The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-04
Mayor Parker Requests That
Stores Be Decorated.
Merchants Asked to Display
Bunting Fair Week.
TWO HALF HOLIDAYS.
Business Houses to Close Thurs.
day and Friday Afternoons.
Large Crowds Expected from
All Over Kansas.

sas State Exposition company will hold
a fine stock show and race meeting in
our city. and 1 hope the business men
and citizens generally will do all they
can to aid and encourage this enter
prise. for it seems to me that a sue
cessful state fair is of inca1culable ben
eft to this city and state. for there is
no way in which we can advertise our
state and it's resources to the same
extent, as we can by holding stock
fair. And to help the Exposition COM
pany I would most earnestly invite and
: request that all business houses on
Kansas avenue be decorated and also
that all places of business be closed on
Thursday and Friday from till
o'clock p. M, giving the employees a half
holiday.
ALBERT PARKER Mayor.
Mayor Parker has issued the request
above calling the business
houses of Topeka to decorate their
buildings during the coming state fair.
and also to close on Thursday and Fri
day from l to o'clock in order to give
their employees an opportunity to visit
the fair. and make the days general
| holidays in the CITY. The city oftices
probably will close on those days.
Il hope that the business men of To-
peka will trv to act upon the recon-
| mendations of the proclamation" said
! the mayor today. I'VE ought to make
| this first years revival of the old state
fair a grand success. 1t rests with the
business men to do this There is no
| reason why Kansas should not have
| state fair equal to the state fairs which
are held back in Illinois and Indiana.
| where they have 100000 people in at
| tendance every year. The biggest crowd
! we ever had on one day was estimated
at $4,000, when James G. Blaine was in
! the city.
i Il realize that it is asking a good
| two afternoons, but that is what the
managers of the fair desire to have
| done, and 1 will recommend it in my
proclamation. A state fair is Just the
reverse of a circus. The circus brings
| people to town. but it takes money
! away. The state fair brings people, and
! they leave their money here Each in-
! dividual may spend only a litt>a. but
! he is certain to spend some, and st all
/ helps Topeka
| No arrangements have yet been made
| for decorating the city building. and
unless some action is quickly taken by
! the city council. it is feared that moth
| ing will be done. Mayor Parker says he
/ has no authority to do anything. and
doubts whether the council will feel
| like authorizing a large expenditure for
Il <.
decorating when Roosevelt comes.'' said
: the mayor 1.-The plan is to make the
! decorations of the Auditorium on that
] day exceed anything Topeka ever saw.
/ 1t may be that something will be ar
ranged for the state fair too. but 1
| don't know"
| The city has an immense quantity of
| old bunting left over from former dec
! orations which might be utilized at very
| small expense Part Of this bunting is
| faded by rain, but the blue bunting is
/ still in very good conditions. and the
| white bunting could be fixed all right
| by washing. The red bunting, however,
! is ruined. and new would have to be
purchased. Hundreds of yards of this
| old bunting is stored at the city hall.
| and it seems as though the city ought
to use it as far as it will go. This
| could be done at an expense of only a
| few dollars The city also has lot of
flags in good condition which should be
| used.
I'VE wish to impress upon the minds
of the merchants that Topeka will have
the biggest crowds here next week that
| have been in the town since the days of
| the fall festivals and G. A. R. reunion
said Secretary Updegraff of the Kansas
Exposition company today. Topeka
should have on her gala attire during
the entire week Business houses
should be decorated. The official col
ors of the exposition will be red. white
and blue The fair grounds will be well
| bedecked with flags and bunting. The
| business houses should have the same
effect. There will be people here from
all over Kansas and the adjoining
states for the railroads have granted a
one fare for the round trip rate from
all points in Kansas and Missouri river
points.
| This special inducement will bring
to town thousands of people during the
| week. The special half fare rate on the
| railroads is granted from Saturday,
September 6. to Monday, September 15-
These crowds will be beneficial to the
stores. 1t may benefit some only in
directly but the exposition will in some
way benefit all lines of business. The
exhibits of fine stock and the entries
for the races exceed even what the man
agement hoped for. Our initial exposi-
ton, which we hope to make an annual
state fair, will be a great success. 1t
will make good impression We hope
the merchants will cooperate with us
and make the entire town look as If we
were having a week of holidays. We
hope the stores will close two afternoons
during the week.
There will be no charge for admit
tance at the main gates of the fair
grounds during the exposition week at
| night Free entertainments will be
given every night and tie merry-go-
rounds and miniature r/lroad will be
in operation near the center of the
grounds. Carriages and horses will be
admitted to the grounds free at all
times. The entrances to the grounds
| will be at the northeast and northwest
| corners. The northwest gate can be
reached by the Ouinton Heights car line
which runs within two blocks OF the
gate. The northeast gate win be reach
ed by taking the fair grounds cars
| which run over the loop.
6, The Midway and Fete ChamDetra viii
| arrive in Topeka Sunday from Leadville
The cars will be switched onto the fair
| grounds side track for unloading TIE
city railway will keep cars running
around the fair grounds loop and viii
use all the cars available for the exposi-