The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-07-29

IleHi oouhhdH applleu IoI d lccHSe
for month or longer to peddle fruit
through the city with team and
wagon. The license fee is $40 month
The matter was referred to Council
man Humiston to report upon at the
next meeting.
The contract with the Studebaker
company for street fusher to cost
81. 900 and to furnish the pressure with
gasoline engine rather than by COM
pressed air was read. The terms are
net April |, next. 1t was decided TO
wait and see how the machine works
before approving the contract.
The Mankato sidewalk company put
in a bid of so cents foot for con-
structing curb and gutter on Hickory
street, where it had been condemned,
but the bid was placed on file and
the check ordered returned.
Regarding the Fire Alarm System.
Letters were read from Manager
FERGUSON of the Mankato Citizens
Telephone company in relation to the
city's electric fire alarm system. One
said that Mr.. Gauthier had made an
examination of the system and had
reported that he had found it i'm very
bad shape, that the outside wire was
in very bad condition, particularly the
bare wire, which was rusty and loose,
making very high resistance to the
electric current. Three and a fourth
miles of wire would need attention.
\ water proof and insulated wire
would reduce the trouble to the mill
imum. He had estimated the cost at
$50 for labor and $40 for an outside
wire, and would take the contract,
and the company would allow him to
do this. The company would also keep
up the system for 80 cents an hour
actual time taken. Mr.. Gauthier had
also reported that the mechanism that
operates the fire bell over the city
hall is out of order, and had evidently
not had very good care. The indi
Gator at the pumping station was also
out of order. The fire alarm boxes
had been inspected and should be
cleaned, and the batteries were found
not to operate as they should. The
system needs Il good Overlauling, as
it has not had the care that it ought
to have had and had been deteriorating
for some time.
The council decided to have the sys-
TEN put in first class shape, OH the
terms mentioned.
Claims City Uses Company's Water.
r. T.. Brown, superintendent of the
Consumers Power Company, appeared
and said that a year or so ago Il con-
tract had been made between the city
and his company whereby each was to
pay for the water used of the other.
This had not been signed by the
city and he asked that this be done.
He said that the city was using ten
times as much water from the gas COM
pany wells as the company was using
from the city wells, and had been u.s.
ing six times as much, although he SUBJ
sequently modified this statement to
three times as much He said that
his company would gladly shut off from
using the city water.
Mayor Meyer explained the matter
in different light, saying that J. R.
Thompson had reported that the com.
pany had refused to have meter at.
tached to its pipes that connect with
the city system unless the city gos a
meter also, which would have cost the
city $500. The city was not using
any such proportion of water as Mr..
Brown had stated, and had used lit
tie if any during the fourteen months
of his former administration.
Mayor Meyer said that the waters
that the city uses from the gas COM
pany wells it has to pump, whereas
the city also has to pump what water
The gas company uses from the city.
This was where the city stood the ex-
pcnsc either way. He was in favor
of each party paying for the water
used from each other.
Hance Seeks the Truth.
M. f. Hance, manager of the Man
kato Electric Traction company en-
deavored to ask "a question of Mr..
Brown regarding the ownership of well
No. 3, that the city had taken the
water from, but Mr.. Brown left the
room without answering. Mr.. Hance
then addressed the council and said
that well No. ) was paid for by pop
ular subscription to the stock of the
street car company. He would like to
have the truth known. 1t had been an
nounced in big headlines during the ty-
phoid epidemic that the gas company
was furnishing water free to the citi
zens, but as a matter of fact it was
the street car company that donated
this water and carried it about the
city. The street car company needs the
money and if the city was going to
pay for the water from this well it
wanted the pay. as the we'll does not
belong to the gas company.
The matter was referred to Council
man Henlinc and City Engineer Wilson
to report upon ut the next meeting.
They will also investigate the owner
ship of the well.
1t was stated that the curb and
guttering desired to be put in has
been mostly put in by the property
owners, and it was decided that the
work not already done on streets pre-
viollsly reported upon be ordered done