The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-09
Ne BETTERED one HIGHWAY
What |. 7. Silkey of Le Ray
Has Accomplished

From fridays ssiiv.
Talking about good roads II II
matter worthy of mention that one
of the most enthusiastic good roads
bcomers In the country and ono
who not only sees to it that the
roads In his own neighborhood are
In first class condition but who most
completely and thoroughly exempli-
fies the idealistic god roads spirit
I'm the activities he displays Is l..
T. Silkey OF LeIiay township. says
the GAINESVILLE Argus.
Proverbially Mr.. Silkey is known
far and nexf as man who never
allows poor roads to his territoy.
AS one of the officials of the town
he has frequently. In fact invariably.
when the necessity demanded. drag
ged the roads and caused other nee
essary work TO be prosecuted without
money and without price. The result
is that roads In and around his farm
are never in any other than the pink
of condition.
The Activity Displayed.
As an instance of the activity dis
played by Mr. Silkey we may men,
ton that last week Thursday he
went out among his neighbors and
drummed up fifteen teams which to-
gether with his own presented
formidable array of workers I'm one
grand bee organized for the sole pur.
pose of hauling sand from Madison
Lake. The work was prosecuted
most successfully during the day
with all kinds of workers and all
'rds OF shovelers lending a helping
hand I'm addition TO those who fur
nislled the teams. .r.
The result is that a large percent.
age OF the road bed I'm that vicinity
Is completely supplied with gravel
and the best of IL is II Is lcvcd down
80 that the packing process may 20
an through the winter.
Mr.. Sllkey announces further that
on January "a another bee will be
held at which time II Is hoped a still
larger number viii be on hand to
push the good work along.
Public Spirited Enterprise.
Certainly this public spirited enter
prise is to be commended in terms
as cordial as they are eulogistic. Mr..
Silkey is worthy of all praise. Now
IL tie balance OF mankind I'm these
particular regions where abide az
good a people and as fine race
of mcn. cosmopolitan as II Is, as may
he found anywhere else under the
sun. will emulate the example set by
Mr.. Silkey and the public spirited
enterprise he displays Il will be well
for the future OF this part of the
country and the sooner they go
about Il the sooner viii arrive that
golden age when the goal OF all
human happiness and all human de-
slres may be reached; and this will
be In the good old time when the
public highways will be smooth and
hard. over the prairie aud down the
hill sides In unblemished fullness
without spot or wrinkle to interrupt
their long drawpout continuation.
Minnesota enters the New Year with
four new laws On her statute books
and si.952,5S?.95 in her treasury.
Three of the laws effective when
whistles and bells at midnight Wed.
nesday hcraldcd the coming OF 1914,
affect railroads. They are
The eastman distance tariff
law.
The Bcndixcn two cents a
mile passenger fare law.
An act requiring locomotive
headlight TO be OF 1900 candle
power
The fourth Law relates 10 taxa
ton and provides for new
classification of property for
assessment.
The ultimate effect of the distance
tariff law Is yet TO be seen the two
cent fare law Increases rates only
from one to four miles and its effect
will not be noticeable: the law re.
Earding headlights has for some time
been observed by most OF the car
riers.
The tax classification law will ap-
ply when this years assessments are
made. Although the system Is
changed the average taxpayer viii
notice little difference. In fact none
of the laws going into effect bear
directly on tho everyday life of the
average citizen.
Tressurer Smith Makes Report.
That the state is In prosperous
condition Is indicated by the report
of State Treasurer Walter J. Smi b
nj the close OF business "Wednesday.
The cash balance in all funds Is
1885,, 5S9.g5.
With the going into effect OF the
distance tariff law today the railroad
and warehouse commission will have
concluded the. busiest year in its
long history. The states victory. in
the Minnesota rate case was a
feature of the period. M
The records OF the department for
the fiscal year ending November 80.
show the detail work has exceeded
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