The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-30
GIVE US GOOD WORDS.
Kansas City Papers Praise the
Santa Fe Feature
OF the Topeka Fall Festival in
Glowing Terms.
Well Written Accounts of Tt Appear
on the First Page of All
the Papers

on their first pages. In fact, the Kansas
City papers have dealt generously with
the Topeka Fall Festival and the State
Journal is in favor of reciprocating for
Kansas City's festivities next week. The
Kansas City Journals correspondent gave
one of the best accounts of the Santa Fee
celebration. 1t is as follows:
Topeka, Kan, Sept. 29.-(SpeciaD The
silver anniversary celebration of the
great Santa F'e railway system took place
in this city today. 1t eclipsed any cele-
bration ever held in the west. A more
perfect day could not have been desired.
Excursion trains began arriving from
every section of the state at an early
hour and up till 10 a. m. there was an
average arrival of one train every five
minutes. Topeka had a great number of
visitors here already, and those who came
today made the crowd the largest ever
congregated i nthe city. The Santa Fe
is the first road to inaugurate railroad
celebrations, and this one today was such
a success that it is certain to become
popular among their lines
The parade today was magnificent. Tt
was made up of employees in every
branch of every division of the system
1t was two hours in passing given point.
The procession was formed SO that the
advancement made in transportation ia
cilities during the last century was forci-
bly, and graphically shown. Heading the
procession was what was called the first
train This consisted of Indian bucks
riding horses, to which were attached
long poles with the ends dragging be-
hind. On the poles sat the pappooses,
while the squaws walked behind. Many
of the old frontiersmen grew enthusiastic
over it. They said they never expected
to witness such a scene again, after leav-
ing the trail. Next came the mixed
train,' consisting of old stage coaches
and freight wagons drawn by oxen This
train was accompanied by federal troops.
A band of cowboys brought up the rear
of this division. The next were the sur
veyors and chainmen surveying the first
route over the Santa Fe. Then came the
road and bridge builders and later the
equipment.
More than fifty floats were in the pro-
cession. The Santa Fe shops at Topeka
furnished about half the floats. The
others were furnished by outside Santa
Fe towns. Accompanying each float were
the men that worked in that particular
department, on foot.15 All of the floats
were very realistic. The. first one repre-
scented an ancient blacksmith shop, and
then came a modern blacksmith shop, the
casting department, boilermalZing, original
compressor air tools, engine boiler, sheet
metal works, patternmaking, brass foun-
dry, silver plating factory, lathing de-
partment tin and copper department, bolt
and nut works, the first steam engine,
engine of 1897, an exact reproduction
of the Santa Fe's passenger engine of to-
day, truck and platform construction
works, coach and trimming department,
freight car builders, modern car construc-
ton, painting department, store depart
ment, hosting derrick at coal mine, in
OF
Following this came the floats of the
other cities. Wellington led with a float
of a Panhandle stock car filled with live
stock; the southern division had a float
representing a cotton plantation with
pickaninnies singing and picking cotton.
Atchison's float came next. Chanute,
with it's bridge. engine, coach and track
scene, made fine showing. ottawa fur
nished floats of a steam hammer, boiler
makers and wrecking car. Two banners
were carried by the ottawa boys. One
read: 81 take the Santa Fe for my sys-
tenn the other when the engine comes
the Injun goes" Dodge City, Garden
City, Edwards county, Sterling, McPher-
son and Newton each had an agricultural
display along with other floats. On the
Edwards county float was the significant
statement: Edwards county raised
enough products in 1897 to pay off it's
tire indebtedness, both public and pri-
vate."
In the middle division was float show
ing the development of transportation ia
elites from 1892 to 1897. The first pic
ture showed an Indian buck walking
across the prairie, followed by his squaw
with a pappoose on her back. The next
scene was where the Indian discovered
what horses were good for. He was rid
ing pony, while behind him followed
a donkey with freight on his back. The
third was the overland coach and the
prairie schooner. Then came the first
train, and, lastly, the modern train. The
planning mill in full operation was a fine
attraction. Newton had an old passen-
ger coach, one of the first used by the
Santa Fe. 1t was curiosity. The Rail-
road Y. NJ. c. A had a float entitled
Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone" On
this float was a choir. which furnished
music along the line of march. Wichita
had a wagon loaded with Indians.
The general office men, 500 in number,
made a good showing. Behind them was
an elegant silver statue representing the
18th birthday of the Santa Fe, and this
was followed by a float in which the
Golden Gate swung open and people were
fockng through it to the golden belt,
Kansas. large picture of the old
Santa Fe trail received much attention.
The last float was that of the Mount Car
mel Coal company, a branch of the Santa
Fe.
Those who witnessed the parade said it
exceeded their greatest expectations. They
will probably never see such an extensive
procession again. The parade was re-
viewed by President Ripley and other
Santa Fe officials in front of the Santa
Fee general Offices
This afternoon the Santa Fe celebra-
ton was concluded with exercises at the
fair grounds. Addresses were made by
President Ripley, c. K. Holiday, Ed
ward Wilder and other officials.
The great spectacular parade tonight