The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-01-27
TBY S. M. lADD.1

Urging the Improvement OF the Min
nesota river before the United
States board of engineers for rivers
and harbors as outlined in the re-
port of Major F. E. Skunk members
of congress from Minnesota present
ed arguments this week in favor of
the proposed project.
Ii was planned to have at the
hearing the entire Minnesota delega-
ton, as well as the delegation from
North and South Dakota, but this
was impossible owing to the fact
that important business on the floor
of the house prevented some men,
bers from attending. Those present
were Senator Moses e. Clapp and
Representatives Volstead, Davis, and
Stevens.
A. b. Kaercher, Ortonville, presi>
dent of the Minnesota River I'm
provement and Power company and
Senator c. A. Johnson, st. Peter, a
director of the company, arrived in
Washington a few days before the
meeting and appeared before the
board at the hearing this week.
Arguments Presented to Board.
The arguments in favor of the
project were presented by the Min
nesota members, Representative
Davis being the first speaker He
was followed by Representatives
Stevens ana Volstead, Senator
Clapp speaking last. Mr.. Kaercher
told the board of the benefits to Big
Stone Lake which would result
from the construction of the inn
pounding reservoir at Lac Qni
Parle. Senator G.. A. Johnson spoke
in behalf Of land owners on the riy.
cr bottoms.
The advocates of the project laid
stress on the fact that the improve
ment of the Minnesota river for
purposes of navigation would pro.
vide a cheap means of Transports
ton for building material and grains
going down the river and for coal
and lumber up river. II was also
pointed out that the proposed plan
would greatly benefit the Missis-
sippi river so far as navigation was
concerned below st. Paul.
The Economic Feature.
All of the speakers called atten-
ton to an economic feature of Min
nesOta which is rather remarkable,
namely that the Minnesota River
valley furnishes brick, limestone
and granite in quantity and quality
ahead nf nfhnr Of ha
country. AT Chaska a brick is man.
ufactured which finds a wide mar
ket. There are other brick yards
at points further up the river.
From Chaska the annual ship
ments of brick amount i'm the ag-
gregate to 60,000,000. At Shakopee
the annual shipments approximate
$4,000 tons. Henderson. LIE Sueur,
st. Peter have extensive shipments
in grain, -four, canned goods. Man
kato, the largest shipping point on
the river, ships annually about
10000 tons Of flour, 10000 tons OF
mill stuff, 200 tons of machinery,
5000 tons Of cement and $4,000 tons
of stone and crushed rock. Further
down the river are the Kasota lime,
stone quarries, while above Man
kato are the quarries at Red Rock,
near New Ulm, which furnished
larged quantities of crushed rock
The flour shipments, from New Tim
are enormous.
Millions in Granite.
The Quarries at Ortonville, furth-
er up the river, it was pointed out,
furnished n million dollars worth OF
granite, which entered into the CON
struction of the Minneapolis court
house. In fact, the entire upper
portion of the Minnesota River val.
ley is rich in granite Quarries,
which lack development because of
unfavOrable freight rates. 1t is assert
ed that the bulk of the entire out
put in granite, stone and brick, of
the Minnesota valley finds its mar
ket at the mouth of the river, much
of it at st. Paul and Minneapolis,
and that the proposed river i'm
provements would lend great en-
couragement to all these industries.
In case the board of engineers for
rivers and harbors acts unfavorably
on the Skunk report, sthe officers of
the Minnesota River Improvement
and Power company, will fall back
upon a bill which will be introduced
in the house and senate authorizing
this company to erect certain dams
across the Minnesota river. Before
leaving Washington Mr. Kaercher
made arrangements with Senator
Nelson and Congressman Volstead
for Introducing this bill in both
branches of congress.
The Skunk report meets with the
approval of the officers of the Min
nesota River Improvement and Pow
er company. The government will
build the dam and will lease it's
power to power companies. How
ever, if this plan is not adopted, the
company will rely upon the bill re-
ferred to to give it authority to con
struct dams and operate rs IA water
power company.
Under the terms of the bill the
Minnesota River Improvement and