The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-08
The TENT CITY.
1t Has Been Established on the
DOuthitt Tract.
Ten White Families Are the
Oldest Citizens"
NO MORE MEALS THERE
Food Won't Be Served at the
Auditorium.
Great Dray Loads of Supplies
Arriving Daily.

On the Douthitt tract. tent city has
been established with ten families as
oldest Inhabitants" The ten families
are all white people. and the tents are
furnished by the state
1t is probable that the tent city viii
increase rapidly in population from row
on. Today is the last day that refugees
will be furnished meals and sleeping
quarters at the Auditorium At a few
of the other refugee headquarters, meals
and beds win be furnished for a short
time longer, but for the most part, the
refugees who are unable to shift for
themselves viii be required to take up
tent quarters on the Douthitt tract
Instead of being a hotel, the Auditor
lum is changing into a wholesale gro
Gerry and clothing store
The relief committee will henceforTh
devote its attention to supplying pro-
visions instead of meals. A family viii
4 have to locate itself in a house, if it can,
and if it can't do that, it must take
tent Then the committee will sun
ply the provisions, clothing and some
furniture.
1t is the plan Of the committee to give
each family which is left destitute about
$50 worth of furniture. This viii include
cots. chairs bedsteads and a stove. The
committee also has a very large stock of
/ second hand clothing, and will be able
to supply a great many families.
Instead OF issuing orders on the retail
groceries for provisions the relief COM
mlttee Will buy goods al wholesale, and
issue them from the big grocery depart
ment which was established this morn
ing at the Auditorium. The first of the
stock was purchased this morning from
Morns & Myers at 900 North Kansas
avenue. This firm had great quantity
OF groceries which had been through the
Hood but which were perfectly good
The committee bought the stock. It is
probable that the committee will buy up
all the groceries which north side mer-
chants have to offer at reduced figures
The bulk of such purchases are canned
goods, such as vegetables, fruit and
meat.
The committee also purchased today
200 pairs of shoes out of the McMasuer
stock II North Topeka. The committee
stands ready to purchase in large guam
titles for spot cash any other merchan-
disc fro mNOrth Topeka which is US
able In this way the committee gets
its supplies at a low price and the
North Topeka merchants can move off
their unstable goods quickly and re
alize the money to invest in new stocks.
It is of advantage to both sides of the
transaction.
E. II. Crosby says that the committee
will probably not buy largely of dry
goods and clothing because such things
are not in very good condition for use.
If we should buy damaged dry goods
to use in making clothes for the refu-
gees" said Mr.. Crosby, 1T would raise
a great howl Of protest"
SUPPLIES FROM OUTSIDE OF
TOWN.
/ Great dray loads of boxes have been
pulling up at the auditorium all day
today. unloading the supplies which are
being sent in from outside towns. There
are probably 800 packing boxes on the
auditorium floor, waiting to be unpack-
/ ed They contain almost NerythlnSs
canned goods shoes. clothing and ma
terial for dresses. About 25 bushels OF
potatoes have also been received
a carload of provisions and supplies
from St Joseph No, has been received
from St Joseph: that is, it has been
ireceived in North Topeka 1t VIII De
placed in the hands of A l. Brooks
the we'll known North Topeka man, ana
be distributed By him to those on the
north edge of the kaW valley Who were
/ left destitute
The carload from St. Joe was accom-
panied TO IoPeka py =. - flerce' ma s.LT ~
ager of the Stock Yards Journal. and
/ r. H. Pyles proprietor of the Peoples
/ Shoe company, representatives of the
| St. Joseph Commercial club
great many of the supplies at the
Auditorium have come from WINFIELD
Dan Wyatt has been placed in charge
of the unpacking and sorting of these
supplies, and will keep a list of th~
.
thanks to the proper persons.
MAYOR OF THE TENT CITY.
H 0. Garvey ought to be the mayor of
the tent city He viii probably get that
position ex-officio, for he IS chairman of
/ the committee which is looking after the
/ tenters He says.
s.The state furnishes these tents. but the
committee is held responsible for them.
/ They must be returned when we are
through with them We do not intend to
I issue tents indiscriminately We went them
all to be set up on the Douthitt tract. 1t
would be impossible to look after then
properly if we allowed them TO scatter ell
over town and locate on every vacant lot
/ 1t would be likely to make considera Die
/ complaint from the neighbors'
/ The esta ablishment of the tent city ought
to put an end to the holiday which the
..drones'' have been enjoying. There are
still great many of the North Topeka
refugees especially among the cOlcred
people WHO are able to work and who VIII
! not because they expect the committee to
/ continue to feed them When the commit
tee has the families located and in some
measure seif-dependent. it viii be easier TO
discriminate between the deserving and
the indClent.
The demand for laborers in North To-
pelza is so far in excess of the supply thaI
there is no possible excuse for any able
bodied man being idle. A great many girls
and women are getting positions as
mattresses and kitchen girls and the free
ernpioyment department of the relief work
is busy all the time