The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-07-10
|Mankato To Be Hub
For Electric Lines
=rom thursdays Daily.


from Thursdays Daily.
Mankato win receive better and
more frequent service over the Dan
Patch line than that which inaugu-
rates the entrance OF the road into
the city. and this point viii be made
the center Cor number of branch
lines according to announcements
made by officials of the company who
we're In the city inspecting the first
trains.
I'VE appreciate deeply the friendly
attitude OF the Mankato citizens and
are going TO do our best to deserve
the good opinion OF the public" said
ID. S. Smith, general manager OF the
road. in discussing the matter
"Owing to delays in securing add.
tional equipment, some OF which was
ordered last winter. we are not in a
position 10 give the city the passen-
ger service which we will furnish ul-
timately. AS fast as additional equip
ment is received it will be pressed
into service. do not wish to ere
ate the impression that this is only
the matter of few days but II viii
be within a reasonable time. The
question Of an earlier train into Man
kato In the morning Is one which we
will take up at once and feel GER
tain That some way to solve the diff
Guilty viii be found.
Will Reduce Schedule.
"The running time Is another mat
ter which win receive our attention.
II viii be necessary to do some work
on the roadbed and that attended
to think that we will be able to
cut down our schedule materially.
at present the road is operating
at Minneapolis under a distinct dis
advantage owing TO the location OF
the terminals. as many Mankato peo-
pie are aware. Mr.. Smith says, how
ever, that this handicap will soon be
overcome.
Although our present terminals at
Minneapolis are wholly inadequate
we are rushing a line to our down
town terminal and hope to have this
work completed by fall. This will
give us an advantage possessed by
no other road. We have a private
right OF way from the city limits TO
q point at Seventh street and Second
avenue north. This location Is with
In couple OF blocks Of the shopping
district and only stones throw
from the markets and wholesale
houses. The strategic value of such
"a position can be readily understood.
From a point near Savage we are
constructing a line to this terminal
property. The grading Is almost com
pleted and there remains but a few
small bridges to put in. The track
within the city limits is all laid and
the work double tracking this por-
ton has been started Upon the com
pletion of this work we will be I'm a
position to give Mankato and the
other points along the line the service
which we feel they eminently de-
serve"
ST. Clair Extension.
The point OF extending the Dan
Patch line to ST. Clair and other
towns was likewise one discussed
by MIR. Smith. He announced that
such step would be along the gen.
eral policy of the road.
Experience has proven that cleo
trio roads can operate very profit
ably on short branches" said the gen.
eral manager. I'VE have our line in.
to Mankato under fifty year lease
and while II is too early to make
any definite statement of what we
Will find II possible to do In the way
Of building branch lines from this
point we realize fully the Importance
of the city and anything which will
work TO the mutual advantage of
both will certainly be carefully con-
sidered."
The road expects to make every
effort to secure freight business and
at the earliest possible moment will
install depots at frequent intervals
where milk can be tlcketed and
left for shipment. AS result OF this
policy. farmers along the line where
the road has been operating for some
time have found It desirable in some
instances TO change the character
OF their, crops. Potatoes and prod
uce or hay have taken the place OF
corn and small grain.
Land Values VIII Increase.
1t has been proven that the land
values have increased enormously at
many points along the line. At Ok
boro Heath, for example, land in the
immediate vicinity of the line was
selling for from SIS to $50 an acre.
This same land is today selling for
from $500 TO $500 an acre and the
increase has all come since the oper-
alton OF the Dan Patch line.
The fear has been expressed at
times that the electric lines would
kill the smaller towns. In this con.
uoCffon lhA e~ff~~.f.-