The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-16

today that he had received applications
from more than $50 families who would
want tents. These applications have
been filed from time to time since the
announcement that tents would be pro-
cured and since yesterday when it was
announced that the village would soon
be ready for its inhabitants, many OF
these inquiries have been repeated Mr.
Stage this morning ventured an esti-
mate that ! 900 people would take tents
if they could get them.
NEW APPLICANTS.
Where all these people are now stay
ing, and have been staying since the
flood. nobody knows Many Of them
have kept off the hands of the relief
and shelter cOmmittees entirely up to
the present time. waiting only for the
tents to be made ready. Undoubtedly
many of them have lived with friends
who are unable to shelter them long
but have in this manner lent valuable
assistance to the general relief work
Men have come to the officers in charge
Of the Auditorium headquarters. say
ing:
Give US beds. a few chairs and a
stove Wen take care of ourselves
then. but we've got to have something
to start with. A little furniture is all
we want, and we can get houses some
where
People with this spirit have beer,
readily aided by the relief COMMITTEES
and it is believed that several hundred
families after securing a few dollars
worth of household goods, have entirely
withdrawn themselves from the support
of the public. A lot of this sort of peo-
pie, unable to get houses, will accept
the offer of free tents in the fair
grounds. During the past two weeks
several churches. among them the First
Cumberland Presbyterian and the First
Christian, have sheltered many people
on Kansas avenue and in many Of the
halls upon the side streets hundreds OF
families are living in halls unused Of
free and mill >
Santa Fe shops dozen or more Rus.
sian families, whose men work for tn.
company are now living in an unuseh
shes
Considering all these people who will
have to leave their present temporary
shelter the estimate of the relief COM
mittee as to the probable number of tho
tent villagers does not seem unreason-
many of the better class of people. now
homeless, for whom the idea of living
in the fair grounds will be very repue~
nant- They will remain there the short
THE TENT CITY.
BY tonight at least 100 tents of the new
tent village on the north side of the fair
grounds will be in place and ready to re-
ccive their occupants The work of I'M
loadlng and taking account of the ship
ment OF tents from Fort Riley occupied
al the morning. Lieutenant Cowles and
Police Officer Mcintosh went over the
ShpIneilI togeJher There are about 40
tents. This afternoon Mcintosh with a
dozen men from the police department and
street force, is pegging and ditching She
tents while the people who have for the
last two weeks lived in the state tents on
the Douthitt tract are preparing to move
into their more comfortable quarters. The
tents now being pitched face the long cat
tie shed along the north fence. Space for
cooking and eating will be marked off in
these sheds for each family and the ten
ants Will be allowed to shift for them
selves in the matter of getting food
There will be several daS-s Of work upon
the task of arranging the Snlage. but when
completed it viii be fairly comfortable.