The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-05
IT is A FAKE
Or a Joke, At Least It's Not
Serious,
The Proposition to Trade $500
Worth of Rural Land
For a Valuable Corner Worth
81 500 For an Auditorium,
AND 1T WON'T BE DONE
Banker Peter Smith and Jonas
LukenS Ridicule
The Proposition of the Skating
Rink Trade.
BUTT WOULD BEGOOD
To Have the Building Up Town
if Possible.
How About the Old Streetcar
Barns!

No uptown site for an auditorium has
yet been donated or even offered in any
real sense of the term The article in
the morning paper on this subject is a.
fake. The parties most interested re-
gard it as a joke It is stated that
Banker Guilford Dudley will give 1G0
acres of raw land near the townsite of
WestmOreland for the old skating rink
property at the corner of Seventh and
jackson streets. The rink belongs to
Peter Smith, the North Topeka banker
and Jonas Lulzens who is also in busi-
ness on the North side. They have fix
ed price of $500 on the property and
it would be necessary to buy the three
lots adjoining the rink on the south, but
it is claimed they can be purchased for
about $4,000. This would make the to-
tai. cost about $4,000.
Mr.. Dudley offers to trade his proper
ty even. Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Lukens
treat the matter as a joke. Mr.. Smith
said today:
I'VE would certainly not consent to
trade the rink property for an unim-
proved farm in POttawatomie county.
We are getting a revenue of $3.50 a year
in rent from the rink and even if the
farm were we'll improved it would not
bring in more than 5000 per annum.
My opinion is that the crowd around
Mr. Dudley's bank was discussing the
auditorium proposition and Mr.. Dudley
said that he had a farm he would trade
for the rink property and then donate
it to the city. If Mr.. Dudley had been
in earnest II seems to me that ne would
have come to us with his proposition.
IF Dudley is really in earnest and
wants to do something for the city we
will take one of his so acre farms south
of Quinton Heights in exchange for the
property. That is where we can look
after it.
From what I have heard the land
XUaSfTOnTp1and iS In
able and it is idle to talk about a trade
for that. We are willing to sell the rink
to any one who wants it and we would
be willing to take less for it for an aud
torium than anything else"
Mr.. Lukens, who has an interest in
the rink property said: 'I do not think
we want to trade the rink for land in
Pottawatomie county. [ suppose the
land around WestmOreland is not worth
more than SO an acre and 100 acres
would not be much of an inducement to
trade. We do not propose to let Mr.
Dudley get the credit of giving site
for an auditorium to the city, when it
is all to come out of US.
When Mr.. Dudley was seen he was
busy discussing the auditorium ques-
ton with several of his friends. Sever
al men dropped in to congratulate him
upon his Iberality and he took their
congratulations good naturedly. In re-
ply to question he said:
I mean just what 1 say and that is
that I will trade 100 acres of land ad-
the rink property and donate that to
the city for site for the auditorium.
What is your property Worth?" was
asked.
worth now but the prospective value
situated as it is near to a county seat
town, 1 should say, is as much as the
rink
But what is your price on the prop
i have no price There is no sale for
would you be willing to give the
land to the auditorium"
L will not. I will do only what
have said"
trade of some of your other property
for the rink -
mo. have nothing further to say
about the matter. My proposition
Then Mr.. Dudley continued: 4 think
that the newspapers have spoken OF
this coal hole money too lightly. 1t is
a mortgage upon the people of the city
and 1 am opposed to anything that will
increase the taxes on the laboring men.
It may be that we need an auditorium
If we do there are enough public spir-
tied men in Topeka to get together and
build it,
who are they?"
"Oh, they are here. I am opposed to
seeing this coal hole money spoken of
so fiippantly as if it did not amount
to anything.
So it will be seen that Mr.. Dudley's
proposition is not at all serious. Lu-
kens & Smith will not trade their prop
erty for his farm and he probably never
thought that he would be taken so Sc
riously.
A Topeka man who has seen the farm
says that it is not worth over IS an acre
and this would make its value $500.
The members of the auditorium asso-
citation are keeping right on with their
work. They have acted and do not
propose to be sidetracked by general
tiles. If any one means business and
has a site to donate they VII be willing
to listen to him. The auditorium will
he brought uptown if anyone will give
a suitable site.
A member of the association said to-
day: THE rink location is out of the
question on account of noise that comes
from the Edison Electrical plant It is
so deafening that no one could be heard
in the building. We would be willing to
have a site donated, but it must be
suitable.
How is This for Up Town.
A few days ago a Topeka capitalist who