The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-03
FOR A new SEWER
Resolution to Build One in the
Second Ward.
Councilman Ryder VIII Intro
duce 1t.
1T MUST COME SOON.
People Realize One Will Be
Built
just a Question of When 1t
Shall Be.
II MUST COME SOON.

councilman L. a. Ryder VIII at the
council meeting Monday night intro
duce a resolution providing for the con-
struction of a sewer system in the Sec
Ond ward It seems likely that the
resolution will be passed, and the con-
struction of the sewer ordered unless
the people in the Second ward can with
in 20 days present remonstrance sign
ed by resident property owners repre-
senting a majority of the square feet
of land in the district
Neither Councilman Griley nor Coun-
Gilman Holiday will introduce a reso-
luton for the construction of the sewer.
They both will oppose the proposed
move. But it is pretty generally known
that both of the Second ward council
ment are personally in favor of the
sewer, and want to see it built. They
will fight the sewer project simply be-
cause they believe that a majority of
their constituents want no sewer.
1t is almost exactly the same kind of
a tight that the North Topeka sewer
encountered before it was finally built,
and Indications are now that the result
will be similar. 1t is regarded as doubt
full whether a majority of the square
feet of land in the district, owned by
resident property owners, can be rep
resented on remOnStrance. The ma
jority of the residents of the district
may be opposed to the project, but the
larger property owners are probably
in favor of it. In North Topeka the
fight for and against the sewer became
so bitter that it involved personalities.
People who had bee ngood friends all
their lives were transformed into bit
ter enemies. Finally, however, the
council ordered the sewer built, and
now nearly everybody in North Topeka
is glad of it. The sewer helped out
that part of town a great deal in get
ting rid of it's surplus water after the
flood. The same arguments which are
now being used against the Second
ward sewer were used against the
North Topeka sewer.
One Second ward man said today;
Sooner or later there will have to be
a sewer built in the Second ward, and
1 don't know but what we might as
well build it now as anytime. There
will always be opposition to it, and
do not think the opposition will grow
any less as the years go by. A great
many people want the sewer built, and
could, if necessary, present some strong
petitions to the council The law gives
the council the right to order the sew
er built. the only way to stop 1t being
by a remonstranee signed by the own
ers of a majority of the square feeI IN
the district. I doubt whether a major
ity of the square feet could be secured
on such a TemOnstrance, and am GER
tain that it could not be secured within
the 20 days which the law allows.
The attitude of the two Second ward
councimen is decidedly funny They
have canvasSed the Second ward Suf1-
GENTLY to know that there is very
powerful opposition to the sewer, and
that it would be political suicide for
either of them to openly advocate its
construction. A man who owns one lot
can vote just as hard as man who
owns a dozen, but the man with the
dozen lots is the fellow who counts in
real opposition to the sewer. 1t is the
votes which the Second ward council
men are afraid of.
CITY Engineer McCabe said today: 1t
will not be a difficult engineering pro-
blem to build a successful sewer in the
Second ward, as some have claimed OI
course the land is low, but it is better
than North Topeka for sewer system.
For some distance from the river we
would have to be content with fall
of about one foot in 1000. but after we
get back from the river some distance,
the land rises rapidly, and we could get
all the fall we can use. There IS no
doubt that the Second ward needs
sewer"
The cost of the proposed sewer
would be heavy, because it would be
big district and would require as
large a sewer main as any ever con
structed in the city of Topeka Ihe
main for the proposed sewer will be
built in the form of an ellipse, the
greatest diameter of which Will be
about 6 Z feet. 1t will have the ca
pacity of a 6-foot circular sewer This
I
to Fifth and Chandler streets. Here
it will divide into two smaller brick
MAINS one feet in diameter, which
will run east and then south to Tenth
and Lafayette, and one feet in di-
ameter, which will run to Eighth and
Chandler. From these two brick
mains the Vitrified pipe lateralS will
extend to all portions of the Second
ward east of the Santa Fe tracks. No
estimate on the cost of the proposed
sewer has been made, but it would
probably cost about S150,000. The
/ cost per lot would likely be from $50
to $40, which would be payable in ten
annual installments.
The council has practically pledged
itself to build sewer in the Second
ward, and viii probably carry out its
pledge unless the necessary remon-
STRANGE is fled. When the council
voted to spend $500 in widening the
of Biddle creek, the same resolution
carried a provision that immediate
steps should be taken for the con-
structiOn of a sewer system. The res
olutiOn for the construction of the
sewer has been prepared by the city
attorneys Office, and is ready for the
meeting of the council next Monday
night.
There is already one remonstrance
on file against a sewer in the Second
ward. but While it contains a good
many names, it is not nearly sufficient
to defeat the proposition. This re
monstrance was fled some time ago,
when the first talk of a sewer was
heard.