The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-01-24
Asks Pay For Extra Work Un-
der Milk Ordinance.
Water Funds Set Aside to Pay
Off the Bonds With.
New CuIvert Alleged to Be a
Poor Piece of Work.
From Saturdays Daily.

At the meeting of the council last
night, Health Officer Bjelland reported
225 births and l60 deaths during 1907.
Of the deaths, 20 were from tubercu-
losis, l6 from pneumonia, IL from
cancer, 2--from smallpox, 3 from
typhoid fever, etc. There have not
been over four or five cases of scarlet
fever in the city during the year,
and only seven of measles. There have
been fifty three cases of smallpox to
date. The expense is cut off by hav
ing the physicians take care of their
own cases. 1t has become necessary
to use the quarantine station. The
milk inspection ordinance being en-
forced. Today two Judson farmers
selling cream in the city had applied
to have their cows tested. He asked
the council to consider paying the
health officer something as chief in
spector in enforcing the milk ordi-
nance, say $40 month. He was do
ing the best that he could and it took
a great deal of time and work.
Alu. ScIIOcucI IlONeu UHdO tHc IT,
port be adopted and placed on file and
that his request for salary be re-
ferred to the committee on ways and
means, to report at the next meeting,
and this was carried.
Payment of Water Bonds.
The annual report of the water de-
partment was presented by Judge Por-
ter. The latter said that unfortunate
ly the city had to put down two new
wells the last year, at a cost of over
$4,000, and if it had not been for
this the water department. would have
been able to have paid off the $4,000
of bonds falling due May l. By the
latter date there will be another $1,000
that the water department can fur
nish, making $4,000 in all. He sug-
gested that loan of $500 be made,
at five per cent, for one year. At the
end of the year the department will
be able to pay off $1,000, and $1,000
can be borrowed for six months longer,
when the department will be able to
pay that off, also.
Aid. Schroeder moved that $3,0l2
in the waterworks fund be put out at
interest until May l, as recommended
in the report, and this was carried.
A letter was received from Aaron
Swenson, bridge designer of Mime
apolis, asking to be hired to prepare
design for the new bridge. 1t was
placed on file.
Aid. Atchison moved that City Re-
corder Hodapp be instructed to place
the boiler insurance, and this was
carried
Aid. Atchison said that the city is
paying stiff price, $75 a year, for
the use of the hay market lots, and
he moved that the matter be referred
to the committee on markets to look
into. This was carried.
Aid. Gary said that the use of lots
OH Front street had been offered rent
free.
Culvert Job Criticised.
AID. Gary said that the culvert over
Thompson's creek has large stones in
the arch that are cracked and the
bridge will 90 down in the spring un-
less it is fixed The city engineer
10. K.ed the bill and the council voted
to allow it, for which he was sorry.
The contractors bond is good, though.
He didn't want to vote for any more
work under such conditions. The cracks
have been partially cemented over to
try to hide them, but this makes
them all the more apparent.
City Attorney Schmitt said that the
contractor and bondsmen could be held
if the defects were latent and could
not be noticed. If they were notice
able, it was question whether the
contractor could be held.
Aid Atchison said that he had called
the attention of the city engineer to
serious. Since then other persons have
been consulted and the aldermen feel
that the bridge is a poor job. There
are also no wings, and the bridge is
apt to wash out in high water. 1t is
an imperfect job.
Who Pays For It?
Fred Day said that the creek has
to make complete turn to get into
the culvert and another after leaving
it. The bank should be riprapped for
one hundred feet above the culvert.
The stone was green, with the frost
not yet out, and broke when unloaded,
but was used nevertheless. The wind
is now blowing the cement out of the
mortar. 1t cannot now be learned
who is to be assessed to pay for this
$3.50 job. 1t will be burden on
some people who will not be benefited.
The bridge will probably not stand
a year. aa tta
Mayor Andrews suggested that the
matter be made a special order of
business for the next meeting, and he
would sec the city engineer about the
matter in the meantime.