The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-11-04
MRS. CAROLINE
BARTLETT CRANE
continued From PAGE One.


tight bottomed wagons, 50 as not to
litter mo the streets. Building con-
tractors should be required to take up
as little room IS possible and to make
as little muss as possible on the
.eets. Streets are Uttered up by bill
ers throwing down old bills torn off
Goards. and by thoughtless mers
chants sweeping their stores into the
streets and thoughtless householders
throwing their grass cuttings, etc.,
there. All must help to keep the city
clean and neat.
Sidewalks. Rubbish cans should be
put along the streets to advertise the
intention of the city to have well kept
streets, and there could be water con-
nections in front of stores. l have
noticed some cases in the city where
merchants are overreaching the ordi-
nance allowing them space to show
their goods on the walks. l also have
noticed some evidence that the anti
splitting ordinance has not been obeyed.
Gratings in the walks are bad things.
People spit down them, and throw ci-
gar stubs down, and they are loath-
some places. / have noticed fruit ex-
hibited above such places with their
impurities. No basement rooms should
be ventilated by means of such graf
ings, and light can be secured by side
walk glass.
The Garbage Collection.
Garbage collection. Few cities OF
the size of Mankato collect their gar
bage. and in this Mankato is ahead.
l understand that the matter has been
source of much consideration in this
city. The ideal way is. to use the non
combustible material for filling in low
places, and to burn the rest. You are
paying man $40 month for stand
ing on the dump, and if you were to
build little incinerator, at cost
of about $4,000, you would have no
more expense than now for burning
the garbage. Old boxes, etc, could be
used for fuel. Manure should not be
placed in the dumps. Conservation of
resources is being talked of now. Mil
Vi
fertilizing material is thrown away,
which is needed on the land. Farmers
might be persuaded to take the man.
ure for the present cost of its disposal.
Manure left ten days undisturbed Ia
absolutely sure to breed flies, and the
should be kept in a screened pit, SO
that the flies cannot escape when they
hatch out, and they can then be de-
stroyed by fire when they come to the
top.- 1t is important that an ordi-
nance requiring this be passed, as
many cities have.
Good Air Is Necessary.
Smoke ordinance. Mankato is a hos
pHal town rather than factory town
and it may become an important hos
pital town Good air is necessity
Ibid not realize that you had smoke
ordinance until told of it, as 1 saw
no indication of it. There is much
smoke in Mankato. The ordinance is
VOL meant, but it is not worth the
'Srer that II is written upon, because
IS rot an educational ordinance The
eople must be taught. One of the
rs offerders is the city plant. Every
rresents an engineering problem
tself in the way to get the most
lea ont of the coal and the least
sno'e 1t is not so much question
of smoke consumers. There are many
nrohlems involved, such as the proper
construction of the boilers and chin
neys. prOportionate area, kind of Goa
adapted for use, manner of stocking
etc. Any city, to undo the evil mus
begin with itself. AS to the disposition
OF railway smoke, a league of cities
working together might accomplish
something. Semi anthracite coal or COX,
is good for use in small plants 1t il
possible to burn soft coal, also, with
out the smoke being nuisance.
Food supplies. One large grocery
was visited where much food is exposed
through the store, and where tn,
sweeping is done with broom with
out the use of sweeping compound
The refrigerator, where the butter, etc.
was stored, was very dirty.
kegardlng the BAKERIES.
Bakeries. The least Objectionable
bakery was found across the river. Tn,
conditions found were generally yer,
bad. One large bakery in this city
which should be condemned, has no rel
deeming features. 1t is located in tn
cellar, with no ventilation except indi
rectly. Dirt abounded" There was /:
very filthy patent bread mixer, All,
the mixing troughs were very dirty ant
soaked with ancient grease. One room
was totally dark, and there were eyi
dences of rats, and cobwebs were o.
the ceilings. A dirty, filthy, greas,
gunny sack was used to swab out TIN
oven. There is no reason why thi
bakery should be tolerated for a mo
ment. i'''- !.
In another bakery, the boxes wer
literally alive with cockroaches, an,
there was more dirt, filth and bugs il
another bakery, with vermin crowdin;
about in the flour.
You have an abominable condition
in your bakeries, and l failed to fin1
a good one in the city. l found waite
closets in the food factories, and con
demned closets from which sewer ga
might easily come back, as it will
when the water evaporates from tn
traya in tho, plyyn,hinu All d;e,,ca