The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-28
Interesting Things Seen and
Heard on the Way.
HOWE SIDE LIGHTS.
How the Distinguished Editor
is Regarded at Home.
s. Dad - Lott and the Things
He Knows.

Richard Harding Davis copyrighted
the system of doing places through glass
when he did The West From Car
Window" At that time he missed
Atchison. Perhaps he went through IN
the night or maybe the box cars which
lined the track made the range OF Vis-
ion from his plush cushioned seat TOO
limited. He might have seen New York
Central freight cars on one side, the
HOOsic TUNED cars on the other, caught
a glimpse of the Missouri, thought It
was the Hudson and have imagined
himself in the empire state.
But just the same AtchisOn is on the
map and Harding's plan of doing the
country is good for the town. If you
happen to be there for a day because
one railroad has taken you there and
another road will not take you away
till midnight, just be content to register
at the Byram, the same place William
Jennings Bryan stopped for rest during
his last campaign, and then start for
tour in mutt of the town on Bale
Waggener's cars. Waggener also owns
the famous Central Branch of the Mis-
souri, Pacific, but that fact is merely ID
cidental to the more important an
nouncen ent that he is vice president Of
the city railway in Atchison for his
name appears printed on the cards
warning passengers not to stand on the
front platform and converse with the
mOtOrman And by the way, the Atch1-
son street cars are tame. They nave
been thoroughly broken and they stay
on the track with alarming regularity.
They are so perfectly under control that
it requires but one man to operate a
car. The way you pay on the cars ls
novel to say the least. You get on and
off the front end where the com bination
mOtOrman and conductor is. 1t costs
you nothing to get on but there is
gate through which you have to pass.
When you wish to leave the car you
drop your nickel in the box. That IS
the signal for the car to stop and for
IN a OTpnnd IF don [
pay the gate is not opened and you do
not get off You may go through win
dow. however, without breaking the
rules.
The Atchison street car system is for
the benefit of the public. The people OF
the town do not have c1rrhosls OF the
liver. as they do in Topeka, because
the track is smooth and there are springs
under the cars. The closed cars are
heated by electric radiators which work
admirably in warm weather II 1t nap
pens that a man must have work IN
Atchison he is employed by the street
car company A man too old for other
callings can run a street car and q
young man unused to the ways of the
world can do the same. When base
hall team is wanted in AtChisOn nine
players are hired by the street car com
pany. 1t is quite convenient The
players run the cars loaded with specta>
tors to the grounds and then play bah.
When the game is through they take
the people back Just now they do not
want a ball team in AtchisOn. odd
King" Cole was motorman and captain
OF the baseball team once but the fat
man who runs the car on the north
side of the town will tell you it was not
a paying venture because so many peO-
pie preferred to roost in the trees and
look over the fence rather than pay %
cents to get in
But to get back to Atchison from a
car window. You can start on trip
around the loop. You will pass the fine
residences on the hill-it must be Quality
Hill, for the houses have porte cOeheres
and are large. They are by no means
the principal features to been seen.
There many such residences that be-
speak Of prosperity but the home fea-
lures to be noticed about Atchison are
the hundreds Of houses somewhat back
from the village street" They may
have a rank growth of hollyhocks claim
ing the front yard or beds Of Sweet Will
liam or other old fashioned flowers. The
houses may be somewhat old, but there
is an unmistakable hOmeness about
AtchisOn. On the north Whirl of the
looping the-lOop ride you see the State
Orphans home on a mill a mile OF more
out Of town. You pass st. Benedict's
college, a Catholic institution. There
are many men of the cloth in town
with their collars on hind side before.
st Benedict's looks the name It's
architecture Is of the kind you see esc-
/ planned by pictures of columns and odd
dictionary It is on bluff overlooking
the muddy Missouri Half of Atchison
overlooks the river and the other half is
In the valleys between the first half.
Now you have looped the north loop and
find yourself in town again. You are
waiting for the car to continue the trip
on the south side of town. Half a block
away you see the Office of the Atchisoa
/ Globe. Ed Howe comes out. He stands
moment in the door looking up street,
/ then starts off at an even pace.
You can not even do the town from a
/ car window without coming in contact
/ with the personality of Howe The fat
! motorman on the north car has already
| said, Howe? Ed Howe? OF course 1
/ know him. Everyone knows Ed He
! roasts US once in a while but he's all
/ right" While the car was waiting a
/ blind man. feeling his way along, reach
/ ed the corner and stopped. A crowd
/ Of thoughtless fellows kicked his stick