The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-17

COffee Cigars
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| Mapleton, January l4.-Mapleton
boosters were out to the annual
banquet of the Mapleton Commercial
club last night The enjoyable af-
fair was held at the Mapleton house.
Dr. F. G. Bomberger. postmaster,
was at his best and he demonstrated
he was a good roads enthusiast as
well as an automobile admirer. He
introduced the different speakers with
his customary dash of humor that
was immensely pleasing to the
eighty assembled members of the
Mapleton Commercial club. Rev.
Young offered prayer. Come to the
Gay Feast of Song" by Mapleton
quartet, Messrs. Louis Borchert,
| II. NJ. Berry, Mrs. B. F. McGregor,
piaonist, was pleasing feature.
| How to Keep Mapleton on the
Map by H. c. Hotaling, who stated
that although many feared that the
parcel post would kill the small town
| he did not believe it would. He said
there was a good deal of mail or
der business down in this community
but if this money was kept at hope
we could and would have better
town He stated that Mapleton has
| the stores, banks, doctors, attorneys
etc, that town ten times our popu-
| latiOn, and that as an example of
what he had and the same was true
in all lines was our printing office
which was the best in any town this
size in the state. He advocated CO.
operation for the farmer by he and
! his neighbors all raising one kind of
poultry, apples, potatoes, etc, so that
buyer could buy and ship carload
lots and to do this the demand was
for a uniform shipment. He show
ed that last fall that hundreds of
bushels potatoes rotted on the ground
because of the fact there was not
enough to fill car, the same was
shown to be the case with ap-
pies two years ago.
Mr.. Hotaling gave the boosters
rules and if same are followed ont
there will be no doubt but that
Mapleton will be on the map.
Street Improvement.
The next toast. "Street Improve
ment," by B. F. McGregor, who gave
figures showing the various kinds of
street paving and cost for same. He
advocated macadam or concrete paw
ing for Main street in Mapleton and
stated that either could be put in
for 500 a lot. For the other
streets he advocated strip of gravel
twelve feet wide and six inches deep.
He stated all this was possible be-
cause the st. Paul road stood ready
to donate $4,000 in hauling expenses
if Mapleton business men meant to
accomplish a general road improve
ment. The railroad company offered
to haul 200 cars of gravel either
| from Mankato or Kasota to Maple
ton at a rate OF about 50 a car
Mr.. McGregor in closing stated that
God helped those who helped them
selves, but in our case Rockefeller
stood willing and we must act, if
we wished help.
The Mapleton quartet sang Rock
| ing the Moon to Sleep
Road Matters" was the toast re-
John Holman of Mankato. He stat
ed the two great slogans before the
American people, '''back to the farm
| and good roads" He then stated
! the reason why so few people re-
! spond to the cali back to the farm
| Some were lack of amusements lone
someness and drudgery of farm life,
but he said with good roads this
would be all changed for then the
/ farmer would go to town oftener,
make more and spend more.
Mr.. Holman then showed how
| the automobile had been the chief
factor in bringing about good road
sentiment and stated that with good
roads that every farm would have
a car within five years.
Mr.. Hohmann told how the coun.
ty and bridge fund had been over
drawn nearly $4,000 and that until
this was replaced that the county
commissioners would not be able to
do what they would like to do in
aiding sections of the county in bet.
tering existing roads. He showed
what was being accomplished in the
matter of obtaining a highway from
Minneapolis to Good Thunder and
placing same in the best of condi
tion
The Elwell law was explained how
it worked, how road improvement
should be done under it, This
seems best for Blue Earth county
at present, and fine piece of road
is being constructed from Mankato
to Good Thunder under this law He
explained how a mill tax would
place sum of one and one-half
millions for the use of roads in Min.
nesota, $4,000 for Blue Earth coun-
ty He stated this might seem a
large sum yet single counties in Cal
ifornia had raised three millions and
expended same within one year. In
closing Mr. Hohmann paid a fine
tribute to Mr.. Oleson of Sterling
present county commissioner from
Mapleton and vicinity. He stated
that the. coming year Mapleton could
expect some help from the county
through the commissioners, as the
past year other parts of the county
received practically all the aid
given.
Cash Road Tax.
"The Cash Road Tax" responded
to by Dr. ]. T. Schlesselman, Good
Thunder. He stated to the club what
was meant by cash road tax" and