The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-16
CHANGE THELINES
Wards Are Reconstructed by
the City Council.
Third and Fourth Are Reduced
In Size.
TWO ARE ENLARGED.
Fifth and Sixth Will Have
Larger Vote.
TWO ARE ENLARGED.
Councilman Warner Will Be In
Third Ward.

The meeting of the streets and walks
committee last evening to consider the
proposed ordinance readjusting the
boundaries of the city developed into
an informal sort of gathering in which
everybody had his say but scarcely
anyone listened. The committee is
composed of Councilmen Elliott, Ben
son, Belts, CLANCY, Roundtree and
Hughes. All of them were present ex-
cept Councilman CLANCY. Mayor Drew
and the majority of the other council
men were present to look after the in
terests of their respective wards, and
there were also a few spectators. Com
missioner of Elections Yount and his
assistant, George Wagner. who had
drafted the proposed ordinance, were
present to give the committee any in
formation it might need.
Mr.. YOunt had been accused of at
tempting to take the row of blocks be-
tween Eighth avenue and Seventh
street, east of Kansas avenue, from the
Second ward in order to gerrymander
the ward and make it a Democratic
ward, but he vigorously denied the
charge.
Il think that the division of all the
central wards would be better on Kan
sas and Eighth avenues" he said. THE
reason that change was suggested was
because the Second ward is by far
make no difference with the ward polit-
ically. In 1896 the ward gave Fellows
a. majority of 231; it gave Drew 442
majority last spring; last year it gave
Stanley 113 majority, and this fall Phil
lips received 113 majority. Stephenson
lost the ward last year by 98.'
The principal trouble was in deciding
on the boundary between the Third and
Fifth wards. At present both these
wards stretch clear across the city
from the cemetery to Washburn col
lege. Councilman Elliott wanted to
make both wards more compact by
taking the first precinct of the Third.
east of Kansas avenue, and adding it
to the Fifth, and taking Martin & Den
mis- addition from the Fifth and adding
it to the Third, but both COuncilmen
Warner and ROundtree, the Fifth ward
members, objected to this arrangement.
Councilman Warner lives in Martin &
Dennis addition and this change would
move him out of his own ward Mr.
ROundtree wanted the Third ward to
keep its first precinct.
Everybody talked a once and a num-
ber of pieces of chalk were produced with
which each man with an idea marked
out said idea of how the lines should
run, on a large blue print of the city,
which had been brought from the city
engineers office for the purpose. AS
fast as one man would draw the di-
Wiling lines as he thought they ought to
be somebody else would rub them out
and draw new ones.
There were no changes proposed in
the First ward. as it all lies north of
the river. The Second ward was also
left as it is at present, except that a
small part of Metsker's third addition
lying just east of the Shunganunga and
north of Eighth, was added to it. At
present MetSker's third addition be-
longs to the Fifth ward, although it is
entirely surrounded by the Second and
Third and has no connection with the
Fifth what ever
1t had ben proposed to take that
part of the Fourth ward lying west of
buchanan and add it to the Sixth but
Mayor Drew put his foot down,
metaphorically. on that plan, and the
boundary line between the Fourth and
Sixth will be on Lane street.
There was considerable discussion as
to the best plan of making up the bal
ance of the Sixth ward. Councilman
Hughes wanted enough territory ad-
ded to it to make two good precincts
At present it contains only 17S voters
1t was proposed to run the boundary
east on Eighth avenue around the cor
ner of the Fourth to Buchanan street
south on Buchanan to King and then
west to the city limits. This would
give the Sixth ward, POtwin, Lowman
Hill and western part of the city.
Councilman Hughes asked that the
boundary be extended south on Bu-
canan to HuntOOn and then west to the
city limits, and this arrangement had
been practically decided on. when some
one mentioned to Gen. Hughes that
this would throw all of Tenn
into the Sixth ward, and the cOlOred
people could OutVOte the residents of
both POtWin and LOWman Hill, and two
cOiored councilmen would probably re-
suit. Gen. Hughes scratched his head
and at once executed an abOut-face
military movement, and fastened to
have the boundary changed as or1gI-
nally proposed on King street.
Then came the tug of war to fix the
boundary between the Third and the
Fifth. COuncilmen Warner and Round
tree had been figuring during the entire
time to fix up the Fifth ward so that
Martin & Dennis addition could be left
in it and still be contiguous" to the
balance of the ward. Mr.. Warner want
ed the boundary to begin at the Wash
burn campus, run east on Euclid ave
nue. to Buchanan, north on Buchanan
to Thirteenth, east on Thirteenth to
Kansas avenue and north to Eighth.
This did not suit Councilman Round
tree, who wanted to run the line east
on Tenth avenue to the cemetery as it
is at present. Councilman Elliott, chair
man of the committee would not con-
sent to either of these ideas. He want
ed both wards more compact
After discussing the matter for over
an hour the committee adjourned to
the mayors office and fixed up the
boundary according to Mr.. ElliOtt's
idea. This viii run the boundary from
Eighth avenue south on Kansas avenue
to Seventeenth street, west to Topeka
avenue al the northeast corner of the
fair grounds, and then south to the city
limits
The ordinance which the streets and
walks committee will report to the
council will make the wards as follows:
The First ward will remain the same
as at present.
The Second ward, which at present
contains 125 blocks. and registers 2,056
votes will have 10 voters added
The Third ward. which at present
contains 175 blocks and registers I, 723
votes, will lose it's first precinct, 81
blocks. from the east end, and SO blocks
from the west end to the Sixth ward
It will gain p blocks in Martin & Den
mis- addition. and its voting popula-
ton will be reduced to about 125O.