The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-09-27
STORIES FROM HOME AND ELSEWHERE

I From Thursday,s Daily. .s
Owatonno Journal Chronicle: Hon
Benjman ID. Smith of s,AIankato spent
several hours in this city Monday
while on. his way from Mankato to
Peoria. III. Mr.. Smith is mem
her of the national board of directors
of the Modern Woodmen of America
and is also general attorney for that
order, being one of the most prominent
members. The regular meeting of the
board of directors is to be held in Pc
oria this week and it is to attend this
meeting that he is at present on his way
to the Illinois city. Mr.. Smith Is one
of the best known fraternal order
men in the western country.
The pocketbook stolen Tuesday af-
| ternoon from the residence of A. G.
Wason OH State street was today
found in the yard between the barn
and house. This would indicate that
the thief went toward or past the barn
after emerging from the house. Neigh
| bors say that at about the time that
the theft took place they saw a
| certain small boy running towards his
home from near the Wason barn, and
that he had something clasped in
his hand while he was going.
Chief Osten had talk with this
boy, but to no result, as the lads
mother was present and tried to prove
his innocence by asserting that he was
at school at the time. 1t is likely
| that the matter will be carried fur
ther The school records would show
whether the boy was in school at the
time or not, and if so, he would be en-
tirely cleared of suspicion.
1t is said that this same boy at
mpted to gain entrance to another
house a short time ago. He was
caught i'm the act of trying to remove
the screen of the kitchen window.
st. Peter. Sept. 19.-Only one bid for
the grading and crawling of the Fort
Ridgely wagon road was received by
the board of county commissioners of
Nicollet county at their special meet
ing yesterday afternoon. 1t was sub
mitted by John Keough of this city
and he was given the contract to sur
face and improve about two miles of
the highway. This is the first work
to be done in Nicollet county with
money received from the '.pork bar
rel' appropriation bill passed by the
last legislature Under its terms the
sum of $500 is available this winter
and $500 will become available in
1908. All of it is to. be spent on the
Fort Ridgely road.
A. n. Dukes of Peru, Ind, who
owns considerable property in the ad-
dition that bears his name, arrived in
Mankato this noon. His visit is in
connection with the improvement of
his property. He desires culvert
over Thompson's creek where it was
washed out several years ago on
North Broad street, and agrees to
grade the street through to the Fletch-
er road. He hopes that the advent of
the street car line will greatly bene-
fit his property and enable him to
dispose of the vacant lots.
The recent serious thunder storms
have resulted in considerable loss to
farmers in Martin county from light
ming. The losses thus far ascertained
are as follows: d. Lane, Silver Lake,
a steer and heifer. Frank Landsteiner,
Tenhassen. horse. Edward p. Older,
Center Creek, three steers. NJ. j..
Sorrenson, Jay. stack of hay and a
calf. w. E. Hall, Center Creek, steer.
James McNerny. Pleasant Prairie,
steer. Charles Peterson, Manyaska,
two grain stacks. Henry Benin, Jay,
barn valued at about $500.
That Blue Earth county is fast be-
coming a fruit growing county is dem
onstrated by the fact that many farm
ers have such large crops of apples
that they are installing cider presses
and are making cider and vinegar
w. w. Weller of Rapidan has favor
ed this office with sample of apple
juice which has fine taste and will
make choice vinegar. The crop of APP
pies this year is large and it will not
be long before cider mills will be
built, and apples will be sold for cider
and vinegar making the same as milk
is sold to the creameries for butter.
Minnesota will, ere long, give some
of the fruit states of the east ex-
amples of choice fruit and apple cider
Mrs. Eda E. Allen, twenty-six years
old, of Mountain Lake, Mimi, has been
committed to the asylum at St. Peter.
She was taken violently insane while
visiting St. Paul and wandered about
the streets nearly all of one night.
She was So yioIant thot tho aya inn