
amount to but about $4,000 per annum
and the operating and other expenses
would eat up about all of the profit.
Another objection raised is the length
of the line. Mankato, so it is claimed,
is not on the direct route which the
company desires its road to take to
reach its destination. A swing of
several miles to the west would be nee
essarv in order to connect up with this
city.
The Free Press is assured that the
company has no feeling against Manka-
to- The gentlemen who are interested
in the construction of the road would
like very much to build in here, but the
objection to this desire are given briefly
in the above paragraphs. They are bus
mess objections, pure and simple and
the company is actuated by no other
motive. The Free Press is given to
understand that nothing that MankatC
can do will change the company's plans
1t is the purpose of the company tC
- H.,
Immediately, and when st. Clair reach
ed the engineers will prosecute then
labOrs in northerly direction and pos
sibly st. Peter will be the next import
ant point sought for, although it has not
as yet been decided whether the road
will run into that city.
At one time last winter st. Clair was
within an ace of being left off the road
but Mr.. Z. l.. Tobie, who is at the head
of the construction work, and is repre-
senting the moneyed men who are push
ing the enterprise, insisted upon making
good to the people of st. Clair because
Hubert Bruels of that place had taken
such an interest i'm the road and had
labored in season and out of season for
its success. The bond issue of $l2,.
900 made by Mcpherson town will be
devoted to the payment of the right of
way between Cream and ST. Clair.
There has been no second reorganiza.
ton of the company. The same officers
and directors chosen last January still
hold. The list includes Hubert Bruels
who is member of the board of direct
Ors.
Mr.. TObie authorized the statement
that the road will not be built into Man
kato. He was interviewed via the long
distance telephone at his office in Albert
Lea this morning.
Mr. Tobie wanted it understood that
the alphabet" road was not fighting
shy of Mankato because of any agree.