The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-29

ing to his stock and produce, and
by keeping his buildings and fences
in repair, than by working out his
poll tax at the paltry sum of dol
lar and half per day. Let us see
what we had around Mankato under
the old system.
Many Poor Roads.
Until six years ago there was not
a road leading out of Mankato that
could be considered a good high
way. 1t is true, on two or three of
the roads there were little stretches
of half mile or so, where the
farmers whose land adjoined this
particular spot, had graded his road
up nicely. In dry seasons these par.
ticular spots were fairly good. Dur
F; ing rainy seasons, or, after a day
or two of steady rain, Mankato was
bounded on the north, south, east
and west by long stretches of some
slightly and almost impossible paths,
filled with mire holes, and chuck
holes that lead out to the suburbs
of Mankato, such as Mapleton and
Madison Lake. To travel these roads
after heavy rain with an auto
mobile, was utterly impossible, and
for the farmers and business men,
it was by no means a pleasure and
at times even quite dangerous.
am told I don't know how true the
story is, that some eight years ago,
Wise, of the Free Press and Review
respectively, feared that they would
be short of news for the Saturday
addition of their papers, in rainy
seasons, they would leave here with
a double team before daylight on
Friday, and drive to Mapleton, where
they got all their good news, and
the roads were so poor that these
gentlemen hardly got back to Man.
kato in time to insert the news OBJ.
tanned from their friend Mr.. Hotal,
ing, in the Saturday evening add.
ton of their papers.
Must Do Away With Old System.
81 said to get good roads we must
do away with old style system. While
we have not yet abolished the old
system, still we have proof of what
can be done if the road work were
paid in cash. / refer to the i'm
provement that has taken place on
our Eagle Lake road during the
last four or five years, and mention
this particular road for the purpose
of illustration. During the last four
or five years, the Mankato Automo
bile club and the Mankato CONNER
cial club, have every year donated
money to be used for the graveling
of this road. Being state road, the
county also appropriated various
sums. The farmers along this
road, under direction of the count,
surveyor and the assistance Of com
petent path masters, first graded the
roads, rounded it up nicely to per
NIT the water to run off quickly
The proper grading is the first as
sential for permanent good roads
work, and too much feight cannot
be put upon the necessity of proper
grading. To keep the water off and
away from the road is most assen.
tial. After the grading had been done
on the Eagle Lake road. the money
which had been appropriated by the
Automobile and Commercial clubs
and the county, was worked out ant
it was surprising to see how quick
and cheerfully the farmers respond
ed to the call to haul gravel Were
it not for the fact that this work
was to be paid in cash, 1 doubt
whether the call to haul gravel
would have got the ready and will.
ing response that it did. Five years
ago this same road was perhaps
one of the worst roads in Blue Earth
county, and today it is not only the
best graded and graveled twelve
mile stretch Of country road in Blue
Earth county, but in the entire
northwest. 1t is one of the best oh
ject lessons of practical systematic
road work that can be given. We
believe that as Schlitz beer made
Milwaukee famous, that we will in
the future read that the Eagle Lake
road and Blue Earth county has
made Minnesota famous by it's good
roads.
Keep Up Good Work.
earnestly hope gentlemen that
you will keep up your campaign of
education to abolish the old style
system of road construction. Above
all discourage the old method oil
taking the road grader in the spring
! and fall of the year and tearing III
the sod and stones from the side
OF the road, and heaping it up in
Jumps and bumps in the center oil
the road, and in allowing the rain
and the travel during the season
to push the dirt out again to the
edge only to again be pulled up into
: the center with the grader. This
wasteful method reminds me very
much of a story that l read some
time ago, which was about as fol
lows:
Story of Pat.
| There was a large contractor who
had among his employees lazy
1rishman whose name was Pat