The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-03
NO REASON IN IT.
Leading Citizens and Promo
ters of the Auditorium
Talk About the Agitation of
the Proposed Site
OF CONVENTION HALL.
Question Was Settled in Best
Manner Possible
Many Months Ago and No Change
Can Be Made,
Unless Some Generous TOpekan
Gives a Site Outright.

The question of a site for the Topeka
auditorium is one that was carefully
canvassed year ago, and at that time
both the Auditorium association and
the city council decided that the only
available site was the City park.
Edward Wilder, one of the prominent
members of the Auditorium association
and also one of the recognized leaders
in every movement for the advance
ment of the city, said today:
4 regret very much that there seems
to be so much partisan feeling for and
against the construction of the auditor
1um An the City park. 1t is purely
business question and ought to be set
tied without hard feeling, and should
be sorry to believe that any cOnsidera-
BILE number of citizens would refuse to
contribute unless their judgment as to
location is accepted. 1 have advocated
the park, not because of any real estate
interest, not because of the desire to
secure thereby an improvement of that
portion of the city, but simply because,
against my personal preference for
more central location, a careful cOnSid-
Grafton of all the elements in the
problem has forced the conclusion that
the park location is the best. My rea-
sons are:
'First-The purpose of the auditorium
is mainly for large conventions or gath
than can be had in the opera house or
Hamilton hall, and the seating mini
mum of 5000 compels a building that
will be entirely unsatisfactory to an
audience which could be accommodated
in our present halls. A half filled audi
ence room is a serious drawback to an
entertainment, and do not understand
that it is desired to erect building
which can be used as an excuse for
wrecking legitimate enterprises of our
citizens.
uses of the hall will be largely in sum-
mer time when doors and windows
must all be open, and unless the build
ing is set back from any Travelled street
$50 feet, it will be impossible for speak
ers to reach their audience, and the
pleasure at any large concert will be
seriously impaired. The use of the
building for such purposes will be quite
as largely in the day time as in the ev-
ening, and unless the greatest degree of
quiet. is secured, we shall have utterly
failed in our purpose. NO site up town
has vet been named on which a building
to accommodate 5000 sittings could be
erected without occupying all the area
up to the sidewalk line, and in such
case a trolley line or any considerable
traffic on paved street would make
the building nearly Valueless for it's
legitimate purposes. Anything less than
an entire block, or possibly three-quar-
ters of a block, ought not to be consid-
cred.
site added to the cost of the building is,
I fear, more than can be raised, even
though we should all prefer to be with
in three blocks of Eighth street ana
Kansas avenue, rather than seven
blocks away.
"FTourth-The inevitable Improvement
of the City park is not at all the reason
for putting the auditorium in the park,
but 1 think it will be found a legitimate
consolation for a selection which, it
seems to me, is almost unavoidable for
the reasons above stated.
E. H. Crosby, another member OF the
association, said:
''There is no use of further agitation
of the question. The City park has
been selected, and since no one sita mas
come forward to donate another site,
it will have to be built in the park
do not see why people should complain
about the location.
NJ G. HoIman-I believe that the op-
Dosition to the City park location is
coming from men who want to sell real
estate They see in 1t chance TO ols-
pose of some property somewhere at d
good price 1 would call the opposition
an effort to boom real estate or dispose
of it. The City park is where the audi
tOriurn should be built and Will be built
w c. Follow up the op-
DOeition to the City park location and
YOU will find at the other end some one
with piece of real estate to dispose OF
The City park is the place 1or the a. auqI- IL
torium and there is where 1t VIII De
built Some of the croakers might OF
fer to donate site.
Charles P. AdamS-There are many
DeoDle who would prefer to have the
auditorium up town but since it cannot
he without expending $4,000 or $4,000
for a site it seems to me that there IS
nothing else to do but pull altogether to
build it in the City park. An auditor
Jun is what the city needs.
Charles s. ElIiott-The question is
not so much where the auditorium Will
be built but when it will be- This ag1-
tation will do no good and may dlVlde
the people so that it will be d1fhcuIt to
raise the money. The City park loca-
ton is all right.
w. Dana-What is needed is an
auditorium and if it can not be built up
town then put it in the City park.
VIM Green-What is the use to go
over ground which has been thoroughly
canvassed. The City park is the best
place for the auditorium and both the
cided to build it there. The location is
surely as central as could be desired
Otto Kuehne-There is no sense in re-
vivine this talk about a site for the
auditorium Everybody is ready to
work for the building where it was de-
cided long ago to build it and it is fool
ishness to talk about any other site.
Secretary c. H. Nettels-It has been
almost a year since the auditorium as
sociation and city council decided that
the building should be in the City park.
as settled No one was willing to do
nate a site. I do not believe that the
question of changing the site from the
city park will ever be suggested at the
meeting of the association.
Councilman J. S. Warner-I would