The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-06-09

mention OF the WORD dinner In con
nection.
The business meeting was held
and then followed recitation by
Mrs. Sharp. A ballgame between
Mapleton and Sterling enlivened the
latter part of the afternoon There
were races and sports also.
From Mondays Daily.
Nearly the entire session OF the
council this forenoon was consumed
in discussion of the relative mer-
its of tamarack and southern pine as
a paving material when creosoted
The contractors, the North Star
Concrete company, has had trouble
in getting tamarack blocks and thought
for time that an effort was being
made to freeze it out, but later got
price on blocks from the Republic
company. The prices that it has been
able to get from the Kettle River
and other companies have been so
high that it found that it would pay
to buy southern pine blocks and ship
them in. In awarding the paving
contract week ago, the council
specified that tamarack blocks were
to be used, but the contractors have
since asked that this restriction be
taken off. The bidders were al
lowed the choice of southern yellow
pine or tamarack in the specitica-
tons in making their bids.
L. +. Shepley of Fielding & Shep-
ley, and the firms attorney, and a
representative of the Kettle River
Sandstone company were present.
as well as some heavy property own
ers, who were interested in secur-
ing the best possible pavement.
Spoke for Southern Pine.
s. B. Wilson appeared for the
North Star Concrete company and
said that many of the property own
ers prefer southern pine creosoted
blocks to tamarack. He asked that
the council reconsider its action, so
that either kind of blocks might be
used.
Judge Cray said that he had been
investigating the best kinds OF pave
ment and had reports from the Min
neapolis engineering department and
the government showing that the
southern pine is preferable, even at
a higher price. 1t ought to be left
omen so that southern pine can be
used, he said. He also spoke for
George NJ Palmer, who felt the
same way.
f. NJ. Currier also strongly favored
southern pine. He asked that the
width of the driveway on South
Broad street, where paving is to be
done, be fixed at thirty feet, so as
to have it uniform with the rest of
Broad street.
H. A. Patterson also spoke for a
thrty-foot driveway, because of the
width of the boulevard. He also
spoke for southern pine, as it was
the equal or better than what the
contract now calls for and the con-
tractor would have to pay the extra
cost of southern pine. The four who
had spoken would be assessed about
$4,000.
Urged the Use of Tamarack.
John J. Smith, an officer OF the
Kettle River company, which manu-
features creosoted blocks, spoke. He
said that he had supposed the coun-
ellis Investigations in Minneapolis
had shown it that tamarack is the
best. He compared the two kinds
of block, and quoted people who
prefer tamarack to southern pine. An
extra grade of No. tamarack is used,
with knots eliminated. Tamarac
does not check like southern pine
does in the sun. There are two
kinds of southern pine, one being
the short leaf, which is barred from
specifications, as it is not equal to
the northern jackpine. No discrlmi-
nation is made in the local speclfica-
tons. He claimed that sixteen
pound treatment of tamarack equals
a twenty-pound treatment OF south
ern pine. The latter is slippery, be-
cause being more resinOus and tax
ing treatment harder. Tamarac being
grown in the northern climate, VIII
stand the northern climate and Will
last as long or longer than southern
pine The only reason for making
a change would be that the south
ern blocks can he bought cheaper,
which is not a good argument. The
Norway black that is superceding
the stone pavement in London is to
all appearances the same as our
northern blocks. The speaker could
absolutely guarantee prompt delivery
of tamarack blocks. These blocks
are giving ~ best of satisfaction
at Albert Lee and elsewhere. The
Kettle River company manufactures