The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-29
Contract For The
Signboards Awarded
From Tuesdays Daily.

l.
The good roads committee of the
Commercial club, and the commifsee
on sign boards of the Automobile
club held a meeting yesterday after.
noon in the Commercial club offices,
all members of both committees be.
ing present. The matter for dis.
cnssion was the erecting of suitable
sign boards on the roads leading into
Mankato. A number of sample sign
boards which had been submitted
were carefully considered by the
gentlemen and their merits passed
upon. One sign was from the st.
Louis Malleable Casting company,
and weighed about ten pounds. be-
ing similar to the one used by the
Minneapolis Automobile club. A
large enameled steel sign submitted
by Ernest Hare of Minneapolis, and
four signs submitted by +. p. Madi-
gan of this city were also on dis.
play. After going over the situa.
ton carefully the committees found
that Mr. Madigan had offered the
best signs and prices. and decided
to award him the contract al his
price Of IS cents for each sign. the
signs TO be made OF heavy. galvan-
lied iron. "a by 10 inches, with the
word "Mankato," the number of
miles and fractions of miles, and n
dart pointing toward Mansato in
white lettering upon black back
ground.
Decided on Signs.
II was decided to have the signs
made with an inch board backing.
and 10 bolt them TO telephone poles
where the poles were rightly located,
provided permission from the tele-
phone company can he secured.
Where the poles are not rightly Ia.
Gated it was decided that the clubs
purchase six inch cedar posts. ten
feet long. and put them up TO at.
tach tie signs TO. Measurements
have been taken on about a dozen
roads leading into Mankato. and
about sixty sign boards will he re-
quired ut this time. These will be
placed at points along the roads
wherever tourists might be puzzled.
and will he located so that the signs
will he directly i'm front OF the light
or machines wherever side roads or
turns make this possible. Mr.. Madi-
gan will make another sign to carry
out the idea of the committees, which
will be submitted at n meeting TO he
held within a few days, when the
final contract will be decided upon
II will be a very neat sign. and large
enough TO be seen for some distance
The placing of these signs will be
fine advertisement for Mankato,
as well as a great aid TO tourists.
tho expense will be assumed by the
two local clubs.
Improvement Of Highways.
The matter Of the policy of the
Commercial club and the Automobile
for the improvement of roads lead
ing out of Mankato was considered,
and was decided UPON as far as these
two committees are concerned. Their
decision was that the time has now
arrived in roadmaking when the
clubs should be more exacting in
their requirements before spending
their money, and their policy should
be not to extend aid toward gravel
ing roads until the roads have been
brought to the proper grade. also
that aid should not be extended ex-
cept toward continuous improve
ment out from Mankato. or, in other
words, the committees were opposed
TO the skipping of the muddy places
| in the roads I'm order to help gravel
n section of the road farther on.
Cut Out Sharp Turn.
The committees voted TO ask the
county board TO acquire small frac-
ton of an acre at the Buslsey corner,
where the road turns toward Madi
son Lake. in order to obviate the
sharp turn. which is sometimes con.
cealed by growing crops II was
ut this corner that 'Louis Balzer was
killed in collision about n year and
a half ago. A rounding turn would
make this road more safe for auto
mobiles and horse vehicles. The
policy throughout the country is TO
do away with sharp turns in the
roads in the interest of public safety
especially on roads travelled as much
as the Madison Lake road. lt Is
hoped that. the county hoard will
take the same view of the matter
From Tuesdays Daily.
Fargo. n. d.. January 26.-Twe
highwaymen confronted Captain
Buyer OF the Salvation army last
night and demanded his money. The
captain displayed his badge. The
hold.ups may have believed the
wearer was police officer. foi
they fed without waiting for theii
victim TO deliver his purse.