The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-09
Tomorrow Night the CONNER
ciaI Club Will Take Up
The Question of Raising Fund
For an Auditorium.
MR.NEISWANGERA AWAY
But Writes a Letter With Sug-
gestions of His Plan
Which is to BE Considered BY
the Club.

President Davis Of the Topeka Com
mercial club has received a latter from
Hal w. Neiswanger, who has been out
Of the city for several days, requesting
him to bring the auditorium project be-
fore the club at the meeting tomorrow
night.
Mr. Neiswanger says in his letter that
he will probably not be able to reach
Topeka in time to attend the meeting
and asks that an auditorium committee
of three be appointed by the president
to take up the matter and make a
thorough investigation and report to
the club.
Mr.. Neiswanger has absolute faith in
the ability of the Commercial club to
carry the project to a successful issue,
and he will ask for the cooperation OF
the members. He believes that with
three or four live men hold of the mat
ter, the people will come to their as
sistance, and the city will have an au-
ditorium before it has time to cOmpre-
bend the magnitude of the enterprise.
A well known Topeka taxpayer said to-
day:
THE trouble with this auditorium
question has been that it is all talk. BE
fore this the discussions have been car
ried on in a deSultOry sort of way and
it is not surprising that nothing was
accomplished
However we now see things taking
on a more tangible form. If the Com
mercial club takes hold of the project
and three or four active business men
get to work there will be little difficult
ty in this dream of years being real
lied.
THE time has come when the city
cannot afford to be without a large
convention or concert hall any longer,
and l believe the time is ripe for the
enterprise. All that it needed is some
one to push it, and we have that.
The coal hole fund should be used
for an auditorium by all means. 1t
would not go far, it is true, but it
would be a good foundation upon which
the rest of the fund could be built. 1t
is something that would be of benefit
to the whole city, and L can not see
what the objection would be to the use
of the money which belongs to the
city,
An architect who has been studying
on plan for the building suggests that
the stage be arranged with raised seats
so that a large chorus may be accom-
mOdated or in case of speaking a band
would occupy the raised seats.
The same gentlemen who has been
considering the idea advanced by Mr..
States for the use Of the steel bridge
spans for roof supports says that such
a plan would not be practical because
the weight on roof falls on a different
place than in a bridge and if the arches
We're used would require a great deal
of strengthening which would greatly
increase the cost.
Various locations for the building
have been suggested, among them be-
ing the open lots near Fourth on Quin-
cy, the old hay market and the corner
of Seventh and Quincy.
These are details for future cOnsidera-
ton and they will be left with the COM
mittee to be appointed. Until the pro-
ject has been officially recognized by
the Commercial club nothing will be
done on the details which must be pre-
liminary to carrying out the plans for
the building
The first thing to be done by the com
mittee will be to go over thoroughly the
pan suggested by Mr.. Neiswanger and
when it has been found that the neces-
sary funds can be raised by that plan
10 have the plans for the building
made
1t is the hope of Mr.. Neiswanper 70
have the auditorium built in time for
use next fall during the conventions
and other large gatherings which come
to Topeka.