The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-14
FUND IS STARTED.
Five Thousand Dollars Sub
scribed to Centennial Cause.


The ways and means committee or
auxiliary board of the Kansas semi-cen-
tenniaT which Is TO be held in this city
in 1904 held an enthusiastic meeting at
the Commercial club rooms last even
ing
Men from all parts of the state were
present to lend assurance that the big
birthday celebration of the state Of KAN
sas.p a. Mr.. Edward Wilder termed the
centennial would be 3 phenomenal sue
cess II it filled their expectations
The object Of the meeting last night
was to acQuaint the board with the al
fairs Of the association and to distrlo-
ute sabacriptIon books among the menu
hers so that they would be prepared 70
solicit subscriptions TO the capital stock.
Although no attempt was made at the
meeting to secure any considerable
amount OF subscriptions five men VOL
unfairly subscribed for $1,000 each for
stock Mr. John E Frost. President OF
the exposition company was the first to
take q block OF 200 shares and Mr. VIII
der was a close second The others were
H NJ Philips. Chas- J. Devlin and Chas-
The meeting was called to order by
Chairman Wilder l. G. BeaI was elect
ed secretary of the meeting
Mr. Frost was present and explained
to the board what was intended should
sa,The Kansas Nebraska bill creating
the twin states of Kansas and Nebraska
passed congress on May Is. 1854 That
was q notable event Last winter Capt
H NJ Philips suggested that Kansas cell
citrate the fftieth anniversary OF her
birthday The plan met with instant ap-
prevail The work has moved along until
we are here now gentlemen to begin the
work Of raising money for 10000 shares
Of stock These shares are worth s. each
1.-THE shares are to be paid for in in
more than 10 per cent shall be called for
each month After selling all the capital
stock we propose to ask the state legiS-
Iature to appropriate $250.000. After get
ting this 1t Is intended to ask congress
for q handsome appropriation
# d Coburu said. I have expressed
myself SO frequently ard earnestly on
this question since It's inception that It Is
almost needless for me to say anything
here There are very few people outside
our own state who understand OF appre-
cfata US here IN Kansas. They regard the
state as desert and the people as
heathens- that it is the breeding place of
cyclones and the home Of the chinchbug-
that Kansas is Overlooking with locusts
and wild asses
ITO place cur state and our people
properly before the world It will be nee
esSary for us to attract them here 50
that they may see for themselves I be-
lieve the exposition will give the state
an impetus far beyond anything we can
now conceive"
r. h Churchill. of Dodge City. Is an
enthusiastic centennial man He said
Il want to assure you that we of the
short grass country are not short on
wheat this year But although we are
short on some things We are long on pat
riOtism- The people of the west are with
the exposition plan from the start Per-
haps one OF the strongest reasons for
this Is that John 2 Frost, VINO has been
dubbed in the west The Uncrowned
king Of the Arkansas valley is at the
a worker for the Improvement of Kansas
In the west and the people have conf
dence in him. I had a talk with Sena-
tor Harris recently when he said that
he thought VIE would get an appropria-
ton from congress but that he thought
it,
f r. Moses, Of Great Bend. is in favor
of the project He cited a number of &C.
casi0ns where the Transmissfssippf COM
naerciaI congress secured appropria tioEs
from congress and thought IT advisable
that that body be enlisted to aid in Sc
exposition
Joab MuIvane said that he regretted
not being more familiar with the move
ment, but that he had been cut of town
and other matters had occupied his mind
SO that the only knowledge he had OF the
affair was what he had got through the
newspapers. He expressed himself as
heartily in favor of the project
- H Greet. of Pfttsburg who had
charge of the Kansas exhibit at the
Omaha exposition is IN sympa thy with
the centennial movement and viii do all
in his power to make It 4 success
B WaTkentine. a -four miller of New
ton- said. This matter is new to me-
But since being here and hearing what
has been said, have become Interested
When go home viii agitate the mat
ter and do what I can towards selling
stock and will take some myself
Mr. Mulvane raised the question Of
whether a capital stock OF $50 Geo would
be enough Mr. Frost answered that
that matter was fully considered and 1t
was decided to be enough provided the
appropriations were secured
Secretary Anderson. Of the Commercial
club, said: 7 have always regretted the
fact that the idea 20 hold the exposition
did not occur to me I only hope to live
TO see the exposition and in the sjx
months OF the centennial I will 90
broke
Arthur Capper said. Il have talked
with number OF newspaper men Of the
state and find that the project will meet
with the hearty support Of the press
A subcommittee Of Is members has
been appointed with power to act. ThTs
committee Will have complete control Of
affairs during time intervening between