The Topeka state journal., 1903-04-20
DOWNS IMPROVES.
Prosperous Days Largely Due to
Mayor end Council.


Downs, Kan, April 20-His honor.
Mayor H H. Welty, and the pro-
Sfessive, pushing council backing him.
IS giving Downs a great hit that is
improvements all over the town are the
9fdef OF the day If you are not in
favor of these needed improvements, .
said one of her live business men. then
you are opposed to Downs keeping up
with the progress sister towns are MAX
ing at this time Jim Davis lives here
BE is enthusiastic. He is the leader Of
the Downs ladies' band, he was the or
ganIzer of this now superb band COM
prising seventeen of the best and sweet
est young ladies of all the short grass
country And no one should visit
Downs without becoming acquainted
with Jim Davis And had he resided
here al the start of the town he would
have been the originator of the Downs
annual birthday carniva1s.
The present council of Downs are G.
II. Skinner, D. B. Harrison, Lew Mel
bergen, VIM. Duden and Geo. Olson.
The c0uncilmen say Mayor Welty Is a
bumper as well as liberal. Duden is
an old railroad engineer. coming off
the Santa F'e more than twenty years
ago and taking an engine on the Cen
tral Branch OF the Missouri Pacific. He
IS chairman of the sidewalks committee,
and was the first man in Downs to put
down a vitrified walk in front of his
property Before the close Of the pres
CElt Ncdl A1ONAtS Will nave COlA1kylCtC0
about four miles of vitrified sidewalks
and crossings, with curbings. When
July 27 comes and the big jam of peo-
pie aEe here to celebrate the twenty
fourth anniversary of Downs the Wis
itors will see the best sidewalxed town
west of the Missouri river There is
money in the city treasury to pay every
dollar, and then some left
Downs is the central point for the
Central Lumber Co, with yards at
f4TGRn4a2T
PhilHpsburg. Kirwin and Barnes.
over s35. 900 Is invested here in one of
the largest and most thoroughly equip
ped yards in Kansas. The officers of
the company are: President, H. H.
Welty, who is mayor Of Downs; vice
president. NJ w Hardman, manager
of the yard of Phillipsburg; secretary
and treasurer, W. H. Non, manager at
Greenleaf.
Down has normal and commercial
institute school and property valued at
s.. 600. The present enrolment is about
90. Charles Berkman is principal; Mrs
Berkman. assistant; Mrs Allen Delay.
Superintendent of music. A commercial
and short hand department will be ad-
ded this year.
The regationalists are building a
$4,000 church
The familiar Upton House is being
converted into a modern hotel, with hot
air furnace, hot and cold water, bath
tubs, and other conveniences. Colonel
Ifpton. the pioneer western landlord, is
veneering the house with pressed brick,
and building two large bay windows,
when completed the old Upton viii
have nothing in sight to mark the old
home Every governor and senator
Kansas has ever had has eaten and
slept in the famous Upton hotel besides
many aspirants for these oflees-
Downs has its annual carntVals, July
27 This wear it will be her twenty
fourth, and the people say they are go
ing to have the biggest of all. That Is,
they are going to give their VISITORS
more than the worth of their money.
The ladies' band, of IL members VINO
are giving Saturday afternoon concerts
in the railroad park, will be a drawing
card. The visitors win see two large
produce and commission houses, the
Continental creamery station VIII treat
the guests to buttermilk, the residents
will show their guests through town
and point out not only the public places
of interest, but will show them, too, as
coy, beautiful lawns as can be seen III
the older settled parts of eastern Kan
sas The visitors will see the work pro
crossing on the residences OF DWlghl
II. Harrison and E. Lowensteln, Whlch
will cost no less than $500 each. And
they will see as pushing, enterprlslng
business men as are found in the west.
They will be glad. also. to know that
the Missouri Pacific pays out monthly
to their employers in Downs ABOUT So'-
600.
So anxious are the business men to
celebrate these July 9th carnivals, sew
eral of them were seated in the drug
store of J. A Forline discussing this
years anniversary. and all OF them
said that if Downs ever missed one
they would quit the place for good
They have given Downs wide adver-
tisement. in fact, made the place TO
some extent, and they have come to
stay.