The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-21
Spoke of Switching Annoyance.

Spoke of Switching Annoyance.
| DR.. Andrews then arose and en-
: phasized Judge Cray's statements
regarding the annoyance of the
switching in the Milwaukee rail
road yards. Especially was this true
regarding the farmers. More than
one-half the time the gates across
the street are down, and when any
one wants to cross the tracks, there
is usually some switch engine in the
way.
| An overhead bridge is prohibitory,
he said, and so bridge at Slbley
mound would be most desirable, and
could be built at much cheaper
cost than one at Main street. Then
the city should stand a chance of
getting a good appropriation. After
! ALL the farmers are the ones who
use the bridge most, and it makes
little difference to them whether
they drive across the river at Slb-
ley mound or at Main street.
Fred Lossow arose and in his rich
German accent said that the Main
street bridge was the safest of all.
No one has yet been killed there,
he said. In the early days wom-
an had her teeth knocked out, but
the railroads do their killing in the
other ends of the yards. The en-
gines drive slowly past the Main
street bridge, because the engineers
know it is congested. Moreover, it
would not be a wise policy for Man
kato to have too many bridges, for
soon all the people would flock to
10 70 two in InCa
than no time, Mankato would take
on the appearance of the Deserted
Village" this jokingly.
City Engineer H. F. BlomquiSt
was called upon for some figures as
to the probable cost of bridge at
Sibley mound He said that steel
one could be built all the way from
twenty to forty thousand dollars,
but concrete structure would cost
a little more.
I Had Not Seen Any Congestion.
! c. H. Saulpaugh stated that in all
the years he has lived here, he has
not seen Main street very congested
at the bridge. This talk about con-
gestion there was mostly mere
sound He heartily endorsed any
action that might be taken to COM
pei the Milwaukee railroad to re-
move their switching tracks to some
other place.
Mayor Charles T. Taylor said
| that when these switches were first
put in, he called on the agent, and
the latter said that they were being
put in temporarily only. but they
have never been removed.
AS long as the local bridge COM
mittee had worked in conjunction
with the North Mankato committee,
the matter should be delayed until
they could be heard from also, was
the opinion of E. NJ. Zuel. This
committee was not present on &C.
count of another meeting of the
Commercial club Of North Mankato,
and hence it was moved that this
lclub invite the committee from
North Mankato to attend the next
meeting here.
Moved For a Committee.
George Atchison moved that a
lcommittee of three be appointed to
act in conjunction with the city
council to get the immediate re-
moval of the Milwaukee switches,
which carried.
The question of whether or not
the club should join the State Fed
GRAFTON of Commercial clubs, then
came up, and as the fee is only
500. and the advisory board is en-
tirely in favor of this step. DIR. An
drews moved that the report and
recommendation of the advisory
board be accepted and be acted ia
vorably upon.
President Crandall said that it
was high time for the Blue Earth
county to organize as county mem
Der of the Southern Minnesota Bet
ter Development league. Most of the
other counties in this league have
organized and it was highly desir-
able to perfect the Blue Earth coun-
ty organization before the next meet
ing of the league which is to be
held in st. Peter, June 26. Mayor
Taylor moved that a committee of
three be appointed to help organ
ize the county in this connection.
Report of Armory Committee.
The report of the armory commit
tee was read as follows and ac-
copied:
1--WE, the undersigned. as
special committee appointed by
| your BODY TO investigate ana re-
port upon the advisability of
this club undertaking to assist
in the securing of suitable site
and building for armory pur-
poses in this city, respectfully
beg to report:
First: In view of the fact
that it will take from thirty
to forty thousand dollars to Sc
cure a suitable site and build
ing for armory purposes in