The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-27
FIGHT FOR A Street.
Lively One Is Made Before The
Council Last Night.
Residents of the Lower Town
We're In Evidence.
Protested Against Giving Away
One of The Highways.
Aldermen Turn Down Request
OF Electric Light Folk.

From Tuesdays Daiiv.
The council last night bowed to the
wishes of the property owners who are
opposed to the vacation of a por-
ton of Willow street ut the request
of the Mankato Gas and Electric Light
company, and declined to vacate the
street, 1t was case where public
opinion prevailed. The council cham
her was well filled with property own
ers, and they were strongly opposed
To yarating any portion of the street,
as was shown by the liberal applause
accorded the speakers who sided with
them.
Mayor Andrews presided and all OF
the aldermen were present. No other
business was considered. At the first
hearing, only Aid. Alahowald opposed
the vacation, three voted for it, and
Aids. Gary and Atchison were out of
the city. The vacation resolution then
failed because it did not have the re-
auired four votes. Since then Aid.
Mahowald has been active in getting
his constituents worked up to the
point where they would attend the
second hearing and express their views,
which they did forcibly last night,
causing lively meeting They re-
famed 6. b. Wilson to look after their
interests and threatened an appeal to
the courts if the vacation was granted
Seeing that the vacation would not
be granted. Superintendent Brown fin
ally was allowed to withdraw the APP
piicatipn.
Petition Considered.
The petition of the Mankato Gas
and Electric Light company for the
vacation of the portion of Willow
street between Elm and Rock streets
was read Superintendent Brown was
present and said that the company
Was willing to make a public drive
way. twenty feet wide, and grade and
maintain it.
a re solution vacating the portion of
the street was proposed by the COM
pany. 1t provided that the driveway
is to be graded and maintained TWEEN
ty feet wide, by the company. The
property vacated is to be forty-five
feet wide, along the east side of the
street, and the driveway is to be
paved with tar maeadam.
City Attorney Schmitt said that il
the resolution was adopted, there
would be no street to maintain. The
resolution should be amended SO as
to except twenty feet for the drive
way. 1t should also be provided that
ii. the company moved its coal house,
the vacation should expire and the
street be opened again.
The council instructed Mr.. Schmitt
to make the changes that he proposed.
Property Owners Speak.
Frank Iienline opposed the petition,
threatening an injunction and a fight
to finish if it was granted. He said
that this portion of the street had be-
come reservoir for corporations "to
do as they dang please" He did not
think that the council had right
to give away public property to pri-
vate parties.
Peter Weingartz, s. Zimmerman and
Ed. Cousandier opposed the vaeating
of the street. The latter said that if
the streets on the sidehill and along
the river are vacated it leaves the
city I'm pond.' Streets had been va
Gated in the past that would never
be vacated now if those who voted it
could have it to do over again.
Jacob Wagon said that Rock street
had been a city dump for twenty
years. and if Willow street is closed
the city cannot have dump on Rock
street any more. "Whie giving streets
away, lets give Front street away
and we will all move onto Second
street if we have time to make ar
rangements," he said While a bridge
is being built in upper town, one is
to be built in lower town. If any
thing is given away, let it be for
something that will benefit the city
and not the gas works. Mr.. Wagon
said that his interests were in a
slaughter house in that section. 1t