The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-08
THEY 0InNIT WRIT
IuEI UlDN tFhaH
No Red Tape Interfered With
st. JOe's Relief Work.
History of the Correspondence
With Topeka.
MAYOR BORDEN ACTIVE
He Personally Looked After the
Details.
Topeka Commercial Club Recog-
nizes the Great Service.

The generous attitude of the people of
ST. Joseph Mo. in their work for the
relief of the flood sufferers Of North To-
peka has been a subject of no little
comment by the members of the Topeka
Commercial club as we'll as other peo-
pie since it has been learned here to
what extent the work has been carried
on by the St. Joseph Commercial club.
The kilograms which passed between
the authorities here and the relief COM
mittee at St Joseph viii prove an in
teresting chapter in the history of the
food of 1903.
Early Sunday morning. May the 3D. at
a meeting at the Commercial club it
was decided that the most urgent need
ct that time was to secure boats and
experienced boatmen to handle them in
order to get the people in the flooded
districts to places of safety. With that
object in view, the matter was taken
up with Superintendent G. w. Jones of
the Rock Island railroad. Arrangements
were made to secure a special train
from St. Joseph. The Rock Island wires
were down, so messages were sent to
the Rock Island officials in st. Joseph
and to Mayor Borden of ST. Joseph
over the Western Union wires The
message 10 Old1tL DOL1EAA was AAoAAA ~AA-
Topeka Commercial club and stated
that Topeka was in great distress ana
that boats and experienced boatmen
were needed. The message TO Mr. M o.
Gay of the Rock Island was an IN
Etruction TO get everything in readiness
to run a special train to Topeka and TO
cooperate with the authorities at st
Joseph in regard to bringing the needed
help
When the messages were taken to the
r4r- which
were being worked were already crowd
ed, but the matter was urgent and the
messages We're sent at once.
Upon receipt of the message from
the Topeka Commercial club, Mayor
Borden of St. Joseph called uD Topeka
on the long distance telephone Major
Anderson answered. Before half
dozen words were exchanged, however
the wires went out and communication
was shut of In that quarter.
The telegraph wires were so crowded
that kilograms which passed back and
forth were delayed hours, and In one
or Two instances for days. so that To
peka people had no conception of the
magnitude of the work being done by
St. Joseph.
C. W. Jones had message from Mr..
Cay of the Rock Island which said
Your wire received. Have matter of
special relief train up with mayor and
authorities. Am prepared to run train
as soon as get men and boats together.
Authorities much interested and Will do
all they can"
The boats and boatmen from Lake
Contrary. together with the officers OF
the police and fire departments of ST.
Joseph were gotten together and sent
with a carload of supplies on Sunday
Meanwhile J. c. Let's. president Of the
St. Joe Commercial club, telegraphed
the Parkhurst-Davis company of To-
peka as follows
Commercial club stands ready to as
Eist special train with thousand citizens.
nj ffnss md
Mr.. Davis turned the message over to
the Commercial club and the following
message went back in reply
Your message to Parkhurst- Davis
Just received. The boats are badly need
ed and competent men to handle them.
Others would only be in the way. Many
thanks. Hurry up the boats"
The above message was sent on Mon
day. and at that time the boatmen from
St. Joe were hard at work in North To-
psSa. Then came the following from
Mr. Let's which brought the first au-
thentic information to the Commercial
club of Topeka of the work of the st.
Joe rescue party:
"Our mayor with party took YOU Sun
day two naphtha launches and twenty
boats on special train. Getting together
all boats we can and will forward
promptly. Keep us advised your needs.
If cash, clothing or provisions needed
wire"
This message was sent on Tuesday to
Mr. Let's:
Thanks to your mayor and party
from st. Joe They have rescued every
body from danger and have done most
excellent work IL would be manifestly
improper to ask St. Joe to do any more.
Tt looks as if the valley was practically
laid waste from Manhattan to the month
of the river"
Tt has since been learned that a meet
ing was held at the St Joe Commercial
club Monday and that more than three
thousand dollars were subscribed.
known in ST. Joe through the press dis
patches and on Monday arranrements
were made for school children all over
the city TO bring supplies of shoes and
clothing to the cars on the railway track
that afternoon. Food was also loaded
and the trai1 was ready with additional
boats MONDAY night The train reached
the seer Of the flood early Tuesday
morning.
John wilhelm and o. H Ouintien
came on that train as representatives
of the St Joe Commercial club and
took charge of the distribution of the
supplies at the Reform school The
work was thoroughly systematized un O.
der their direction, and altogether
twelve carloads of supplies have been
distributed from that n0int.
Another message was sent from st
Joe on Tuesday. 1T said I'VE had mass
meeting today to help food sufferers.
Let US know Immediately your urgent
needs"
In reply to an offer Of cash assistance
Major Anderson on Monday sent the
followir-.
eve are so deeply appreciative Of
what YOU have done and are doing in
rescuing the people that it would seem
ungrateful to ask more at this time
When we hear from the valley above
and below Topeka. conditions may be
changed for the worse, in which case
we viii let you know. Your mayor and
men with boats are here doing noble
work"
Today a letter came from Mr. Let's.
dated June 3. in which he said:
Last night at u o'clock I received
your dispatch that you undoubtedly
sent from ToDeka the End. 1t came
through under the circumstances in
very good time. Very glad. indeed to
hear from You direct. and on behalf Of
the Commercial club can only state
#nur fr = .f-fr tot