The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-18
Blue Earth Is Ready
| With Aid For Postroad
From Tuesdays Daily.


the Mankato Bloomington postroad.
The Dispatch said:
Minnesota may lose the federal
government $4,000 appropriation to
aid the building of the Minnesota
valley post road from Mankato to
the Bloomington bridge, Hennepin
county, unless some satisfactory ar
rangement can be made as to the
letting of the contract. Postmaster
General Burleson has written Cover
nor Eberhart to this effect.
THE last congress set aside $780,
900 for post roads, each state to re-
ceive $4,000. The work was to be
approved by the state highway COM
mission and the government experts.
Each state was to build a model road
fifty miles long, the various COM
munities through which it passed to
pay $4,000.
z Estimate Is Beyond Cost.
In Minnesota this fund has been
raised, but the cost estimate is $46,-
600, or $4,000 more than the amount
available. Either congress must make
a larger grant or the towns involved
must make up the deficit, as Mr. Bur-
Lesson intimates that changes in the
specification to make the road cheap
er will not be approved. He calls at
tention to the difficulty in assembling
the funds pledged by the various COM
munities, and of letting a satisfactory
contract under these conditions.
George W. Cooley, state highway
engineer, says that he believes some
settlement will be made so that the
road can be built. He intends to go
to Washington within a week, to take
the matter up with the postoffice de-
partment." =
Story From Minneapolis.
The following article appeared in
The Minneapolis Journal:
Failure of Blue Earth county to
make an appropriation for the gov
eminent post road from Minneapolis
to Mankato and the inability to
reach satisfactory arrangement with
Hennepin county has caused the gov
eminent to abandon its plans for the
proposed road, according to informa-
ton reaching Governor A. o. Eber-
hart in a letter from A. s.. Burleson,
postmaster general Mr.. Burleson
recites that the road engineer who
made the inspection reports that the
road from Bloomington
Ferry to Mankato will cost $4,000
in, excess of the joint federal and
state fund of $4,000. He reports
that Blue Earth county has raised
no funds and Hennepin county can
make no disbursements until the
work is completed and the county
board has viewed it. TO assemble
the various funds in manner that
will appeal to contractor he fur
Their reports, is difficult
In view of these facts writes
Mr.. Burleson, 1T would seem diff
cult if not impossible for the state of
to meet the conditions
and that it would be mad
visable for the government to take
action in the matter at this
time"
Facts in the Case.
From the article in the ST Paul
Dispatch, it seems that the principal
reason why the twin cities are so
afraid that Minnesota will not get the
Mankato to Bloomington road, is be- !
cause the money for it's construction,
according to the paper, is not in
.angible form, so that contractor
IAN accept the proposition of building
he road. The Dispatch seems to I
think that there is not enough money
n Minnesota to make up the ex-
ra $4,000 more, than the $4,000 as
he cost was first estimated
In answer to the Journal article, /
Blue Earth county has made an APP
of at least $4,000 The |
;ity of Mankato has agreed to give I
1000, the Mankato Automobile club /
800 and the Mankato Commercial
commissioners passed resolution |
the county agreed to pay it's
ihare of the cost of, the road This |
vas estimated at $4,000, but if it I
should be more, the county will still i
tand good for it. This money is now
IN hand, it does not have to be
aised, and may be paid whenever
he rest of the counties pay their
hares. Certified copies of the resolu-
ion and of the offers of the city of
dankato and of it's two clubs, were
urned over to j. G. Wonder, the
government agent who was here
bout month ago looking over the
cute of the proposed road.
The County Resolution.
The resolution of the county COM
nissioners reads as follows:
Whereas, the state highway
commission has under considera-
ton the proposition of building
fifty miles of federal post road
in the state of Minnesota, and
whereas the highway so to be
constructed is to receive the $10-
900 appropriation from the fed
eral government: now, therefore,
be it resolved, by the board of
county commissioners of the coun-
ty of Blue Earth, that said pro-
position be and the same hereby i
is accepted, and that Blue Earth
county pledges itself to pay its
share of the expense of building
such highway, and of the main
tenance thereof. in accordance
with the said proposition, in case
the highway from Mankato to
Bloomington, via st. Peter, be
designated as the highway to be
so constructed and to receive the
said federal aid, the proposition
referred to being the one made
by the state highway commission
in it's letter of December 81, 1912,
to the boards of county COM
missioners of the several counties
In which the said proposed high
way is located"
Cf,tenasnf IF Mr. Lobp,,nr