The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-08-15
TOWNDADSH HEARD
GOODL|NE0 OF talk
From Mondays Daily.

fatherS aHOfQeu opportunity ioi ioP
resentatives of several fire engine
companies to exercise their ora
torical powers, and they made the
best of this advantage. Bids were
opened on a triple combination pump
ing engine, hose car and chemical
engine The Seagraye company OF
Columbus, Ohio, made bid of ST.
$50. The Mott Fire Engine company
of Minneapolis had in five bids OF
$4,000, $3.50, $500, $500 and
$4,000. OF these two types are four
cylinder machines and the specifica-
tions call for six cylinder. engines, So,
600 was the bid of the American La
France Fire Engine company OF Chi
cago, and the bid of the Waterous
Engine Works company of st. Paul
was the same.
Others Left the Room.
Thomas R. Johnston of the Amer
lean La France, was the first speak
er, and he asked that the other rep
resentatives of fire engine companies
leave the room while he was speak
ing. The request was granted, with
a slight protest from Mr.. Wilkinson
of the Mott people. Mr.. Johnston's
main point was that the company
stood behind every machine that they
put out, and that the guarantee lasted
for the life of the machine. He said
that his company had sold more fire
engines than all other companies put
together.
Wanted All to Hear.
E. A Mott Wilkinson general mana
ger of the Mott Fire Engine company,
was called in next, and he asked that
all the other statesmen be present and
hear what he had to say about their
machines. 1t was thought best to
leave things as they were, however,
and thus it was left. After telling in
various ways, why his machine was
the best on earth, Mr. Wilkinson
offered to, if awarded the contract,
test his engine out in this city, under
fire department conditions, with any
or all other competitors for the con-
tract, and if in any of the tests an
other company tied with his machine,
this company should be declared the
winner, and he agreed to forfeit his
contract He said the judges of
of the contest could be appointed by
the mayor or the council. Later he
said that if he lost out in the above
manner, he would forfeit the certi-
fed check of $500 which accompanied
hiC hid tn hn FOR oh ,,s{o
BILE institution as the council should
decide.
Another One Spoke.
Robert G. Browning of the Sea-
grave company said that the appara-
tus of his company was in use in
every city of the United States and
Canada, and that his company stood
behind its productions, no matter
whether the article was a three gal
lon chemical fire extinguisher or a
hundred horsepower fire engine. He
also said that his company had never
had failure.
w. M. Gibson, representing the
Waterous Engine works of St. Paul,
offered to give a ten year guarantee
that his engine was the best on earth.
You will find, gentlemen. upon in
vestigation," said he, that this en-
CINE is the best in the universe
and then you can go aboard"
Put in Weighing Scales.
Secretary E. F. Soaring of the
commercial club introduced Mr..
Genet of the Minnesota Beet Sugar
company of Chaska, and said that
he was DESTROYS of putting in a
weighing station on the Fowler &
Pay sidetracks north of the Blue
Earth river, for the benefit of the
farmers of this vicinity. He said that
the plan would be practicable by
means of ferry boat which would
haul two loads at time across the
river. The ferry could also be used
by anyone who wished to cross by
paying small toll. 1t void cost
about $500. The farmers had agreed
to grade the approaches to the ferry,
and it was desired that the city do
nate the other $3.50. Mr.. Genet pre-
dicted for Minnesota a great future
in the sugar beet industry, and said
that there could be enough beets
raised here to support a factory.
1.-TWO years ago." said he, 81 had
just seven acres of beets, and now
have two hundred and twenty-five
acres. With the aid of this addi-
tional weighing station, / think that
in another year there would be 700
acres. | anticipate that this year
there will be $500 loads of beets from
this territory alone, and it is very
hard for the farmers to haul their
products to Mankato over the pres
ent roads," The matter was refer.
red to Councilman John G. Gerlich.
commissioner of streets and alleys.
and he is to make a report at the
next meeting.
Establish Street Widths.
A resolution was adopted establish
ing the widths of the following
streets: Broad street from Lafayette
to Thompson, forty-two feet; Sixth
street from Madison avenue to
Thompson, thirty feet; Madison ave-
nue. from Front to Broad, forty feet:
Lafayette from Second to Sixth, thir-
ty feet; Franklin from Broad to
Sixth, thirty feet; Lime from Broad
to Sixth, thirty feet; Thompson from
Second to Sixth, thirty feet; West
Front from Marshall to Willard:
TIy