The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-26

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A much lower schedule Of rates
was established by this company
than had been prevalent when the
Bell Telephone Co. had no competi
ton. Stock was held by many differ.
ent people throughout the city. Dur
ing the first year of the Company's
existence 2S6 business telephones
were put into operation and 81 resi-
dence telephones. ~.
Judge Cray resigned as president
in 1899 and DR.. J. II. James was
chosen to take his place. DIR. James
continued in this position until 1906
when II. A Patterson was elected
president. The officers have been
wise in their selection Of managers
tn whom the success OF the enter
prise is largely due. Under their
management with the advice and
counsel of the Board of Directors the
plant has grown from an original
aluation OF 100000. The number
of subscribers has increased from
the number in 1898. 1878. to 6100
which is the number of subscribers
for this year.
| In 1920 the Mankato Citizens
| Telephone Co. purchased the plant OF
its competitor in Mankato and the
surrounding country and consolidat-
ed it with the local plant, thereby
effecting a net saving TO the COM
munity of approximately $4,000 per
year.
The Mankato Citizens Telephone
Company Is absolutely owned To-
cally and the control remains prac-
| tically as before with the stock
holders in Mankat0 and the immedi-
ate vicinity. The company now OPP
Mapleton. Good Thunder, Madison
Lake and Eagle Lake, and has toll
lines Of its own reaching to all these
exchanges to the fullest extent. II
is estimated that there is practically
one telephone for every four people
in Mankato and the same holds true
throughout the county.
This company also has the best OF
long distance service connecting
with the long distance lines Of the
Northwestern Bell Telephone Co
and Tri State Telephone and Tele :
graph company enabling it's sub
scribers to reach any point in the
| United States.
The company owns its own build
ing on Hickory street and has con
eTn telephone manual SwitchboardS
which can be produced by manufac-
turers OF telephone apparatus. An
leverage of $4,000 telephone calls a
day are handled over this switch
board. Mankato is the largest toll
center OF the system of Tri- State
Telephone company in the state, out
side of the Twin Cities. The mum
Der of calls handled monthly indi-
Gates that Mankato has a trading
area comprising over 200 cities and
villages in southern Minnesota.
The company employs fifteen peo-
its general offices; thirty operators
in is Mankato exchanpe; three al
Mapleton; three at Good Thunder
two at Eagle Lake and two at Mad
ison Lake.
The present officers of the cor
poration are; II. A. Patterson, pres
ident; W. D. Willard secretary and
treasurer: Mic Peterson, vice presi-
dent: S. B. Wilson, attorney and p.
NJ. Ferguson, manager
The present manager, Mr.. Fergu-
son came here from the Bell Tele-
phone Company in st. Paul in 1907
as wire chief Of the local company.
Two years later he was promoted to
since that time.
| Police Department
The police department in Mankato
is headed by Mayor w. A. Beach and
under him and in active charge is
Chief OF Police Phil Landmark.
There are ten members on the force
including one police matron. The
Chief of Police had had experience
in the office of deputy sheriff be-
fore taking his present office and is
thoroughly conversant with the du-
ties OF his position.
The city jail in Mankato is one OF
the finest in the state. There are
thirteen cells. with separate part
for women and Juveniles 1t is pos
sible to handle nearly thirty pris
onerS without uncomfortable crowd
ing with the facilities now at hand
and these include all the conVen
fences for prisoners known to mod.
ern Jail buildings.
Mankato Post Office
When the Mankato postoffice
first occupied tits present quarters
in the federal building, April LIST.
1896. there were employed less than
a dozen people all TOLD and the an
nual gross revenue OF that year
was $4,000. During the next ten
CdI o Iulo UuSluSSo iuCl SdSSu 10
Sal, 900 and in ten years sue :
ceeding 10 $4,000. For the year
ending December 81, 1921 the Of
flee did gross postal business Of
$4,000, In certain period during
the present year, the Office showed
an increase OF $1,000 over the
same period of 1921.
An average OF $4,000 pieces OF
first and third class mail are hand
led every day through the cancel
ling machine and three tons of par
Gels post mail daily in addition to
its large volume OF second class
mail. At the present time the OPP
Grating force of the postoffice num-
bers forty FIVE people and it is es
timated that the postoffice serves
a population of approximately 25,-
600 people. The Office has an an
nIal payroll exceeding $4,000.
The Public Library
The library was first organized
in 1874 when the counsel passed an
ordinance authorizing such an in .
/ stitution. Mr.. f. M. Pope of this
city had previously stirred up con
siderable interest among the people
Of the city in favor Of it's estab-
lishment and gathered many small
subscriptions and r. donations OF
books. After the passing Of the or
Idinance the committee in control
soon succeeded in collecting the