The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-29

surface of driveway with eight inches
of water bound lime stone macadam
: This Improvement will keep Main
street hill in first class condition
I for all seasons of the year.
The Concrete Paving.
, Fourth. Paving Fourth street fr7m
/ Spring street To Warren street This
! pavement marks the beginninG OF
, The use Of concrete for pave Fonts
, In The city. II Is the first pavement
laid here OF this material. except a
short alley pavement with was laid
in 1912. -E
az concrete proves tC he as salts
: factory material as We expect II will
he. this NJ: nriai win help TO solve
Z The pavement pr6,.cms because Of
It's low cost.
In addition Ia the above improve
, meats many others. although not
aS important. have becn made
! throughout the city. The extension
OF sewers and watcrworks. and the
, construction OF curbs. cutters and
sidewalks have all kept pace with
the rapid growth and development
OF the city In general during the
year just passed.
Forty Miles Of Cement Walk o..
1T may be noted with interest
that there arc now more than forty
! miles Of good cement sidewalks and
more than thirty-nve, miles OF sub
stantial curbs and cutters In the
city. The streets within the city
limits, which are open for travel
; total about forty-live miles. IL will
thus be easily seen that tho care
, and maintenance al streets Is not
n small matter. The cost Of main
. iaining streets having fixed grades.
! and also curb and cutters along Inc
, samo is much moro than would be
, the cost Of similar roadway where
, fixed grades are not necessary. This
"creased cost Is due TO the necessity
; matefial where the roadway is worn
or washed away. while II a fixed
grade Is not required. the uneveness
; of roadway due 10 wear and washing
br rains may be repaired by re.
grading and dragging only. even
: though the grade of the roadway
Is thus lowered below the former
grade. d,
! The waterworks.
THE waterworks have been In good
condition throughout the year. Tests
arc made of the water ut regular
intervals and II has always been
found to he absolutely pure. The
water supply and system is the same
rs a year ago. The capacity of the
wells has diminished slightly giving
at present about 1926 gallons per
minute. This supply is still adequate
for another year.
"The peculiarities of our artesian
water we're described in my report
year ago. Systematic flushing
OF mains ut regular intervals Is done
n keep the water fresh throughout
the waterworks system. d..
Street sprinkiing.
/ ~ departure from the customary
procedure connected with street
/ sprinkling was tried this year,
namely that the cost of sprinkline,
oiling and flushing was paid by the
\ city at large and not assessed
against the property along the
streets where the work was done, as
has been the practice In the past
This change was made on the ground
that the prevention OF dust on streets
may as readily be classed a sanitary
measure and a public benefit as
street cleaning or other street work
which Is done at the expense OF the
city at large. Since almost the
entire city Is included in the sprink-
ling district. the practice adopted
this year may well be followed.
! Future Problems.
zone OF the principal needs for
our city Is a new bridge ut Main
street. Much has been said about
this need by individuals. bridge COM
mittees. and, the Commercial club
during the past few years. and II
Is hoped that arrangements can be
made for the construction of new
bridge before II Is necessary to make
extensive repairs on the floor of the
old bridge.
"a sorm sewer TO care for the
storm water on Sixth street between
Marsh street and ltock street should
be constructed. An outlet Is now
provided ut the corner of Fourth
and Vine streets.
Further extension of the system
which was begun on north Fourth
street this year should afterwards
be made so as TO care for the large
amount OF storm water on Franklin
street. N
Another problem that must soon
be solved Ii that Of a sewer system