The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-15
I WAS SKEERED.'
Mayor Parker FacetiOusly Dis
cusses Closing of Joints.
Says He Was Frightened at
DIR. Nc Farland.
MAKES OBSERVATIONS.
Lesson of Fourth Ward COun-
Gilman Contest.
Says His Preacher Critic Pays
Little Taxes.
OBSERVATIONS.

Mayor Parker was in a humorous
mood this morning. He juggled his
joint-closing order about, and he joked
as he juggled, and juggled as he joked,
until it was impossible to tell how much
of his remarks to take seriously and
how much should be classified in some
other category. 1t was as bad as a
performance of Anna Eva Fay.
-'Why did have the joints closed?'
said the mayor, in answer to a ques-
tion. .sWhy did I? Well, I'll tell you,
and you can tell the dear people. 1 got
'skeered' of Mcfarland. He said he
would impeach me and put blister on
me 1 would wear all my life, if didn
close them, and so 1 thought I'd better
close them. There's no use talking, /
was 'skeered.' He came up here and
said he would impeach me. just told
the gentleman that he couldn't begin
any too soon to please me- Begin to-
day. 1 said to him, delays are danger
Gus. Go ahead and impeach.'
You Journal folks printed a niece
yesterday that City Attorney Spencer
and had been having a conference
about closing up the joints. Well, you
We're off. I did not issue my orders as
result of that talk. 1t just happened
that Spencer and 1 were talking here,
and Tim Donovan came in. There was
no preaITanged conference. 1 have had
several conferences with Tim about
closing the joints. 1 told Tim to notify
L
the order yesterday, and didn't know
he was going to notify the joint keepers
yesterday. 1t was all a surprise to me
that he notified them
''Wiu you keep the joints closed ?''
asked the reporter.
The mayor was silent for about ten
long seconds. Then he said: ''Well,
We'll try. We can't tell what we can
do till we try. There are not as many
joints here now as there were when
took the office. There were "a joints
in Topeka then, by actual count. Yes
terday when Tim notified the joint
keepers to close up, there We're only 40
joints in town.
SO it has been your plan to order the
court decided the Hurrel law case?'
queried the reporter
= Just say that was 'skeered' of McFar-
land.' replied the mayor. Say to the
dear people that there was a square-toed
fight in the Fourth ward for the Republi-
can nomination for councilman-the old,
steady, reliable Fourth ward. That the
fight was clear drawn between an adminis-
tration man and an anti-administrati ton
man. The administration candidate won
by 207 votes. DR.. Mcfarland was out
wife was out working, too. and that she
is such invalid that she can go to
their own ' candidate-Garver picked the
man for them-and they got beat by 207
votes. That shows whether the people of
this town are with me, doesn't it? The
business men are with me. Oh, these peo-
pie die hard. They are the most persist
ent livers 1 ever saw. But they'll all die
And tell the dear people that. that nice.
aHes hrstah ia ie % eF FaTs e 6ebt 70
go ahead and bankrupt the town, but to
close the joints Strange, isn't it, that Nc
the town? He has lived here two or three
years, and l have lived here a good share
of my life. But Mcfarland ought to have
his way, of course. 1t doesn't hurt him if
the town is bankrupt