The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-10-13
rom Tuesdays Daily.
I. + = + + + + = E + + + I
MANkATO SELF.HELPS.


+ kets and the most reasonable 4.
+ prices for everything the +
+ farmer wants to buy. +
+ Proposed by the CONNER. +
+ ciaI club to raise $500 for I.
+ the improvement of the high 4.
+ ways leading into Mankato. +
+ Minnesota river bridge prop 4.
+ osition to receive aid from f
+ the Omaha road. +
+ chiidren's Fairgrounds should +
+ receive the attention of the +
+ Civic league. +
+ Matter of auditorium brought +
1. to the notice of the club. r
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + \ =
Good roads" was the topic that
was spoken of longest and most in
terestingly last night at the meeting
of the Commercial club. G. M.
Palmer gave a long report on the
good roads movement so far, how to
increase the business of the city by
their betterment and Of almost as
great Importance, how good roads
will help the people to live with
more pleasure, to really delight In
living in Mankato by having good
roads in the surrounding country.
at is worth our while to stop and
consider what it will mean to u.s."
he said. "We want the city to pros
per as it has done in the past but
we want it to so ahead with bigger
strides; we want to bring the peo-
pie from other cities here, from tho
farms and everywhere, to show them
what good city Mankato is, and
that they will profit in the end by
dealing with Mankato merchants"
Country Roads the Best.
Mr.. Palmer went on to explain
the roads in this county are some OF
the best in the state of Minnesota,
the natural resources are such as to
give a person every confidence that
Mankato has great future. that
the near vicinity is as yet undevel-
oped as compared with what it will
! be.
"We have around Mankato one of
the richest farm countries in the
United States, and if we get the
/ farmers to come here to trade it
will be for the benefit of our mer-
chants and citizens as a whole.
{ Mankato was the only market Of
this region many years ago. But this
condition has changed. Since the
early days, numerous little towns
have sprung up i'm the county and
il the roads leading to these are in
better shape than those coming into
Mankato, the farmers will go there
to trade, and you know what tae
farmers trade MEANS
! The railroad rates are as low TO
these nearby towns also and unless
something is done very soon to bet
| ter the roads, farmers will begin to
20 elsewhere to do their trading.
How to Encourage Trade.
! "The question is: How shall we
induce these country people to come
to Mankato to do business, to come
here and buy? There are three
ways:
First. If we can pay more for
their produce.
Second. If our merchants can
sell cheaper.
Third. BY having standing in
vitation to come here.
Good roads should be good roads,
not mediocre ones. We have hills,
( valleys and rivers to cross and with
these obstacles it is sometimes hard
to bring this about, but if we went
! at it i'm a busineSs-like way it is
possible to do this"
Five years ago the good roads
work was started here. when I'm.
| prOvements were begun. Since then
the work has increased wonderfully.
| But. Mr.. Palmer went on to say.
| this work has been done in put
tering" way, with a little spent here
and little there, resulting in q
| haphazard work.
! The Eagle Lake Road.
/ He reported that there were
quite few good roads, however. In
| this county, especially near Man
kato. The road from here to Eagle
Lake was an excellent one. and
three miles on the Mapleton road
one did not have to wet his shoes,
even after the heavy rains. The
gravel roads served as an object
lesson, since they had proven the
best for this country, considering
the expense.
''The time is now ripe to- make
these improvements; the farmers
are interested; the county commits
sioners are interested and the state
is interested" he continued. eff we
go about it right, we will receive
quite an allotment as state aid
also, and this year we expect to get
about $4,000, and maybe in short
time we can draw rs high as $751;
900 state aid for this county"
Plan Of Improvement.
Mr.. Palmer advocated the plan of
improving ten or twelve miles of
road, and at a cost of 700 a mile.