The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-23

Details To Be Closed
From Tuesdays Daily.
John II. Hohmann returned today
from his trip to- Washington, ID. c.,
in the interests OF the Mankato TO
Bloomington post road, and reports
success in his mission there. The
SIS, 900 appropriation from the United
States government, for this road is
practically assured" Mr. Hohmann
stated to The Free Press, today, but
there are still some details on this
end OF the proposition which We
have yet to fulfill. In order to get
the $4,000 from the United States
postal department we must raise
double that amount in the state. or
$50, 1000. We had $4,000 pledged
when | left for Washington, and we
have now succeeded in including in
this amount $4,000 from Ramsey
county which this county had in
tended TO put on the road from
Bloomington bridge to Fort Smelling.
Thus the road now, instead of run
ming only to Bloomington bridge will
run to Fort Smelling. We explained
this matter fully to Mr. Blakeslee,
the fourth assistant postmaster gen.
eral, and he agreed with the PROPOSE
| ton. 49,
Old Established Highway.
"This is an old established high
way from Bloomington bridge to Fort
Smelling and may we'll be included
/ in the post road. By adding it to
| the former road We secure this &c..
500, which added to the $36,5OO
which we had already pledged, makes
a. total of $4,000, and leaves only
$1,000 yet to raise to make up the
i total amount required, $4,000. The
I government has withdrawn the offer
| of $40, 900 to the states for the pur
pose of building post roads because
many of the larger eastern states
would not accept this amount, The
plan of the government now is to
expend all of the 100000 which was
voted by congress last year for build
ing post roads, in eight sections o.
the country, and to divide this
amount in among eight states. Nc
state is eligible to receive, an ap
preparation unless it has an establish
1 ed state highway commission, The
purpose, of thus disposing of th'
100000 in this Hammer is to make
experiments inb different parts O
the country under different climatic
conditions and in different soils, AM
find ont what the benefit to thu
postal department will be from de
veloping the roads over which tn
rural mail carriers travel. Mime
sofa i'll get $685. OF the $5DO,O0u
We tried hard to, get the postal dc
partment to raise this amount t
$4,000, and then to divide thi
amount on the road from Mankat
the Bloomington and from Faribaul
to st. Paul, but the government at
solutely refused to do so. One couI
ty i'm Texas offered to take the fu
$500,000 appropriation and add to
100000 from this county alone,
improve their roads, but the offe
| was refused. Under this new plai
: Governor Eberhart had to redesignat
the road, and accept the appropri;
ton of $4,000 which he did.
Work Begun at Once.
1 "The work on the road will .
begun at once, and George w. Coo
3 ey. the state highway engineer, wi
: make a. survey of the road at one
D starting at Mankato. Before tn
road is built the government WI
0 send an expert there. with new m
6 chine called a dynamometer, whic
when run over the road tells exact
4 the amount of tractve resistance
6 road. After the road is complete
0 the machine will so over it aga
6 and the results of two tests Will
) compared to ascertain the amount
energy that will be saved by impro
b ing the road.
6 I'VE had a delightful trip
o Washington and enjoyed very mu'
the scenery on the way. The farme
z in that part of the world have a go
3 mine il they only knew it. The
: farms are worth money, viii
4 around Washington they can hard
o give the land away. 1t is all clay al
: gravel
10 "The road will from here to Nj
3 naapolis will be graded and gravell
- in the manner which is general
: used in building foundation for &C
"A crete roads. The road will be ma
10 tanned properly, and the gravel Ike
% in good condition, so that at sol
: future time, if it is desirable,
81 concrete surface may be laid up
So the gravel foundation.
: 1--WE did not see President Wils'
because Governor Eberhart did
arrive in Washington until Saturd
81 and it was too late then to ma
- an appointment, as we, wished
26 see him together. The governmt
officials, exressed much satisfactl
in the laws we have in the state
maintaining our roads.
p;ke Fry Will Arrive H6e.