The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-14
NO PAUSE IN WORK
Upbuilding of Topeka Goes
Steadily On.
Contractors Find Themselves
Unable to Meet Demand.
ERA OF HOME BUILDING
Greatest Demand for Skilled
Labor in Many Years.
Prices OF Building Materials
Have Advanced Considerably.

6CSRANG n0AlC1OuS pGSc1IllSllC IOIG-
casts that Topeka would suffer a sus-
pension of business activity as result
of the North Topeka flood, that the town
would become inactive and that her
population would feel the Tightening
grip of hard times. there is unmistak-
able evidence that the opposite is true.
This evidence does not need to be gath
cred in North Topeka. where probably
100000 worth of repairs upon buildings
damaged by the flood are underway. On
the south side of the river in the last
two months, or since May Is, work has
been commenced upon residences, the
cost of which will represent an outlay of
about S65, 1000 The Contractors can not
meet the demands of builders.
There has been no pause in the build
ing of Topeka. During four years past
a steady pace for building has been set
and while it may not have been exceed
ed in the last two months. it has GER
/ tainly not diminished. Very few new
! business buildings have been commence
ed. Out of perhaps so building permits
giving the privilege of building or re-
pairing, only one or two have been for
work upon business houses. The present
is an. era of home building. and. for the
most part. they are substantial homes.
The prices of building materials are
considerably higher than a few years
ago, yet the building activity is greater
than when the price of material was
less There is probably greater de-
mand for labor of all kinds at the pres
ent time than before or since the boom.
! The difficulty of securing skilled help
! might have been a sufficient reason for
a decrease in the amount of new build
| ing but the supply appears to have been
good Ia discussing the building that is
| in progress here now Fire Marshal Will
I marth said:
There appears to be sufficient help
to supply the demand for building labor
which is very heavy right now. Build
ing is going on all over town much the
same as usual in addition to the great
activity in North Topeka, where the
damaged residences and business
buildings are being put in order. 1 have
not seen that the unusual amount OF
such work has made any difference in
the situation.
In North Topeka the flood sowed a
field that is being reaped with profit
by the building and loan associations
and the mortgage companies of To-
peka. Ready cash being in demand the
building and loan associations have
found an opportunity for a very large
number of the safest kinds OF loans.
and their lists show the names of {.
great many North Topeka families. II
is impossible to make an accurate es-
innate of the amount or value of
building and repairing in progress on
the north side of the river. but it un-
dOubtedly exceeds one hundred thou
sand dollars. The usual number of ad-
ditionS to homes on the south side are
shown in the building permit book in
the fire marShaPs office
G. W. Merriam is building the most
expensive residence now in process or
construction. 1t is to be his s15. 900
home on Buchanan street, in the Gov
ernor's Mansion block north of Tenth
cs<rs
erty is to cost $500. Lane chapel the
colored Methodist church at Fourteenth
and Van Buren, streets, is being rebuilt
at cost of $4,000. II. c. Ashby is put
ting in three small store buildings on
West Fifth street just off Kansas ave-
nue. that will cost $3.50, while George
w Reed is putting up building at
the corner of Third and Quincy streets
to be used as a laundry building. and
will spend $500 upon it.
/ People who have buildings now in
contemplation or under construction,
having been begun since May Is, are:
Mrs Minnie Hanson. Fifteenth and
Tyler streets, $1,500; ]. T. Robb, 1926
Fillmore street, 81, 700; Andrew Oster-
gard. S1S Fillmore, 81 100; August Lewis.
| 101 North Fillmore, s., 900; E. P F'Iem-
ming, 1910 Buchanan, $500; o. W.
| Cooper, 1880 Buchanan, $1,400: James
Crawford, 1906 Van Buren street, 81, 400:
| George A. Root, Underwood avenue,
81 geo; Christ hospital grounds, 81, 600;
| Amos Longaker, Fifteenth and Harrison,
$2,S0O; w. R. Weible, Fifteenth and
Van Buren, 81, 800; G.. Baker, 219 Van
Buren,, 81, 300; H. c. Ashby, Fifth and
Kansas avenues. $1,950; w. I. Jamison,
1906 Harrison, $4,000; c. w. Merriam.
stable at Ninth and Buchanan, 81, 500;
c. w. Merriam, residence same place,
5000; w. I. Drum. 1912 Taylor. $4,000;
NJ Myers, First and Tyler. 81, 800; f.
H Berry 1905 West Eighth. 81, 500; L.
Nudquist, 425 Topeka avenue, $1,000;
Fannie G.. Jamison, S1S Quincy, s., 800;
J. P. Colville, 204 Western avenue. 81. 900;
c. T. Trap, 100 Van Buren. 81, 900; G.
E. Woolverton, 1884 Harrison. Sc, 900;
E c. Hill, 723 Tyler s2,soO; H. w. Bonn
gardener, 1895 Mulvane, $4,000; Lane
chapel, Fourteenth and Van Buren,
"a 900; Mrs. n. n. Nettels. 1888 Bu-
chanan, s.. 400; ]. J. Carter, 1915 Kan
sas avenue 81. 500; r. w Babcock, 61S
Fillmore, $1,000; w. w. Silver, 1927 Col
lege avenue, 81. 200.
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