The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-04-06
CLUBS TO LEARN
PATHS FOR AUTO
Trails Out of Mankat0 Will Be
Made Known to All
Drivers
Secretary In City Gathered
Considerable Publicity
Material
Preparing to Make Known to
Tourists the Beauties of
Section
From Fridays Daily.


The automobile trails leading into
Mankato are to be made known to
the touring public, and the city is to
be permanently located on the auto
mobilists' map. Lake and scenic
drives out of Mankato are also to be
brought to the attention of tourists
passing through the city, so they
may tarry by the wayside in Manka-
to for day or so and take the pref
ty little side trips that are so en-
Joyable to those touring. All of this
was decided upon at joint meet
ing OF the executive committee Of
the Commercial club and the board
OF governors Of the Automobile club
yesterday afternoon, held at the
headquarters of these two enter
prising clubs.
Information Is Assembled.
The secretary had assembled a
good deal of information in regard
to trail publicity, and numerous maps
and other forms Of publicity in use
elsewhere, and it was decided that
the two clubs shall jointly stand the
q expense of getting out something in
the line of strip maps, with touring
information, to cover eight trails
leading into this city from every di-
rection and two local scenic drives
of such beauty as to be worth the
while of any tourist visitors to spend
day or so in Mankato to take. The
plan of the Omaha Automobile club
will be followed in a general way,
and each trail will be diagramed and
elucidated on separate card, to be
Of durable card board, and very
handy for the tourist, so he cannot
lose his way or fail to reach Man
kato. The trails selected are all
blazed, so no logging is necessary.
They are the following: From La
Crosse and Winona to Mankato
from st. Paul to Mankato via Fari-
bault: from Minneapolis to Mankato,
via the Minnesota river valley;
Charles City and Austin to Mankato;
Mason City and Albert Lea to Man
kato; Des Moines. via Elmore, to
Mankato; Sioux Falls to Mankato;
Bookings to Mankato.
Local Drives Selected.
The local drives selected are the
lake drives or loop, including Madi-
son Lake, Duck lake, Washington
lake, Vita lake, ETC., and the drive
to the dam, via Lake Crystal, with
it's two lakes, Garden City, Rapidan
and the Strand ravine and Red Jack.
ct bridge. The maps of these two
drives will show more detail than
the maps Of the longer trails can
do, and will show cross roads. 1t
is planned to have the etchings made
so carefully and we'll that they can
be used on various occasions in the
publicity work for Mankato and the
Auto club, and to print about 1000
of each Of the cards as starter,
and distribute these along the trails.
so as to induce touring to and
through Mankato. The secretary was
given charge of this work. and will
push it as fast as possible, but a
good deal of detailed information
must be gathered before everything
can be gotten ready for the printer.
Request For Appropriation.
The board of governors of the
Automobile club was addressed by
George M. Draper, on behalf of the
Retail Merchants association, and
requested to appropriate $10O to as
sist in paying for the proposed band
concerts the coming season. This
sum, with what the Retail Mer-
chants association, the Commercial
club. the city council and the street
railway company have promised, will
make up the entire amount needed
to have the twenty-four concerts
and give the city band to be proud
Of
1t was also decided to share with
the Commercial club the cost of
keeping up the road signs and trail
blazings and of making any additions
needed, including the placing of
danger signs at several particularly
dangerous points near the city.
There was also talk of having a
meeting of the. club, with refresh
ments, in few weeks.
After the joint meeting, the execu-
tive committee of the Commercial
club held a meeting, and considered
several matters. One was a COM
munication in regard to six bills be-
fore the Legislature that hotel men
are opposed to. Another was the fl
nal letter of the Hampton Planter
company of LomaX, ILL.,, which man
ufactures combination corn and
pea planter and calls it "soil
builder" and desires another Ioca-
ton. 1t wants a considerable stock
subscription, but considers Mankato
located too far north. 1t evidently
does not appreciate the fact that
Southern Minnesota is now in the
corn belt. Another was a communica-
ton from Mayer Brothers, of Amigo,
Wis, who wish to move back to
Mankato and manufacture their trip
hammers, and conduct machine
shop. 1t will require about $4,000
stock subscription to bring the firm
back and get it started, and as it's
lease in it's present quarters expires
April II, quick action would be
needed.
Second Street Junk Yard.
The Second street junk yard sit
uation was talked over, interviews
with the proprietols reported on, and