The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-05
AND BEARS
Antics Are Reproduced In the
County Treasurer's Office.
Wild Scramble Over Annual
Tax Sales.


an insane asylum or a wheat pit. There
would be comparative stiffness for
a while and then noise that sounded
like a cross between Sioux war
whoop and college yell would sud-
denly almost raise the roof
It came from the county treasurer S
Office. The room seemed like an en-
hryonic board of trade to onlookers.
In the center with his back to the wick
er work that is generally IN front of
i the county's cash, stood Treasurer Phil
lips a little raised platform. In
front of him and back of the counter
sat a dozen or so men at a table each
with his eyes intent on a newspaper.
About them in chairs and standing were
as many more, also intent on neWspa-
perS.
Captain Phillips would read some
! thing rapidly, so rapidly in fact that
one could scarcely follow him. and
just before he came to the end of a
sentence. apparently every man would
yell something, more or less indistin-
tain Phillips would look at them mo-
ment, point to some man, and then the
same thing would be repeated.
1t was the annual tax sale. For some
reason or other there is much more in
terest in the sale this year than here
tofore. There are more bidders and
they are bidding on more property.
There was in the list offered today some
of the best properties in the city, and
whenever such a one was announced
the bidding was fierce. In the excite
menI many OF the D1dQefS would rise
from their seats and geSuculate, call
ing their names over several times.
A tax sale differs from an auction in
that it is the man that bids first in
stead of highest that gets the prop
erty. After one understands it, it is
very simple, but until then it seems
like a mild sort of pandemonium. Cap
tain Phillips reads the description,
and then each man who wants the
property calls out his own name. The
one that is disguished first gets the
property, but in the majority of cases
the bids are simultaneous, and in or
! der that the man with strong lungs
may have no advantage over the lit
tie man with a weak voice the tracts
are distributed around among the bid
, ders.
There were about thirty active bid
ders at the sale today, and a number of
other who ''chipped in occasionally
when some particular piece of property
was offered in which they were inter-
ested- Among the more active bidders
We're F. c. Bowen, W. H Wasson,~J.
Wilcox, Patrick Brothers, Richard
Rogers. ]. A. Booth, George E. Flan-
ders. r. D. Carver. James E. Brier. L.
A. James, James Gillett, L. T. Gage,
f. H. Roberts, John Howerton, w. H.
jenkins, J. 7. Sweezey and others. The
majority had their coats off and were
there for business.
The sale began at 9 o'clock with real
estate in ROssville and Silver Lake
townships The bidding on this class
of property was not very brisk except
when a tract was put up that some of
the real estate men knew to be vaIu-
able, and then there would be a small
scramble for it. On some of the prop
erty there would be no bids at all and
such would be taken by the county.
These were usually lots in additions or
subdivisions far out from the city.
When it came to the city property
the bidding began to grow more lively,
and when number of nice residence
properties on Harrison street and To-
peka avenue were put up, it reached it's
height The bidders at that stage be-
came so excited at times that they
would yell out their names before the
descriptions were half read. No at
tention was paid to such bids, but as a
rule the last end of the description
would be lost in the confused yeu of
names that would make the windows
rattle.
What's all this disturbance in here
demanded Sheriff Cook in mock sever
1ty, coming in from his own office. 1T
sounds like a board of trade"
Ssh -sh-sh," said one III soto voce,
during the lull, Its the committee of
two hundred and then the crowd
laughed at the sherif's expense.
Sheriff Cook got even a few minutes
later by coming back and demanding
less noise, as the racket was interfer-
ing with the proceedings of the district
court.
Property is advertised to be sold for
taxes if the taxes of the year previous
are delinquent If unpaid December 20 a
other per cent in June. After it is
advertised it can be redeemed by the
property owners upon the payment of
the penalties attached-15 cents for
each lot and 20 cents for each tract
advertised. After it has been sold to
bidder it can only be redeemed by the
payment of Is per cent interest in ad-
dition to the other penalties. and if it
goes unredeemed for three years a tax
deed is given to the purchaser.
Much of the property advertised for
,1r se-xx ~
which the owners have forgotten to
pay the taxes, or on account of a tenn
porary Str1ngency of money. have neg
lected it. This class of property is
nearly always redeemed, especially il
it is at all valuable, but the purchaser
gets Is per cent interest on his in
vestment just the same. and that is
what makes the bidding so keen.
For the past two months the force
in the county clerks office has been
busy making out redemption certifi-
Gates, as far greater amount of prop
erty than usual has been redeemed this
year
There were a number of Topeka ave-
nue. homes, however. whose owners
have thus far neglected to redeem
them. J. L. Kings residence, near
Fifth on Topeka avenue, was pur-
chased by w. H. Jenkins. A B. Quin-
tons place was purchased by VIM EW-
ing. The Clugston property at the cor
ner of Topeka avenue and Tenth
where Mrs. Wiley has her boardirg z
house, was sold, as was also the First
Christian church on Topeka avenue.
which was bought by W Fl. Wasson.
J. H. McGimert's property was bid in
in the name of the mortgage, A.
Fassler.
The price to be paid for these prop
critics cut no figure with the bidders
as it was always the amount of tax
which was delinquent with the penal
ties added All these Topeka avenue
properties win be redeemed. though the
neglect Of the owners viii prove rather
expensive.