The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-03-06
Report Submitted to Mankato Commercial =
j: Club By Secretary E. F. Soaring

association held its annual meeting
In Manliato in June, and II was a
success, and a benefit to the farm
ers, who are seeing tho profits in
diversified farming. s.a
The Minnesota Methodist Episco.
pal conference was held in this
city last fall, and brought several
hundred pastors and laymen to the
city for a week, and an automobile
ride was rendered the visitors.
The Southern Minnesota Teach.
ers' association held its annual
meeting in this city last month, and
n committee of this club raised
SCI by special subscription and
turned the amount over to the
association to meet its annual de-
ilcit, incurred in securing speakers.
Nearly 700 teachers attended the
two days sessions.
The club was represented at the
midsummer meeting of the South
elm Minnesota Better DEVELOPMENT
league at Austin, and took a promi-
nent part on the program. 1t was
also represented at a good roads
meeting at Springfield, and at one
at Winona, both being held in the
interest OF the east and west road
through Mankato, known as the
BLACK and Yellow" trail. At the
Winona meeting an organization
was formed, and two of our club
members were among the officers
chosen.
During the coming year, three
important conventions are to be
held in the city, that will greatly
advertise Mankato, II It maintains
its past record for Hospitality
which II should certainly do. The
grand council of the United Com
mercial Travellers will meet in June.
the Minnesota Rural Letter Carriers
association in July, and the League
OF Minneapolis Municipalities in
October. Other annual gatherings
are also booked for the present
year, and some promises have been
secured, looking to securing the
1915 meeting of the Minnesota Re-
tail Grocers' and General Merchants
association.
Automobile Tours.
Three or more automobile tours
visited the city last year. The
Commercial club had a part in en-
tertaining the st. Cloud, the Blue
Earth and the Amboy tourists. More
OF these are to be expected each
year, as the roads are improved
and the use of the motor car be-
comes more general This city is
a natural stopping point, and It
should take advantage of this
splendid opportunity for favorable
advertising. Courtesies should be
shown to each party of visitors, and
pilots should see that they do not
leave without having seen our public
buildings and parks, our educational
institutions and hospitals, our beau.
tiful residence section and, IL pos.
sible, our lake resorts.
Good Roads.
In connection with automobile
tours, the good road movement has
special significance to our retailers,
hotels, restaurants and garages.
Every merchant can testify to the
large trade that came to the city
by motor cars hast fall and early
winter. from long distances. in
duced by the splendid condition of
the roads. This should be a stimuli.
us to continued efforts for the i'm
provement of the highways, and
particularly those that are thorough.
fares between counties. -
The improvement of the Min.
nesota valley Scenic highway should
ba carried through IL there Is any
possible way to do so. Members of
thisclub have devoted a great amount
Of time and effort to Il, and the
club has put up $1,000 toward the
expense.
The road to Good Thunder was
improved under the Elwell law the
past year, and while some little
dissatisfaction has been expressed
with It, this seems to have been
due to the desire to keep the cost
down, rather than anything else.
The cost had to be subsequently,
increased, and when the road has
become well packed Il will be one
OF the best and most used high
ways in the country.
The two poorest roads into Man
kato at present are the St Peter
prairie road, which IL is hoped to
have improved this year as a fed
eral post road, and the road to
Judson, which is badly only where It
crosses Lyons creek The terrible
condition of the two hills there has
undoubtedly kept some trade from
the city and certainly has dis.
eommeded the farmers of the large
section of the county. There are
assurances that these hills are 60
be greatly improved and the bridge
raised, the coming year.
The Commercial ana Automobile
clubs have arranged to entertain the
township supervisors, township road
overseers and the county board Mt a
"a .