The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-12-18
Street CAR CONCERN
WILLING TO DONATE
From Tuesdays Daily.

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= Five thousand dollars is the sum
regarded as good as promised by the
Mankato Electric Traction company
towards the new bridge at Main
street. ]. o. SchulZe OF Iowa City,
Iowa, president of the company,
was in the city this morning, and
held a conference on that subject at
the Saulpaugh hotel with Mayor A.
G.. Meyer, City Attorney Arthur
Schaub, Councilmen @. r. Bradley
and A. G. Lack, and Henry Robel,
Sr.. chairman of the bridge commit.
tee of the North Mankato CONNER
cial club. Mr. Schulze said he felt
fairly sure that the directors OF the
company would be willing to donate
$4,000 towards the building of the
new bridge.
All of these gentlemen took walk
down by the river bank and looked
over the place where the bridge
is TO go in. They were all in
clined to think Il would be a per-
fectly feasible plan to shorten the
bridge by fifty feet, and I'LL in the
open space for that width on the
city side of the river. The old
bridge is about FIVE hundred feet
long. II was thought that the rail-
road interests, in view OF adding
so much ground to the railyards.
would be willing to make quite do
nation towards the bridge.
II was considered that there was
so much space on this side of the
river channel. not needed at all for
the passage of the water. that fifty
feet could easily be filled in, with
out affecting the property on the
opposite side. At present this space
is merely taken up with thick brush,
making a splendid haven for hoboes.
Mayor Meyer thought, however,
that no additional tracks should be
allowed to cross Main street. But
the widening of the railroad yards
both north and south of the bridge
would be quite an advantage in the
improvement of the facilities for
handling the trains.
Il was estimated by the Widell
company that a forty foot bridge
with six feet in addition for walk
ing on each side would cost about
$4,000. The gentlemen that talked
the matter over this morning, how
ever. thought that by shortening the
bridge and filling in fifty feet, to-
gether with other economies that
might be practiced, the cost might
be brought down to $4,000. With
$1,000 promised by the street car
company for the right OF crossing
the bridge, the amount OF money
still to be raised was thus brought
down, apparently, to 100000.
The committee i'm charge will see
what money can be obtained from
the Consumers Power company and
other interests.
There will be meeting OF the
state highway commission on De
cember %. On that day the com
mittee will go before that body and
see what help for the new bridge car
be obtained from the state.
Forty Foot Driveway Ample.
Mr.. Schulze stated that forty
foot driveway would be ample fol
the purposes of the company In
running a branch line over onto
North Mankato. He said he hat
seen bridges with driyeways ONLY
twenty-eight to thirty feet wide, Will
street car tracks running over them
The committee members were o
the opinion that there was some
chance OF reasonable narrowing dow
the bridge to something less thai
forty feet. II this should be neces
sary to bring the cost within tn,
limit of the amount of money avail
able.
II will be necessary to communi
cate with the war department ant
see whether fifty feet could be file
i'm without oversteppizg the meande
lines, and II these lines are crosse'
by such filling, perhaps the war de
partment could be induced to chang
them.