The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-10
ASK CHICAGO.
Let Us Have Mayor Harrison of
Chicago,
And All the Leading Citizens OF
That City
Here to Attend the Great Santa
Fe Celebration.
THE AFFAIR IMMENSE.
The Santa Fe Demonstration to
Be So Enormous
That it Would Startle Even the
Great Cities.
Likely to Contain so Floats and
Be Five Miles Long.
That it Would Startle Even the
Great Cities.
Likely to Contain so Floats and
Be Five Miles Long.
IT'S TOO BIG A SHOW
Not to Call the Attention of the
Outside World.
Particularly That of Chicago
the Great Roads Terminus.

While the Santa Fe's celebration of the
anniversary of the completion of the line
throug Kansas in 1872 is to be confined
to its Kansas employees, it is quite evident
now that the demonstration is going to
be enormous that it will require the
best kind of management to find room for
it on Topekas streets. 1t is already es>
timated that there will be not less than
fifty floats or moving tableaux in the pro-
cessfon and that it will be fully five miles
long. 1t is likely to take two or three
hours in passing.
Such a parade would crowd even the
streets of Chicago. This arouses the
thought that if we can't take this magni-
ficent Kansas show to Chicago for her
1000. 600 people to see, why can't we bring
some thousands of the Chicago people
here to see it. 1t seems too bad that a
city which is so vitality interested in the
mighty Santa Fe road can not see and
appreciate the feeling of Kansas toward
this great line which has done so much
for the upbuilding of the state.
We want the Chicago people many
of them to come to Topeka on
Santa Fe day. Let a dozen or more big
excursion trains be run and bring to
gates Mayor Harrison of Chicago, the
Board of Trade and as many of the whole
sale and retail merchants and leading
citizens as can be persuaded to come.
Chicago is the great pushing metropolis
of the United States, destined to become
the greatest city in the world, larger and
more magnificent than London, and we
want her leading citizens, her moneyed
men to see Topeka when she is looking
her best. The great wholesalers, retailers
and manufacturers of Chicago should be
given a clear perception of the mightiness
of the great railroad that had it's incep-
tion in Kansas and drew it's mothers
milk from this great state. The Santa Fe
celebration is not the mere demonstration
Of a railroad company. 1t is a display of
the lusty strength and of the towering
agricultural wealth of Kansas. We want
the east to see this and appreciate it.
Particularly do we want Chicago to take
an interest in the state. because many of
our business interests are involved in Chi
cagos interests and nearly all of them
soon will be.
If the proper kind of entertainment can
be provided for the Chicago people, there
is no doubt they will come. We wouldn't
shrink from taking care of at least 5000
of them. Let them wear badge and the
Chicago colors and the town will be
thrown VIDE open to them Put up big
arch at the Santa Fe depot with the
words Welcome, Chicago" on it. We
show them hospitality that they
never dreamed Of for Kansas never does
anything that she doesn't do it with her
whole heart and soul. Then we want the
Chicago papers to publish illustrated ar
ticles on the Santa Fe celebration and to
send their special correspondents here to-
gether with special sketch artists. This
is the first railroad celebration in the his
tory of the world, and it is worth writing
up. OF course it is the Santa Fe road
that does it first, because Kansas people
always do everything first. After while
railroad celebrations will become COM
mon but the Santa Fe alone can say it
started the fashion.
The matter of inviting the Chicago peo-
pie to visit Topeka the week of the Fes-
tival should be taken up at once by in
huential officials of the Santa Fe and
made one of the chief features of the oc-
casion. Besides the invitation of distin-
guished guests to the number of several
hundred. a low excursion rate could be
made for the Chicago public in general,
and several thousand people would take
advantage of it.
The proper kind of booming and adver-
tising in the Chicago papers would
complish it.