The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-09-11
ON FOURTH
Street IS SUGGESTED
From Tuesdays Daily.

this mornings meeting of the city
council. presented a proposition that
may lead to the solution of the ques.
tion about the Improvement of the
north side of North Fourth street
from Elm to Lafayette.
Here, IL will be remembered, the
street has been uncommonly wide,
ever since the Omaha right of way,
which used TO divide the street, was
purchased by the city There have
been many different opinions as TO
what should be done with the sur.
plus space on the east side Of North
Fourth over those four blocks.
Some of the owners of the ada
cent property have taken the posi-.
tiOn that the city should vacate this
strip and thus narrow down the
street to the same width that II
has elsewhere. Strenuous objection
has been interposed to this idea,
however, as many have declared that
that would amount to giving away
valuable property. and II has also
been declared that these property
owners should not have a gift Of
property any more than many others
who also helped TO raise the fund to
buy the Omaha right of way.
Where the sidewalk on the east
side of North Fourth street should
90 has also been a much discussed
question that is still undecided
\ motion by Councilman Lamm
was passed this morning. providing
that the petition of certain property
owners TO have the strip on the east
side of North Fourth street from
Elm to Lafayette vacated be denied
Mayor Meyer expressed the opin.
ion that the city ought to keep the
strip and make a parkway out of
it. thus narrowing down the road.
way of the street to the same width
as it had to the north and to the
south OF those four blocks. He said
the city could put in shrubbery and
take care of the new parkway. The
council was anxious, he said, to find
out where the interested property
owners would like to have the side
walk placed.
MIR. GerliCh stated that he had
been asked by several of the pro-
perry owners to suggest that a fif-
teen-fOOt alley be constructed on
the east side of this parkway, and
be paved with concrete. That would
take the place of a sidewalk and at
the same time ii would do for deliv.
cry wagons and the like to drive
over. II had been suggested that
the property owners be required to
pay for this alley by assessment,
but that the city. by way of COM
pensation, pay for the curb out
along the street
Would Enhance Property.
Mayor Meyer thought such an al.
ley as suggested would greatly en-.
nance the value of the adjacent pro-
perty. II could be located two or
four feet from the property line.
Some of the property owners pres
ent asked the mayor when he
thought such an alley would be
ready for use. They stated that the
street had been in very bad con.
ditiOn for a long time, and they
would be glad to see something done
TO make their property more ac-
Cessible. The mayor replied that
he thought it would all be done be-
fore next winter. The people in
terested, however, ought to get to-
gether and agree on what they want.
ed done.
II was decided to postpone the
whole matter until the meeting of
the council next Monday morning.
Two Ordinances Reported.
Both of the ordinances that were
received about a week ago by the
council from the state fire wardens
office were passed by the council
this morning, after few amend
ments were made These ordinances
give the fire chief and his assistants
additional powers in the inspection
of buildings and premises and also
make various requirements of own
ers and occupants of buildings, by
way Of safeguard from fires. The
section fOrbidding any person to
have infiammable rubbish I'm any
building or about the premises, ex-
ceDt in metallic receptacles, for
more than one day at a time was
amended so as to lengthen this time
TO three days. The section forbid
ding any empty barrels, boxes or
the like to remain within thirty feet
of a building for more than twelve
hours were amended so as to ex-
tend the time to twenty-four hours.
The section providing special pay
for making inspections was stricken
out, because the fire officers OF Man
kato are paid salaries. The section
forbidding the placing of ashes in
any barrel or wooden vessel, unless
that receptacle should be removed
Immediately from the building, was
stricken out, as City Attorney
Schaub stated that the city already
had an, ordinance covering that sub
ject. Otherwise, the two ordinances
were passed as. proposed.
Refunding the Bonds.
City Attorney Schaub announced
that he had been communicating
with the state investment board,
which was meeting at that moment
over the question of the board pur-