The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-06-02
From Tuesdays Daily

AWARDED, anu DIS SOOn as the COutl dSC-
ors have filed acceptable bonds they
can begin work. The North Star
Concrete company which has the
principal contract, expects to begin
work soon. 1t, Of course, under
stands concrete work thoroughly, and
will be right at home at this work.
Last season it laid twenty-one blocks
of concrete pavement at Fort Dodge,
Iowa, its contract there. amounting
to $4,000. When 1t comes to laying
the creosoted blocks, it will hire the
best men that it can find. 1t already
has a good paving plant, and VIII
buy what it has not got.
The letting of the contracts to
home firms means that most OF the
money will remain right here in
Mankato. Local material will be used
as much as possible. With so much
money being put into circulation, it
ought to be one of the most pros
porous seasons that Mankato ever
had.
Best Kind of Macadam.
the best ever laid in the city, except
as to thickness. The specifications
call for six inches, but B. F. Pay,
one of the contractors, states that
il ought to be ten inches to make
a good and substantial job. The
granite surfacing of two inches will
give wearing surface that ought
TO resist heavy traffic indefinitely,
which the softer limestone does not
do, as experience in Mankato has
shown. If this kind of macadam
proves successful no doubt 1t will
be adopted in the future, and a
large amount of it done. This job
will be much less expensive than
the Fifth street macadam, and ought
to make a pavement that will be far
more satisfactory. With the softer
material and without a bitumen or
tar binder, the Fifth street pave
ment is going to pieces in places.
The water has quilted it out, and
the heavy traffic to the high school
has cut it up.
Some Little Discussion.
The awarding of the contracts was
preceded by considerable discussion.
Commissioner Humiston stated
that with gravel and Portland ce
ment for the foundation, Fielding &
Shepley were five cents a yard the
lowest bidder If other material was
used, the North Star company was
the lowest
L. E. Shepley stated that with his
proposition the city would receive
$500 for it's gravel. His company's
was the best proposition, and aside
from that it was experienced and
would do good job.
S. B. Wilson spoke for the North
Star Concrete company and said that
experienced paving men would be
employed if his client got the con-
tract, and the city would be pro-
tected by a bond, and would not
have to pay for the job unless it
was done right. If crushed stone
was to be used, the North Star COM
pany was the lowest bidder.
Mr.. Radichel spoke for his COM
pany, and said that crushed rock is
favorite material. The company
would do a good job.
Question of Hardness.
City Engineer Holmquist said that
if there was a good rock, and the
spaces well filled, he would consider
a crushed rock foundation the best.
10 hnr ND
hard concrete.
Mr.. Radichel said that river
gravel is round pebbles and the
concrete will break first along the
surfaces of these pebbles.
Mr.. Shepley said that the cities
all over the country are now adopt
ing gravel for concrete instead of
crushed rock. Mr.. Radichel re-
sponded that this was still an ex-
pertinent, and Mr.. Shepley came back
with the statement that the govern
ment engineers are also doing it.
Mr.. Humiston stated that the North
Star Concrete company's bid on
crushed rock foundation, considering
its bid for the gravel is about $40
yard, as compared with Fielding
& Shepley's bid of $2.47 on gravel
concrete. The difference is $500.
He moved that the contract be
awarded to the North Star Con-
crete company at $2.3S, with crush.
ed rock and Portland Cement foun-
dalton and creosoted tamarac blocks
The contractor is to take the gravel
at 81 cents a yard, which is three
cents a yard more than what il
cost the city to haul it. The mo.
ton was carried unanimously The
company guarantees the pavement
for five years.
Bitumen to Be Tried.
Mr.. Hartwick of the Standard Oil
company, spoke for bitumen instead
of tar for macadam, and said that
it would not bleed, as tar does.
The Barber company man said
that it would be impossible for his
company to come in the bidding.
Commissioner Humiston moved
that the contract for the macadamiz
ing be awarded to Fowler e Pay;
for bituminous macadam and a tot