The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-21
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays DdIS.
Yesterday afternoon Mayor Meyer
and Commissioners Humiston, Lamm,
Bangerter and Henline, City Engineer
Wilson, Street Commissioner Waters
and reporter for The Free Press took
an automobile trip about the city, and
spent the entire afternoon looking at
street and othe rwork that has been
done or commenced since the commits
sion took office. 1t was in the nature
of an inspection trip, made upon the
invitation of Commissioner Humiston,
who has the department of streets and
alleys. Messrs. Humiston and Lamm
furnished the use of their automobiles,
and the entire city was covered, and
the trip was not only an enjoyable
one, but instructive, as showing what
has been done the past year. and where
the street money has been expended.
Heretofore about $4,000 a year has
been expended on the streets, and the
people have wondered where it all
went. This year the commission hopes
to hold the expenditures down to about
$4,000, and all over the city are evil
dences of work, mostly of permanent
nature.
Omaha Doing Excellent Work.
The first place visited was the cor.
ner of Front and Main streets, where
manhole to sewer is located, and
it was thought that the Omaha freight
depot could be connected with it rather
had
been laid by it to the river. At this
crossing it was noticed that the Omaha
road has laid new plank along one OF
it's tracks, but that the other tracks
are not planked to the paving smooth
ly. The result is that people crossing
the tracks are subjected to series
of hard iolts. Another plank was also
found to be needed to take off the jolt
at the end of the approach to the
bridge. A force of men was found
painting the under side of the bridge
two coats. The north walk has been
reopened and made safe and is in use.
A splendid work was found about
completed on Pike street. That street
has been graded up with clay and coat
ed over with gravel and rolled down.
River gravel has been used part way,
and the rest of the way gravel donated
by the Omaha road has been used. This
is red gravel from Pipestonc, and is
splendid. The road brought in more
than it needed in grading its yards,
and the city was glad to get some
of it. In return for the expenditure
that the city has made there, the Oma-
ha road is laying a six foot cement
sidewalk all the way from Jackson
street to the passenger depot, on the
west side of the street, and people can
get to the depot along that street with
no Inconvenience in few days.
Expending Large Sums.
The Omaha road has large forces of
men at work. doing a wonderful work,
and is expanding large sums of money.
The new and magnificent freight de.
pot is nearly completed, and represents
an expenditure of about $4,000, aside
from the large cost of filling in the
ground and relaying the tracks. The
building is 40 by $50 feet, built in
the most substantial manner, of Shak-
opee brick. j. b. Nielsen & Co. have
been erecting the building, and their
contract price is about $4,000, and c.
NJ. Masters is doing the plumbing,
heating and wiring, and his contract
calls for about $1,000 additional A
steam heating plant is to be put in.
The offices are located at the south end
of the building. and all of the rest of
the floor is given over to warehouse
purposes. Under the office is a spacious
basement with cement floor and rein
forced concrete partitions, making it