The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-25
MORE GOOD TIMES
Mr.. Bird to Open His Topeka
Canning Factory
In the Large "Kansas Packing
Company" Building.
HAS MADE CONTRACTS
With III Gardeners in the vi
cinity of Topeka.
And Will Employ 40 People
All Summer.
PLEASEDWITHT TOPEKA
Came Here Because Topeka is
an Enterprising Point.
Gene Wares "COld Beer"TheO-
ry Cut No Figure.

The Topeka Canning factory is as
good as a reality at last. Mr.. A. Bird,
who is proprietor of the st. Joseph Can
ming factory was in the city yesterday
and closed contracts will Ill gardeners
of Shawnee county for the furnishing of
between $4,000 and 100000 bushels of to-
matoes for the summers work.
Mr.. Bird is practical Gamer He
has been in the business a long time
and understands it. He recognizes the
fact that Topeka is a place where
canning factory will be a good invest
ment, even if she doesn't have cold beer,
as Mr. Gene Ware intimates, and what
is more, he came to the conclusion that
any city which got up SO successful
Fall Festival and was making prepara-
tionS for another one on a grander scale
was a place of enterprise which should
not be overlooked in the locating of his
factory.
Mr.. Bird has leased the big packing
house at the foot of Monroe street.
formerly occupied by he"KansaS Pack
ing company and will begin placing
the machinery in it by June first.
Within ten days Mr.. Bird expects to
have the canning factory in running or
der.
This summer but one kind of vegeta-
BILE will be handled. The one hundred
and eleven Shawnee county gardeners
who have contracted to- furnish toma-
toes to the Topeka Canning factory Will
cultivate pIats of ground averaging each
about four acres. According to the aV-
erage yield per acre this will make
from so to 100 thousand bushels
which will be canned in Topeka this
summer. Next season it is proposed to
close contracts for this amount of tOma-
toes, also of sweet corn, beans and peas.
This summer employment will be
given to from 100 to $50 women and
girls of Topeka, and about 20 men. Next
season, if the present plan is carried
81 7T,r,r- 01CI
Mr.. Bird has not asked a bonus of the
citizens of Topeka. He comes of his
own free will, establishes his own plant
at his own expense, and will employ
Topeka people to work for him.
At first the plan was to lease the old
starch factory east of the city for the
factory, but it was found that it was
not easy enough of access by employees.
Often in busy times the factory will be
run at night and at the starch factory,
or at rainy, stormy times it would be
difficult for employees to get there.
The old packing house building is
said to be admirably adapted for the
new use to which it is to be put Re
pairs are now being made and the To-
peka Canning factory will be mOSern in
every particular. The latest improved
machinery has been purchased by Mr..
Bird and is now ready for shipment.
Mr.. Birds reputation as a Gamer can
be judged when it is stated that already
wholesale houses in Topeka and Kansas
City have contracted for over one-half
of the product of this summers output
from the Topeka canning factory.
The gardeners who have signed con-
tracts for furnishing the tomatoes are
now at work improving the crop. Each
one will average four acres They are
now engaged in tranSplanting the to-
matO plants, and each one is now en-
ploying from six to ten hands in this
work
The tomato crop will be ripe in about
three or four weeks, and by that time
the factory will be in full operation
1t will be bigger than the combined
factories of AtchisOn and Lawrence and
will compete with those of Kansas CITY
and St. Joseph. 1t will make employ
ment for women and girls of Topeka
and give them a chance which has hith-
ertO been closed.