The Mankato free press., 1907-09-13
Plan Now is To Make Min
nesOta Navigable.
REST ROOMS FINALLY SUGGESTED
Commercial Club Did Not Have a
Were Brought Forward.

quorum present at the meeting of
the Commercial club last evening, but
several matters of interest were talk
ed over informally.
President Brett said that Senator
Works had several matters to present.
Mr.. Works suggested that charac-
teristic name be secured for the city.
Redwing had adopted pair of red
wings with the words, "a Desirable
City" and was using them in all
possible ways and getting some good
advertising, as the words 'Redwing''
and "a desirable city" were becoming
Synonymous. North Yakima, Wash,
uses the picture of large red ap-
pie in all the ways that it can, and
is known as center for apple rails
ing. The Commercial club and other
bodies might get some distinguishing
mark that would be good thing for
the city.
Senator Works also presented in.
formally the following resolution that
He Hdu pIepdlcu:
Steamboating on the Minnesota.
Whereas, it is patent to every ship
per and consumer that the freight
rates into and out of Mankato are
both excessive and discriminatory, to a
great extent because there is no wa
terways to produce a real competi-
tion, and believing it to be clearly
within the range of possibility to
utilize the water of the Minnesota
river for purposes of navigation, thus
affording a healthy competition, and
further owing to the fact that large
areas of low and swampy lands are
being drained in the Minnesota river
basin, which has caused the river to
overflow it's natural banks, causing
great damage to crops and spelling
ruin to many farmers; therefore be
it
''Resolved, that we invite the coop
Grafton of the commercial bodies of
New Ulm, st. Peter, LeSueur, Hen
derson, Belle Plaine and Shakopee to
devise ways and means for deepen
ing the channel of the river so that it
may be really navigable as well as
technically so, and Strengthening the
channel so that the water may be
carried off without damage to con-
tiguous land and property"
Advocated His Resolution.
Mr.. Works spoke of the destruction
of crops on the flats along the river
bottom between New Ulm and st.
Paul. and said that the tortuous
course of the channel was what caused
the overflow. He had consulted En-
gineer Abercrombie, who thought that
by cutting through the letter SIS that
the river forms mare direct and
rapid flow could be secured. The ex-
cavations could be used as dikes.
When this has been done, the river
may be navigable for fiat bOttomed
boats. On Red lake large amount
of freight business is done by fiat
bottom boats l4G feet long by forty
feet wide and drawing six or eight
inches of water These 90 right up to
the shore and load and unload, and
each carries six or eight carloads of
goods. He believed that the time
was coming when the smaller rivers
would be utilized more for freight car
rying purposes. He thought that the
damage by drainage would come be-
fore congress next year, as 1T was
an important matter, as half mil
lion dollars damage had been done
the past>year by the river overtlowing
property.
Allan jackson thought both sugges-
tions good ones. He said that he
had thought of it some time ago.
The government is spending vast sums
of money for the improvement OF
rivers, and the Minnesota valley ought
to strike out and get some of this.
Many lines of freight can be moved
by river. Drainage of sloughs is IN
creasing all over.
Water Power More Practicable.
Mayor Andrews said that he had
never felt that the navigation of
the Minnesota river was a serious pos
sibility. During the last few years
there has been an unusually large
amount of rainfall, but he had seen
the river for many years together
when it could not be navigated ex.
cept during high water. just now
the lakes and sloughs are full OF
water. What was more important and
practicable than navigation was the
utilization of the water power. This
is possible, and can be used in man
ufacturing. The water power can fur
nish electricity to run electric cal
lines. There is fall enough at Rapi-
dan in the Blue Earth river to fur
nish large power.
President Brett said that it would