The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-16
WORD FROM THE CITY ENGINEER
Tells the Story Why He Is Being OPP
posed for Reapp0intment.

Mankato. Mimi, April l3.-To the
People of Mankato: In view of GER
tain matter that came up shoretly
after my appointment as city engineer,
and which is now being circulated as
widely as possible, and that in very
false light with no apparent motive
except that of malice, | have been asked
by several prominent citizens to make
a public statement of the facts in the
case, and it is therefore, with no mo-
tive of whiting back" that / write
the following:
Explains the Situation.
Previous to my appointment the wa
ter committee engaged Mr.. c. NJ. Mas
tiers to dig up the dead ends and ar
range them for flushing. The council
and health officer wished to have this
work done in a permanent manner,
and asked that the work be well
done. The work dragged along for
some time, and when it was nearly
completed we discovered that in a num-
Der of cases the work was such, that
it could be made no use Of [ was
thcH WY engineer. anu So Called upon
Mr.. Masters whom | found to be out.
/ however, told his clerk he purpose
of my visit The next morning |
called again, and met Mr.. Masters
as he was leaving his shop. He
stopped and advised me in no uncer-
tain terms that he had quit work,
and was then about to present his bill
and if | did not O. X. it he would
make it nightly uncomfortable for
me. | let him understand that | was
not standing in any great fear of
him, and had no intentions of O. King
his bill until had looked it over.
Size of the Bill
The bill amounted to $724.3l of which
we will look into a few of the items.
Cast iron pipe $4,000 per ton plus
SIS. 40 for freight We could get it
at that time for $685. per ton F.
O. b. Mankato. This would net the
gentleman 4 little over 50 per cent
profit on his pipe And we might
further state that Mr.. Masters Dor
I rowed some of this same pipe from
the city and did not return it until late
| in the winter
The lead was $3.50 per hundred
pounds we can get it, and have ought
it for "a. 81 per hundred pounds.
Four inch valves charge $500 we get
six inch ones for 1855.
For labor Mr.. Masters paid Hl.75 and
charged $3.50 per day.
For chalking he charged 40 cents
per hour, and most of this was done
by man who received rs cents per
hour. Furthermore Mr.. Masters charged
500 for drayaee and $500 for his
own time in overseeing the work.
When n man does work upon such
profit basis as the above he furnishes
the dray free of charge and also over
sees the work without additional pay.
Mr.. Masters did not deny that the
work was poorly done; his only ex-
cuse was that he had employed some
laborers who once work for the city.
After the bill had been allowed Mr..
Masters fixed up some of the work free
of further charge We however. took
lup the Spring street work and did it
lall over again at the city's expense.
am willing TO let the people Judge
for themselves whether | did wrong O.,
not in refusing to @. X. such il bill.
and if they see any reason why |
should do as Mr.. Masters said simp,v
because he said: Il will make ii mighty
uncomfortable for You if you don't"
and remember this was before | had
seen the bill or had given him any rpa-
son to think that | did not approve
of it.
Claims He Was Disseminated Against
! | understand that Mr.. Masters claims
he was Disseminated against i'm the
purchase of some pipe, for the outlet
+, of the sewer pumping plant. This pipe
was purchased by Mr. Day from Fow-
Z, Ter Pay together with other material.
no bids were ever asked for and it was
a long time after the three lengths
were rejected that Mr.. Masters called
up Mr.. Day and told him of his con
nection with the deal.
| | wonder if people now see any rea,
son why Mr.. Masters states (as T
am advised he has) that he will see
that | am not reappointed, and that
Mr.. Day shall step out of his office in
the middle of his term. Yours truly.
John Wilson, City Engineer.