davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-02
Ladies' Shirt Waists.

A final cleanup of a line of COL
ORED SHIRT WAISTS = when
these are gone no more can be mad
to sell at so low a price Friday
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-02
Mems 'Kerchief Special.

1213c-AH Linen-special good
values-each customer should buy n
dozen. Friday each .......... 121kc
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-02
Mems UaiOn Suits.

15c-Another Great Special-An
Linen, unlaundried. initial-extra
good values. Friday special, for
only .....-........ .......... AOc
$1.OO and $1.5O-Two excellent
lines of the Munsing make, either
long or short sleeves-are perfect
filters, and good wearers. BuS
these values. $1.OO and $3.50
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

in full for their work when it is com
pleted.
The city at large pays the whole cost
of grading for the pavement and the
cost of paving street intersections.
Those owning property which abuts
on the pavement pay for the remainder
Bonds are issued, however to cover the
whole amount. and so the city at large
gets the benefit of the ten-payment
plan on its share of the expense just
as the property owners do. Each year
the council fixes one item in the general
tax levy to cover the amount which
viii fan due during the year as pgin-
cipal and interest on this debt.
This explains one cause of high taxes
in Topeka. The citizens at large are
paying their share OF the cost of the
new pavement. 1t is estimated that the
city at large pays 40 per cent of the
total cost of every block of pavement
laid. Topeka has therefore paid in gen
eral taxes about $500, 900 of the $1,T00,
600 paving bill.
WORK OF THE PAVEMENT
BOOMER.
There are men in Topeka, in the en-
ploy of contractors. brick manufac-
turers and curbstOne dealers, who make
it business to work up pavement Pc
titions. To this fact is due, in no small
measure, the large pavement bill which
the city is carrying.
The laws require that a pavement Pc
tition must bear the signatures Of own
ers of a majority of the feet of land
fronting On the street to be paved, and
the non resident owner is not consider
ed in the case either pro or con-
The pavement boomer selects a street
where there is either a large proportion
of the land owned by non-residentS.
or where there Is quite a strong senti-
ment in favor of paving II ne mas
that his petition is going to lack few
hundred feet Of a majority, he makes
deal with some property owner VINO
has refused to sign the petition, agree
ing to refund him a liberal proportion
of the cost of his pavement and thus
gets his name on the petition II ne
finds one block which is very hostile to
paving. he can do one of two things
either lon off that block from his petit
ton. or else add enough other friendly
blocks to secure a majority of the Wnole
strip which he wants to have paved
and thus force the hostile block to be
good" Usually a petition worked up
by a boomer specifies some particular
kind of brick or curbing, so as 70 par
out. as far as possible. competition for
the boomers employers when the time
comes to bid on the work.
The city has recently tried to check
/ the work Of the boomer by requiring
/ that each petition be accompanied BY
an affidavit from some property owner
owner circulated the petition. But
! there are plenty of ways to get around
this rule, and the boomer has not ceased
to exist.
IN THE HANDS OF THE COUNCIL.
Paving petitions are invariably re-
ferred to the streets and walks com
mittee of the council. which is the hard
est worked committee of that body. Pro-
tests and counter petitions are also sent
to this committee and it is before this
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

Notices sent out by city clerk.
s. Bids on Improvement bonds opened,
and bonds sold
9 Thirty days for parties to pay as
sessment in full
1e. Improvement bonds issued.
IL Assessment ordinance passed.
IT IS A LONG PROCESS.
1t is legally possible for the city coun-
ell to take up a petition, pass upon it.
and begin the actual work of construct
ing the pavement all within 80 days.
But it is never done
Usually it takes from two to six
months from the time the petition is
filed until work begins on construction,
but after that another month or two is
required to complete the assessment and
issue the bonds.
During the past four or five years in
Topeka, when pavement has been going
down at the rate of 40 or so blocks a
year, it has been the custom, for con-
venience, TO herd" the petitions into
two punches, and run each bunch
through the mill separately The petit
lions which are first in the hands of
the council are included in the first
bunch to go through. This system. while
it tends TO delay some. of the petitions
slightly, is a great saving of time and
money which would otherwise be ex-
pended in special meetG gs. and legal
advertising. One special meeting and
one advertisement is made to answer
for as many blocks as may be included
in that particular bunch of petitions.
A FEW FUNDAMENTAL FACTS.
Under the laws of this state. pave
ment is paid for with money derived
from the sale of bonds, called general
Improvement bonds" In Topeka the
usual rate of interest on these bonds
is per cent They run for ten years.
but each year one-tenth of the prin-
cipal is paid. This enables people to
pay for their pavement in ten yearly
installments. while at the same time, it
enables the city to pay the contractors
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

committee that the first fight occurs on
the proposed pavement, if there is a
fight. The committee. however. will nor
consider petition at all until the city
engineer has passed upon it, and found
mat the signatures really represent a
majority of the resident front feet"
Ihis information is obtainable chiefly
from the register Of deeds Office.
After the petition has been pro-
nounced valid. and has been favorably
reported by the committee it rests with
the council to ado9t or reject the re-
port Even though a councilman may
be heartily opposed to saddIing any
larger paving debt on the city, he is
usually forced to favor the petitions
HIS constituents may be demanding the
passage OF a certain paving petition in
his ward. and to get them what they
want ne must help out the other coun-
cllmen who are in similar situations.
IL IS -ust at this point in its progress
that pavement petitions are punched"
After the council adopts the commit
tee favorable report. the petition is
allowed to lay BY for a few weeks until
punch o. sufficient size has collected.
Then the council passes resolutions.
stating that for the best interests Of the
CITY Such and such a street shall be
paved in prescribed manner and the
punch is started on its way After
these resolutions are passed twenty
days are supposed to elapse before any
thing else is done. to give time for any
one who desires to protest against the
pavement.
As a matter of fact. however. g. large
share Of the preliminary work IS done
during these twenty days. for the .coun-
Gil has already passed upon me obJec-
tions. and it is deemed a1n7ost 5certa il,
that the proposed pavement is a go -
Time is economical by sflaing the
preparations for the construction Of the
pavement to nrcceed.
COUNTING THE COST.
1t having been practically decided to
build the pavement, the next thing is
to find out what it will cost, and ar
range for payment
This is done by the city engineer and
the appraisers. Three appraisers are
appointed by the mayor. who are paid
50 a day for their services. They are
supposed to be selected for their famil-
| iarity with the value of properties in
Topeka
Probably no point in the paving pro-
cess is so misunderstood by the public
as the appraisement.
The appraisers consider each block as
separate unit. They fix the value of
a certain lot in that block-the value
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

of improvements is not considered-and
then adjust the other lots in the block
in proportion to the first one appraised.
Corner lots are appraised somewhat
higher than middle lots.
Some people err in thinking that an
injustice has been done # they find that
their property has been appraised high
er than a corresponding property in the
next block. Each block is considered by
itself, and if the appra isers have lxed
the proper ratio of value between the
lots in a certain block, it makes abso-
lutely no difference whether they ind
the lots to be worth $500 apiece or $4,000
apiece The cost Of the pavement in
each block is distributed according to
the proportion of each lot to the total
valuation in that block
Meantime, the city engineer has his
men at work surveying the work, TAX
ing levels, and preparing an accurate
estimate on the amount of work in each
block to be paved He must figure out
how many cubic yards Of excavating is
to be done how much curbing, sand,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

beyond during the year, and conduct
services in an appropriate manner. Pro-
vided. that if a different day be more
convenient. lodges may hold such me-
mortal services on such day as deSig-
mated by the lodges.
Charles d. WEIGH will be the delegate
from Shawnee county in the Kansas
delegation of Murphy men at the ma
tiona1 enca mpment of Modern Wood
men in Indianapolis in June. The indi-
cations now are that the Murphy dele
cation chosen at Emporia will be seated,
because Murphy is believed to have Sc
cured control of the other delegations at
the encampment. Mr.. WEIGH was chosen
alternate of Judge w. E. Pagan, who
died Sunday night.
At the state meeting of Woodmen at
E.mporia May the convention split on
account of alleged unfair rulings of the
consul who favored the candidacy of
J. G. johnson of Peabody for the head
of the order. The Murphy people con-
sequently held a convention of their
own and each wing will send a delega-
ton of forty-two to Indiana polls. 1t is
on the claim of Murphy that he con-
trolls the delegation from the other
states that the Murphy people base
their expectation of securing seats. Z.
E. Murphy made his campaign on q
platform favoring the readjustment of
insurance rates in the order, a necessity
which is pretty thoroughly recognized
Mr.. Murphy lives at Leavenwortf.
Kas., and from there a statement of re-
turns from state conventions has been
sent out. They show a very favorable
prospect for his election The statement
follows:
Illinois-Defeated Johnson instruc-
lions; endorsed Fred G. White for head
consul by vote of 157 to 109; Major G.
w Halves for head clerk and George w.
Reilly for director; adopted the follow
ing resolution relative to readjustment:
That delegates to head camp go un-
instructed on the question of readjust-
ment to do the best they can for the
prosperity and perpetuity of the Mod
ern Woodmen of America, and while we
oppose the head camp committee plan,
we believe the rates of assessment
should be Of such a nature as to guar
antee the payment of every certificate
in full, and at the same time to provide
for the levy of no more than twelve as
sessments each year" This resolution
was adopted by a vote of ISL to SIS.
Number delegates So
IoWa-Endorsed Director G. =. Saun-
ders; instructed for readjustment with
referendum clause. Delegates 81.
Observation-Disclosures A. n. Bort for
head banker; voted in favor of readjrFSeN
ment and against referendum. Dele
gates IS.
Kansas-On account of unfair rulings
by state consul, the Murphy delegates
bolted and held separate convention;
contesting delegates will go to Indian
apolis, representing johnson and Muir
4 ply respectively. 1t is claimed that
Murphy had a majority of the delegates
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

in his convention. Delegates AZ
Observation-Disclosures A R. Talbot for
head consul, voted in opposition to pro-
posed plan, but uninstructed further. Del
egates 80.
dorsed H. A Monroe for director; B. D.
Smith claims latter proceedings irregular
and will contest at head camp. Delegates
Northumberland present administra-
ton; solid delegation for readjustment de
feated referendum; endorsed C. j. Byrns
for director. Delegates q
Missouri-Declared in favor of readjust-
ment; endorsed R. R. Smith for director.
Indiana-E. N Canada. representing ad-
ministration forces. elected state consul bv
vote of 68 to "a; delegates not instructed
on head officers; large majority claimed
favorable to reimbursement; resolution
adopted against committee plan only. Del
egates 16, all for Murphy.
Ohio-Solid delegation for reimbursement
and present administration Delegates II
West Virginia-Defeated Instructions
against adjustment complete victory for
administra ton forces; the three head camp
delegates in favor of reimbursement. Dele
Observation-Disclosures instructed for
reimbursement by vote of 81 to z. Also
friendly to Murphy. Delegates T.
Olahoma-Delegate instructed for MUIR
ply and reimbursement. Delegates
Wyoming Oregon. Maryland. California,
one to three delegates each are in favor OF
reimbursement and nearly all the delegates
are for Murphy for head consul.
The last issue Of the Western odd Fell
low, H c. Stevens. editor gives the fol
lowing news of interest to his fellow lodge
members:
ION Thursday evening. May z Canton
(Topeka) NO. Patriarchs Militant was re-
viewed Seventeen chevaliers and encamp-
ment members who wished to become
chevaliers were present. The following of-
ficers were chosen: H. c. Stevens, cap
tain; c. A. Elder. lieutenant W. o. Nevfli,
ensign; J. NJ Miller, clerk; A E. Jones.
accountant A committee was appointed
to prepare a new set of bylaws, etc This
boys expect to be in good shape again
branch of Odd Fellowship.
The twenty-five members of the Knights
of Pythias band have determined that they
will make their organization recognized
factor in local musical affairs and with
that purpose have elected Harry c. virgins
drum major. Under the new mana cement
it is intended to resume regular practice
and to place themselves a. little more be-
fore the public. The band possesses sew
era1 really able musicians and can make
itself very popular musical organiza-
ton with little effort
It is evidently the intention Of the
another lap on the dancing season and
lengthen out its fun until the weather be-
comes too warm to permit. This lodge
is one of the most successful dancing or
CARNATIONS in town, although the dance
feature is really an unimportant one be-
side the other activities of the lodge. What
/ is announced as being the last dance Of
the season viii be held Monday evening"
] May IS
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16
LODGE NEWS.
knights of Pythias Will Gather
This Week.
E. E. Murphy Gains Strength
for Woodman HOn0rs.
LODGES TO DECORATE.
Charles D. WeIch VIII Be a
WOOdman Delegate.
The h. Of P. Band Has Been
ReOrganized.
LODGES TO DECORATE.

On May IS, IS and 20 the grand lodge
of Knights Of Pythias of Kansas will
be in session in Topeka for the trans
action Of all the regular special bust
ness that comes before that body. This
meeting will be attended by a large
number of people. At the same time
the grand lodge of Rathbone Sisters,
the auxiliary organization. will be here.
Their united attendance is expected to
number about 1900.
The programme for the gathering Is
being prepared by Harry Wright and
will be ready by the first session Mon
day evening The local committees on
reception and entertainment have work
ed hard to get things ready. Headquar-
ters will be opened at the Copeland
hotel and several national officers are
expected to be here. The programme
for the sessions follows:
MONDAY, 500 P. M.
Annual special convention at Knights
of Pythias hall, Sixth and Quincy
streets. for the comforting of the grand
lodge rank and examination of creden-
tails of representatives
TUESDAY, 900 A NJ
Regular convention Of the grand lodge
at Representative hall. state house The
entire day devoted to business of the
grand lodge.
TUESDAY EVENING, $50 p NJ
Open public meeting at auditorium
Concert by Knights of Pythias band
Address of welcome, on part of city,
by the mayor, W. S. Bergundthal-
| Address, in behalf of the Knights of
the city, by Supreme Representative w.
A S. Bird.
Response by Grand Chancellor S O..
Mcdowell, of Columbus, and Grand
Chief Carrie Kinnard, of Wichita
Address on the Order and Uniform
Rank by Major General Carnahan, of
indianapolis, Ind.
There will be a plenty of music dur
ling the evening by Topeka's best talent
The public is invited to this session
WEDNESDAY. 900 A. NJ.
Reconvening of grand lodge in Rep
resentative hall.
The First Brigade. U. R., will report
at Throop hotel at 10 o'clock.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, 1870
Grand parade. led by the knights OF
Pythias band
Kansas brigade, Uniform Rank. grand
lodge officers, Rathbone Sisters, subor-
dinate lodges and visiting Knights
Parade under direction of Brig. Gen
eraI ]. H. Lyon
WEDNESDAY EVENING. $3.50:
Grand ball at knights Of Pytllas nan
lsn honor of visiting Knights and ladies'
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16


brick and vitrifed pipe. is required. how
many catch basins and crossing plates
must be provided and the maximum
cost for all.
He also prepares specifications, long
and elaborate, telling Just how the
pavement shall be laid.
When the appraisers have finished
their Work-usuaIly three appraisers are
appointed for each bunch OF petitions
IA special meeting Of the council is held
at which their report is read and if
property owners want to attend, and
object to the appraisement, they can
do so. and the council has the right to
change the report.
At this meeting it is also customary
for the engineers estimates and specif1-
cations to be presented and adopted.
The city clerk is then authorized to
advertise for bids on the construction
of the pavement, and a. time is fixed for
opening the bids, usually about two
weeks later.
About this time. also. it is possible
from the city engineers estimates, to
figure out approximately what the
pavement will cost, and about how
many improvement bonds the city viii
have to SELL and SO the clerk is in
structed to advertise IN the eastern
bond papers for bids on so many
thousand dollars worth of bonds more
or less
THE FIGHT FOR CONTRACTS.
Opening bids for constructing pave
ment usually bring out a good at
tendance at council meetings. It is
something which people can understand.
and they like to see the paving con-
tractors lock horns.
Sometimes the contractors get into e
ring" or combine, and divide up the
work on an agreed basis. But in To-
peka the fight for the work has been so
bitter and personal that prices have
dropped down to bedrock. and Topeka
is getting marvelously cheap brick pave
ment.
The first brick pavement was laid in
Topeka in 1890 and the work was done
by James Ramsey at $1.7S per square
yard. This year James Ramsey & Son
secured the big end of the contracts, but
viii get only S1.16 SLY and $11S1z per
square yard This is what competition
has done In 1902 some pavement was
laid for as low as s1121a. And the 1909
pavement viii be the best pavement
ever laid, owing to the strict specifica-
tons prepared by the city engineer.
The council awards the contracts to
the lowest responsible bidder. Each bid
must be ACCOMPANIED by a certified
check. and usually the city clerk has
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

not a single member of the city council
who could, off-hand, give a detailed
and accurate statement Of every step
in the process; OF the length of time re-
Quired for each step; of the multitude
of statutory technicalities to be com
Piled with. and the vast amount of
clerical labor involved.
Pavement construction, from the time
the petition is filed until the assessment
ordnance Is passed some four or FIVE
months afterwards, involves more city
officials and more city law than any
other enterprise in which the munich
pality can embark.
If the average citizen should decide to
Investigate for himself and unravel the
tangle Of red tape which involves the
building of pavement, he would prob
ably find it necessary to first indulge
in q brief course in municipal law af-
ter which he would be further enIight-
ened in regard to details by conferences
with the mayor. the city attorney, the
city clerk the city treasurer. the city
engineer. the street commissioner, the
members of the city council. and all Of
the municipal contractors who do the
actual manual labor of digging the
dirt. hauling the sand placing the curb
ing and laying the brick And then if
he should attempt to follow the course
of a pavement petition through the
rounds until it materializes in the form
of brick and stone and is paid for, the
chances are that he would find out a
number of things which he and all his
informants had overlooked
SUMMARY OF THE WORK.
The following schedule has been pre-
pared to show some of the pricipal
steps in the construction of pavement
1T is not claimed that this is complete,
because there are details which might
be added almost a d infinitum:
/. Petition filed with city clerk.
@ Petition read to the council. and re-
ferred to a committee.
Protests. if any, filed.
Examination of petition by city engi-
neer.
Meeting of committee. Engineers re-
port. Objections.
g. Report of the committee to the
council
Report adopted or rejected.
Resolution to pave adopted Publish
ed six times.
T. Twenty days for protests to be
filed during which it is customary for
the following proceedings to take place:
mates fled.
Appointment Of appraisers.
Report of appraisers filed.
Special meeting of council to hear OBJ
Jections to report.
Advertisement for bids on construc-
ton
s. Advertisement for bids on improve
ment bonds
g. Contracts let for construction of
pavement
Contractors bonds filed
Stakes and grades set by engineer.
Pavement inspectors appointed
T. Computation of assessments begins.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

about $4,000 worth of certified checks in
his possession after the bids are opened
AS soon as the successful bidder can
file with the city his bond for the total
value of the work he is to do. he can
begin work. The city engineer sets the
stakes to guide him. and the mayor ap-
points as many pavement and excava-
ton inspectors as necessary to stay ION
the job and see to it that the specifica-
tons are observed.
MONEY IS THE NEXT THING.
The contractors who do the work are
paid in installments as their work
progresses, as they need the money to
pay their men. 1t is therefore impor-
tant that just as quickly as possible the
city realize on its improvement bonds
and be ready tc pay for the work which
it has contracted for.
But there are some important prelim-
inaries which have to be gone through
with before the bonds can be issued
Just as soon as the contracts are let
the city clerk can begin to figure on the
IT,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16
City Council a Mandatory for
New Pavements.
Statutory Red Tape and How 1t
Is UnWOund.
"PAVEMENT BOOMERS. :"
They Get in Their Work on I'm
wary Citizens.
Topeka Has Invested ST, 7OO,-
600 in PaYements.
Some Things About Paving
Which the Public OverlOoks.
PAVEMENT BOOMERS. .

Plug citizens Of this community prob
ably know more about diplomatic in
trigues i'm the court of ST. Petersburg
than they do about the legal labyrinth
which encompasses the construction of
q piece of pavement in the city of To-
pelza
This is strange. perhaps, when it is
considered that since 1887 Topeka has
laid pavements worth 81 1901 600: a total
OF 367 city blocks. or over IS miles.
Tt is not so remarkable. however in
view of the fact that there is probably
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

(Continued on &c Twelvel
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16
1T IS THE ONLY PERFECT SPRING TONIC
nroos. a re p,,pzrn n,nEs AErEp A., r.rn aarnn,nEa
Cd PURIFIER CURES AFTER ALL OTHER :
AND PHYSICIANS HAVE FAILED

Beggs thevery
and brkendown
newce builds bonea amidst
disease before
svesu in eerre
functions easily perfectly healthy
It
Youo o yourself 0 NOW.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-16

entirely medicine
of of
either of JAMES TINS