The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-15
TOPEKA, BEAUTIFUL
The Snow King Works a Splen-
did Transformation Scene.
Nothing Before Known to Equal
Sights in Topeka Yesterday.
Journal Reporters Visit the Cemetery,
the Park and Other Show Points
to Describe Them.

The most beautiful snow effect ever
seen in Kansas was made yesterday by
the presence of seven inches of a light
snow which fell very rapidly and chung
to whatever the flakes touched. Moth
ing so beautiful has been seen in Tope-
ka as that of the trees, houses, fences,
w1res,and in fact everything which was
exposed to the snow. Everybody was
exclaiming about it, People sent for
photographers to take pictures of their
places in order to preserve the magnif
icent scenes. Kodak owners were out
IN force taking snap shots.
Ihe pure white snow, the kind poets
sing about, came so rapidly that it was
put the work of few hours until every
thing was turned to alabaster and os-
trlch plumes. Even the old wood pile
and coal shed were made objects of ar
tlst1c elegance, and quaint old fashion
ed houses with groups of trees about
became transformation scenes more de-
hghtful than Kiralfy ever dreamed of.
Journal reporters visited points of in
terest to take in the view. 1t is 4 great
pity that newspaper picture work has
not yet progressed far enough to do
justice to the scenes.
me stately trees at Topeka cemetery
were mass of beauty. The snow chung
to the tombstones and made them even
winter. 1t covered the ground, showing
the silent graves with their little
mounds only as fluctuations on a soft
featherly sea The cemetery looked
simply magnificent. The view at the
entrance was one of grandeur. The
lofty snow covered trees seemed to
form an immense grotto. Sloping back
and up from this was the great white
mound in which sleep Topeka's dead.
a superb effect was produced nv resi-
dents on Monroe street between Eighth
and Ninth Streets by the placing of an
incandeScent electric lights in the
branches of trees in front of their resi-
denceS. Two residents did this, and the
erect produced was dazzling. Tt cast
a soft yellow radiance among the trees
that could not have been equalled even
by moonlight.
Col. HuntOon's place at Van Buren,
and Huntoon streets presented one of
the most remarkably fairy like scenes
IN the city The yard is closely set with
tail elm and cottonwood trees and low
eFerSreens- On each cluster of the
eVergreens the snow has piled up into
punches of white fakes that look like
enormous ostrich plumes
Senator John Martins place at the
southwest corner of Eighth and Harri-
son streets, was undoubtedly one of
the showiest places in the city
With the large lawn on which are
trees of every variety, the little old
fashioned house set far back, and the
many vines and shrubs about the snow
found many places to fashion its magi-
cal handIWOrk. People passing stopped
to gaze in admiration at the scene
But there was beauty everywhere
At Capt ]. B. Johnston's residence on
west Sixth street, where there are pro
badly more eVergreenS than any place
in the city, the views were startling
The snowy shapes on the immense lawn
gave an air of unreality to the sur
roundings. On the broad branches of
the trees snow was piled fully eight
inches deep, making the trees look like
towering cones of white plush.
Every where in the city telegraph,
telephone and electric light wires were
completely enclosed with an insulIa-
ton of white two and one-half inches
in diameter. This was the first and on
ly time the wires could be said to be
decorative in character. Owing to the
nghtneSS OF the snow the weight on the
wires was not especially great. A few
wires were pulled down, but not many.
The scene at the Kansas river bridge
was one over which artists would en-
thuSe- The twering tresstlework at
either end of the bridge was covered
with delicate white banks of flakes. All
the cable ropes and wires looked like
white ribbons, and the old bridge and
trolley car bridge formed part of the
gorgeousness. The river, half covered
with ice and snow, and the banks on
either side with their graceful snow
clad slopes all irregularities obliterated,
and the trees with the delicate flagree
of crystal gave polar effect that even
Nansen might have looked on with en-
thusiasm.
Parts of the river was covered with
ice, with streams running here and
there through the central part. The
snow chung to the thin ice making a
striking contrast between that and the
black water which flowed through it in
several rivuletS.
The Rock Island railroad bridge look
ed almost like pasteboard, covering it
entirely. Looking toward the east the
view was fine. The curve in the river
with the Santa Fe shops in the back
ground made a snow scene which for
grace would have been hard to dupli-
cate. Everything that had been ugly
had become beautiful as if at the wave
of a fairy wand. The city park looked
liked a forest turned into marble.