The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-08-28

outward from the right bank. This
bridge was built with funds contrib
uted by tue various counties and
towns on both sides of the river in
the vicinity the chief contributor be,
ing the. city of Mankato. There is nc
record that the authority of the fed
eral government was obtained for this
bridge and it appears that ale bridge
was built without authority of law
and without any consultation with the
engineer department. The government
is therefore in no way responsible for
any damage which may have been done
blythe bridge.
In addition to the bridge and its
approaches, heavy railroad embank-
ment, considerably higher than the
highest recorded flood water, has been
CONSTRUCTED along the right bank OF
the river in such way as greatly
to reduce the extreme high water
section.
The result of these things has been
that the large island above mentioned
between Biankato and North Mankato
has disappeared and fifteen Aor more
small islands have. come into existence
where the main, channel formerly was
and that the banks of the river have
been considerably eroded in the vicin-
ity of North Mankato. Francis r.
Skunk, major, corps of engineers.
Mr.. Lassow Is Spokesman.
Alderman Lassow acted as spokes-
man for the North Mankato people
and said:
the papers presented to you by
our village president explain them
selves, still feel like adding few
words to it.
"We entered complaint last spring
with the government about the. OBJ
struction of the river right above the
bridge. caused by piles driven in the
bed of the Minnesota river. We labored
under the impression that said piles
were put there by the government
and asked the government to remove
them because they proved to be an
ever increasing danger to our safety
The war department sent an engineer
to investigate the situation and copy
of his report to the war department
is accompanying our resolutions, pre-
scented to you. The investigation of the
engineer proved that the piles had been
driven by, the city of Mankato and had
no business to be there. We were
advised to take different course but
we come to YOU as neighbors. We be-
lieve that our mutual welfare is too
closely interviewer to take any differ
ent steps. The only division between
us is a political one; from an eeonomi-
cal standpoint we are one solid body.
We have the same postoifice, are
served by the same gas and electric
plant, our people walk in punches to
the Saulpaugh corner and board your
street cars; we are members of the
same churches, all our trading is done
in Mankato, or local stores are getting
their goods from Mankato wholesale
houses, and our building contractors
are help and a benefit to Mankato
Perhaps Mankato people say, but you
do not help pay our taxes ms IS
true, but it is just as true that yon
do not help pay ours. We pay for
our own fire department, our own
school and library, our own justice
courts. We police our own village
take care of our poor and criminals
and build our own streets. If we
can add couple of thousand people
to our population il will be great
benefit To Mankato without adding any
additional expense. Mankato is
beauty spot. The only drawback to
our !gowth is the greatly exaggerated
high water. and We are planning to
put an end to this by diking the re-
naming low parts of our river banks
In order TO make our great undertake
inw a success. we call upon you TO
remove the obstruction IN the riNeF
above the bridge, put there by your
city. If those distractions had not
heen in the river, the water would
not have reached any ofkon streets,
and there would have been. more than
two fet less water on Poplar and Min
nesota streets and in your slough dur
ing the late high water. The expense
Of pulling the piles will not be great.
/ believe that u stump puller will pull
them and the timber will pay a big
share of the expense of pulling them.
The work ought TO be donc-the sooner
the be.ter-anyhow before the ice be-
gins to move in the spring because
if the obstruction should be the cause
of an ice lam, Mankato, after being mo-
titled of the conditions, might be held
responsible for any damage done by
such an ice JAM
War Departments Approval.
City Engineer Haynes said that he
had sent the plans of the bridge to
st. Paul for approval. They provided
for the draw span ON the east side,
but the officials said that they could
not approve them unless the draw span
was changed to tho west side and the
channel diverted there, 80 as TO have
1000 feet straight course This change