The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-22
BUILDING SOLD.
Council Makes Excellent Sale
of Old City Hall.
Bought by Knights and Ladies
of Security For $40, 100.
TO BE PAID IN CASH.
Several Good Offers Are Re-
ceiVed.
No Trouble Whatever In Dis
posing of Property.
New City HaIl-AuditOTium Will
Be Pushed.
TO BE PAID IN CASH
The city building has been sold.

The city building has been sold.
The price is $45,1OO-
The purchaser is a fraternal insurance
organization known as The knights
and Ladies of Security which has head
quarters in Topeka. The money is to be
paid in cash as soon as the title deeds
have been arranged.
The announcement that the bids were
to be opened Wednesday evening
broughta good sized crowd to the cOun-
Gil chamber. When Mayor Drew called
the council to order the city clerk had
several mysterious looking packages in
his hand. They were the bids for the
city building and nearly all of them
were filed late in the evening.
Councilmen F. G.. Willard and c. Fl.
Nettels were absent but Mr.. Willard
left a letter saying that he favored the
sale of the city building if a bid of
$4,000 or over was received because the
city should have an auditorium The
letter was filed.
One or two formal resolutions were
adopted and then Mayor Drew said:
We will now proceed to open the bids
for the city building and if there.is any
one here who has a bid to submit it
must be done now"
No one moved and the mayor nodded
TO the city clerk who opened the first
envelope.
The bids were found to be as fol-
lows:
knights and Ladies of Security $45,-
100
Mrs o. NJ KeIlam $4,000
Kansas Mutual Life Insurance Co.
S45.0lO.
National Life Insurance company
S45.25O (part trade).
There was a long letter with the last
bid opened which stated that the COM
pany would pay $25. 500 in cash, the bal
ance to be paid by the exchange of the
six lots a the southwest corner of Fifth
and Quincy street. The other bids were
cash offers except the bid of the knights
mad Ldies of security which stipulated
that the terms should be agreed upon
as the council demanded.
Aftetr the bids had been opened Coun-
Gilman Burgess of the Fourth ward
wanted the council to go into executive
session 10 consider the bids. His motion
TO that effect was carried and the pub
lie was excluded.
After the doors had been closed
Councilman Burgess made a plea for
the trade suggested by the National
Life Insurance company for the proper
ty at Fifth and Quincy streets
Councilman CLANCY inquired why his
Fourth ward colleague wanted the aud
1tOrium located in the Second ward
1t was the almost universal senti-
ment that trade should not be con-
stdered and the council then proceeded
TO discuss the other bids. The question
or whether the Knights and Ladies OF
Security would pay cash seemed to be
in doubt and II. A. Warner and w. B.
kirkpatrick. the representatives were
sent for They said that they would
pay cash If required. Mr.. Kirkpatrick
stated that if the city did not need all
the money at once they would pay six
Per cent for the balance until it is need
ed Both men said that they had in
tended to have the money ready when
the council wanted it.
This appeared to be satisfactory and
q vote was taken on accepting the bid
of the Knights and Ladies of Security
It was accepted with but one opposing
vote. that being Councilman Blossom of
the First ward.
Just as an adjournment was about to
be taken Mr.. J. p. Davis, president Of
the Kansas Mutual Life Insurance COM
pany. was admitted to the room
He made an informal protest against
the action of the council on the grounds
that the bid of the Knights and Ladies
OF Security had been amended.
Mayor Drew explained that the bid
had not been changed but simply an
explanation Of the terms was secured.