The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-05-29
: Corner In Corn Is Ascribed to
The. Muddy Highways.
MUNICIPAL DAIRY IN CHICAGO
Board Of Trade to Take Prominent
f. Part In Observance Of Memor-
iaI Day; Many Attend.
Especial to The Free Press.1


tern railroads breaking all transporta-
ton records in handling the food of
corn which is still pouring in to this
city from shipping points all over the
middle west, grain men here figure
that muddy roads alone made the
big CORNER" possible and that if the
highways of half a dozen states had
been in shape to let the farmers haul
it would have broken the price and
made millions of dollars difference to
farmers, dealers and commission men.
As it was, every effort was made to
make up for the lost time The
enormous demand for corn and the
pressure brought to bear by shippers
caused the traffic departments of the
railroads to issue emergency orders.
Corn was given the right of way and
shipments that would ordinarily take
three or four days to reach Chca-
go were rushed through in half that
time. For awhile a report was cur
rent that one railroad had promised
that corn from all Nebraska points
would reach Chicago within forty
eight hours after loading. The part
that bad roads played in the delay
of shipments may stimulate general
Improvement of the national highways.
According to the latest government
figures there are 2.l5l.57O miles of
public roads in the United States.
outside of incorporated cities, towns
and villages. OF, this mileage IOS,232
miles were surfaced with gravel. 3S,62l
with stone and $500 with special ma
terials, making total of l53,664 miles
improved road or only IA per cent
of the >entire mileage Taking the
country as a whole there is one mile
of road for every thisty-five inhabi-
tants and one mile of improved road
for every 492 inhabitants.
Will Try An Experiment.
A novel experiment. i'm municipal
ownership will be undertaken in this
city shortly as part of the campaign
which is now being waged for better
living conditions in the crowded tene-
ment districts. This is a model dairy
farm, to be established and operated
under the supervision of the health de-
partment, for the purpose of fur
nishing pure milk to the babies of
Chicago during the hot summer months.
The decision of the city to under
take the venture is the result of. a
recent investigation into the city's
mortality which showed some startling
conditions. According to Health Com
missioner Evans, lOO97 children I'M
der five years of age died in Chicago
Io
centage of these deaths were laid to the
use. of impure milk. "The germs
of disease and decay grow very rapidly
in milk, much more rapidly than in
water" said DR.. Evans.
Germs in milk will double every
twenty minutes, under favorable con-
ditions. This means that if one germ
falls into fifteen drops of milk in
eight hours it will contain about To-
100000 germs. The milk for city the
size of Chicago is shipped a consider
able distance. and in consequence is
twenty four hours old or more before
it is consumed. If it is to come
to us fit for babies to drink, the
greatest precautions are necessary"
Energetic steps are being taken by the
municipal authorities to prosecute deal
ers who sell milk that is not up to
the standard. During the past six
teen months 1929 suits for low grade
product have been brought against
storekeepers and S92 against milk de
pot owners. The new model dairy
will be situated somewhere outside of
the city. 1t will be conducted in ac-
cordance with the latest scientific me-
thods and the milk will be delivered
direct to the consumers before it is
twelve hours old. The officers of the
health department expect great good
to result from the scheme and care
full comparisons will be made of the
mortality in the district where the
"real milk" is delivered with the death
rate in other similar sections.
Memorial Day Observance.
Memorial day observances here this
year will be marked by public remem-
brance for the first time, of every
member of the famous Board of Trade
battery, consequence of the recent,
completion of its roster after forty
years of search for some missing
members. At a reunion of twenty
four survivors, for whom the old buglc
was blown for the first time since
1865, word was received from hurry
Nelson, for years a grain broker, and
now retired, in whose office the bat
terry was enlisted. In behalf of the
Board of Trade, which equipped them
as well as the battery, he also or
gained three regiments of infantry, the
seventy second, eighty eighth and thir-
tieth Illinois Volunteers. 1t was he,
also, who in behalf of the Board of
Trade organized the relief work for
the yellow fever sufferers in 1878
and who for the Board raised $780,