The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-05
M. DIS. CRY HELP! CITY MUST SELL.
Investors Don't Appreciate Ad-
Yantages Of City Hall Block.
Commercial Club to Assist In
Finding Buyer.

been received for what is conceded TO
be one of the most valuable business
blocks in Topeka.
There is no use to haggle or discuss
what might have been done. There is
only one thing possible and that is to
sell the city building and build an audi
torium as soon as possible. The city
building, as a business block, may be
made to produce an income of at least
$4,000 annually and there is no good
reason for the reluctance on the part of
investors.
Ex-Mayor Fellows, who is chairman
of the committee on municipal legiSla-
tiOn of the Commercial club, has called
a meeting of his committee for Monday
evening to discuss the auditorium queS
ton.
The entire city council met Thursday
evening with the ways and means COM
mittee to consider the bids which have
been submitted for a site for the audi
torium- The meeting was for the pur-
pose of giving the persons submitting
the bids an opportunity to present to
the council the arguments in favor of
the sites they offered, but not more than
one-third of those submitting bids were
present. Consequently very little head
way was made in selecting a site, al
though the various questions to be con-
sidered in location were brought out
in the discussion.
Seven bids were opened without any
one responding to them. The eighth
was the bid of the Topeka Railway
company for the sale of the old street
car barns Tenth avenue between
Kansas avenue and Jackson street. c.
c. Baker, representing the street car
company, said:
There are five lots in this tract, maxi
ing a plat 125 by 130 feet. There are
alleys on the east and north. If the city
purchased this location L suppose it
would be with the intention of combin-
ing them with the school grounds on
the west"
a hot I,xr
A. K. Rodgers for his residence property
on Fifth and Monroe, which he offers
for $4,000. Mr.. Rodgers spoke of the
prominence of the Santa Fe hospital and
how every stranger who comes into the
city sees it and asks what it is, because
it is situated on high ground
w. F. Parker represented the property
on the southeast corner of Seventh and
Van Buren,. There are six lots offered,
and the price is $4,000
The merits of the bid offering the
property northeast corner of Seventh
and Jackson streets, just west of the
National hotel, were presented by
Frank ]. Brown. There are five lots in
the plat, and they are offered for $21,-
900.
A. A. Rodgers presented the claims of
the location on the opposite side of Jack
son street, north of the Real Estate
building. The plat is 150 feet by 112,
and Mr.. Rodgers stated that a good
foundation is already laid on the corner,
so that an excavation would not be
necessary for all the walls. The price
asked is $12 900.
Thomas 6. Shillinglaw, as agent for
LeOnidaS BrySOn, spoke for the half
block on the east side of Kansas avenue
between Eleventh and Twelfth streets
There are eighteen lots in the tract and
they are offerd for sale for $4,000, or
fifteen of the lots can be had for So 600.
If this tract is taken part of it would
be used for landscape gardening
Albert Parker offered the property
where his homestead is. There are six
lots on Quincy between Sixth and
Seventh, and Mr.. Parker said two more
lots could be secured. He asks Sc, 500
for his property.
Edward Wilder presented the lots be-
tween the Baptist church and the Giles
property on Jackson street, facing the
state house square. There are eight lots
in the tract, owned by three different
parties. Mr.. Wilder said that he had
no financial interest in the location. but
because he thought it was a good site
for the auditorium, he had obtained
the prices asked by the different owners
and had submitted them to the commit
tee. The price asked for the property
is $21 900.
This completed all of those present
who had offered sites, and the commit
tee then gave an opportunity to other
citizens present to express their views
on the different locations suggested
Ex-Mayor T. W. Harrison said
L hope the same mistake will not he
was made with the court house 1t
ought not to be put down out of sight.
1t ought to be close to the business cen
ter and on high ground 1t won't carry
business with it, but must be placed
where business is
Joseph Marshall, the architect, who
has prepared plans and drawings to fit
the half block between Eleventh and
Twelfth. spoke for that loca ton
Mr.. Marshall opposed making the city
hall a part of the auditorium He also
took occasion to poke q little fun at
the street car company in agoodnatureCj
way.
1T has been argued" he continued.
that the auditorium ought not to be
3n the street car line on account of the
noise made by the cars but we don't
oeka line to disturb anybody At least
that is what L have thought when 1
nave been waiting for a car some times
And when a car did come it would be
so cold that I would have to walk up
and down the aisle to keep a little
in me, and when l would ask
he conductor why they didn't have a
ire in the stoves he would always say
hat the coal hadn't come yet; that a |
food on the Ohio, or snow in the Allie |
shenieS had interfered with the com |
1any getting it's coal.
They say the street cars always use
1ard coal, which I suppose means hard |
20 get
Oscar Bischoff was called for to give
lis views He said he resided in North |
Topeka and naturally his first choice
,ould be made into a beautiful spot |
Next to that he favored the site between
Eleventh and Twelfth.
After the outsiders were gone the
council held a consultation and 1t was |
decided to take no further action at 1
present.
Suing Newspapers.
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