The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-01-21

street paved from Byron to Vine, if 9
all. II was not in favor of pawn
until the street was paved from on
end to the other. He did not see no,
the installment plan proposed in til
! new charter would help, as it is n
harder to borrow from other partie
than from the city. AS to the materia
to be used, his company wanted
good one. Brick or creosote block
would do.
Mayor Meyer said that most of tn,
creosote blocks are four-fifths rotteI
before they got to the city, so he wa,
in favor of brick.
William George said that he has
property on North Second street ant
is in favor of paving, and any matera
would be satisfactory with him. He
had not signed the petition because
he had not seen it.
No Back Numbr Here.
George w. Scherer said that he hoped
for the good name of the city that
the papers would not publish all of the
calamity talk that had been heard from
some of the speakers. Mankato is al
right. He had lived here twenty-siS
years and expected to continue to live
here until he was laid away in Glen.
wood cemetery, and he wanted to dc
Everything possible for the city. Good
streets are most important. He consid
cred that they would do the city moro
good in the eyes of the outside world
than subscribing for this or that thing
He had seen teams mired on Second
between Hickory and Main the past
year, and Hickory between Second and
Third was in the same condition. He
had no money to throw away, nor did
he own an automobile, and therefore
was not advocating street improvement
from that point of view The pavement
would be benefit to everyone. If
he had his way he would pave Second
street from end to end, the balance of
Front street and all of the cross
streets.
r. E. Kartack, representing the
Standard Asphalt & Rubber Co. of
Chicago, manufacturers of Sarco min
|eral rubber pavement, addressed the
lmeeting. He urged the use of ma
|terial that would beautify and benefit
the street, and one that would use
local material and labor to a large
extent. He represented an asphalt
pavement, but different kind from
that on Broad street. 1t was approved
by engineers of the largest cities and
was in use on the street with the
heaviest traffic in Chicago. All pro-
gressive cities are paving their streets,
even where they have to float bonds
to do so. 1t was as easy for property
owners to borrow from the banks as
from the city. Most cities are wax
ing up to the fact that pavements are
not confined to one kind-brick, creo-
sote blocks or asphalt.
Best Time to Pave.
Mr. Scherer said that there was one
more point that he wished to make,
and that was that he was in favor of
going ahead now because he had i'm
plicit faith i'll the mayor and council.
The mayor has property on the street
and would give the work his personal
attention and best judgment. He did
not know whether the new charter
would be adopted, or who would hold
office under it.
j. A. Lulsdorff said that he had
made preparation for paving several
years ago. If the city paved, it should
adopt a permanent kind. He was not
in favor of experiments. Creosote
blocks had given good satisfaction, but
there are different kinds of wood. He
would like to see brick used. He had
seen asphalt laid and relaid, and there
was difference in it. He was in La
Crosse, Wis, last August and saw Il
lot of paving that pleased him greatly.
1t was brick, and was on the streets
and alleys. The work would be costly,
go slow and do good job.
Mr.. Scherer of New Ulm, who repre-
sents granite macadam paving material,
addressed the meeting and said that
he was glad that the boosters had
corrected the impression given out by the
first speakers. The general impression
seemed to be that granite macadam
was not a good pavement, but it is,
as has been proved on many streets,
he said. The cost was little against
it, as it was little too cheap. Paving
is like fur coast-if it costs enough it
is fine, if it is cheap it is no good.
When buffalo coats cost $40 to SIS
they were considered disreputable, but
now that they cost 500 to $50 they
are considered quite nifty. He asked
the council to look into granite macad-
am before it rejected it. a two or
three inch wearing surface should be
used with a good binder. Such a
Continued on Page Six.