The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-09-23
POOR TRAIN SERVICE
CAUSES COMPLAINTS

the poor passenger service on the Al
phabet railroad there has been a great
deal of agitation and dissatisfaction
shown. As a result of this agitation
the state railroad and warehouse
commission gave. towns affected a
hearing at Albert Lea on. Wednesday
kafternoon. The towns along the line
were nearly all represented. The
complaints as stated to the commits
sion by the attorney were briefly as
follows:
First. The railroad company is not
giving the people the through service
to Mankato, st. Cloud and Duluth as
was promised.
Second. The roadbed is considered
as dangerous and unsafe for any kind
of passenger service.
Third. That the depots should be
equipped with platforms so that freight
would not have to be unloaded on the
ground as at present.
Fourth. That the closed pouch
manner of carrying mail is very I'M
satisfactory to all.
Fifth. That the present manner Of
carrying passengers, mail, baggage and
express i'll one coach hooked to a
freight train which must depend upon
the slonghs along it's line of track
for its water supply and which makes
no pretcnsons of running on sched-
ule time or making connections with
its own road or any other road, leav-
ing or coming into Albert Lea, is en-
tirely unsatisfactory. The Commercial
club of Albert Lea is also back of
he move for better service through
out. While, of course, the results of
the meeting with the commission is
not known as yet, it is believed that
Il change i'll the train service for the
better is not far distant and that the
Il trip to Albert Lea over the Alpha
bet road without getting seasick The
following persons from st. Clair at
tended the meeting: Messrs Pagen-
kopf and son Carl, Macbeth OLearv,
o. F. Miller, Thielman, O'Connor. John
Fitzlof,, William and Clay Boswell and
| the Dalton brothers.
Banker Tells His Story.
During the examination of witnesses
NJ. c. Dalton, banker of st. Clair.
was next called to the stand He stated
that his township issued $4,000 in
bonds for the construction of the road
He otherwise agreed with the testimony
of the preceding witnesses. The people
III his village are so dissatisfied with
the poor freight service given that they
secure most of their goods by cross
country from MankatO. When they
want to go anywhere the people usually
drive over land to nearby stations on
other roads. Cars, he said, often be-
come uncoupled because Of the uneven
ness of the track. ,,., ,y,fY v
c. j. Pagenkopf, ST. Clair mer-
chant, testified that both the freight
and passenger service was bad and
there are no platforms for taking
care OF freight or passengers. 1t takes
person two days, he said, to come to
Albert Lea and transact business. and
lie thought that the business of the road
would be greatly increased if better
services were given. He stated i'm reply
to the query of Commissioner Staples
that it would be desirable to have a
train leave st. Clair in the morning
and return at night as the people who
desire to come to Albert Lea could
then have whole day to transact bust
ness here. Most merchants along the
line desire to do business at Albert
service is also very bad
Attorney H. G.. Carlson of Albert Lea
represented the compliments.
The st. Clair people want passen-
ger service that will enable them to
spend the greater portion of the day
in Albert Lea.
superintendent Perkins of the South
ern Minnesota division of the Mil
waukee road, also j. H. Foster, assist
ant general superintendent, were pres
ent at the hearing.
A great many witnesses were exam.
lned and all had the same story to
tell of the poor service on the branch
The local schools are being fairly
well attended and the teachers are
looking for a triflc increase over the
enrolment of last year. The vacancies
in the corps of teachers could not
have Eeen more ably filed than by
Misses Wingen and Fields. -
p. j. Youngdahl gave splendid
talk on county option at the Congre-
gational church Wednesday evening
He was to have spoken in the hall
but the lights would not work.
The Ladies' Aid had their bi,
weekly entertainment and tea with
Mrs. Charles Sehweitzer Ladies were
present from Mankato, Mapleton and
Good Thunder
Miss Ethel oster has returned from
the Rochester hospital after an. opera
ton for appendicitis. She is gaining
strength rapidly. Mss.
The new Congregational pastor, Rev
Carter, will be here for his first SER
mon Sunday evening. a.l
Miss Hattie Fitzloff,, who is working
at Pemberton, spent Sunday at her
home here. tls", ..,.
Emil Grams team ran away Tues
day evening, No damage was done.
Writes That He Is Doing Well in the
States Prison.