The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-14
Mr.. FR0sT's ADDRESS.
President of Commercial Club
Reviews Work OF Past Year.

1OInIH0TCldA cluD on the occasion OF Its
annual meeting last night Covering
a wide variety of matters the state
ment was concise and commanded at
tenIion The year 1903 gave the club
an opportunity to demonstrate its use
fulness for the general good, and the
opportunity was met when the club
disposed of the relief work among the
flood sufferers of the town. But this
feature was but touched upon in Mr.
Frosts report. He confined himself to
the material commercial progress dur
ing the II months. Mr.. Frost said:
Gentlemen;-The business interests
of Topeka have made gratifying prog
ress during the year and but for the
great flood in the Kansas river which
for period of about a month paralyz-
ed nearly every industry in the city,
except the retail business on the South
side, and the retail business on the
North side for a much longer period, all
records would have been broken. Not
withstanding these drawbacks the
manufacturing. jobbing and retail bus
mess of the city shows marked in
crease over last year.
KANSAS RIVER FLOOD.
The history of this great food has
been graphically written and the Incl
dents, pathetic, heroic and humorous
in connection Herewith most charm
ingly told by Mrs. Margaret H. Nc
Carter in her beautiful little brochure,
THE Overlooking Waters" and the
great WOTk OF fol1eI ana Tona
done by, and under the direction of,
the Commercial club preserved for pos
terity in the able and complete pub
lished report of the flood relief COM
mittee made by Major T. ]. Anderson.
secretary
The construction of the many build
ings erected during the year; rebuild
ing the city railway; street paving and
repairing the streets and railroads af-
ter the flood have given every class of
- 49,
day laborer, plenty of work at good
wages The money paid out for these
improvements has been largely re-ex-
pended in our city and to the benefit of
the business community.
The bank clearingS for the year
amounted to " million dollars, an in
crease of nearly three millions over
those of the previous year.
MANUFACTURES.
The manufacturing statistics are gath
the year ending March 81. The sta
tistics compiled by the very efficient
city assessor, Mr.. Oscar Bischon, show
that we have two hundred and ninety
one manufactures with an invested
capital of over four millions of dollars,
employing five thousand, five hundred
and forty-one people, paying out SO, 423,-
$40 annually for wages. The value OF
the manufactured product amounted in
1903 to over seventeen million dollars, a
very marked increase over the previous
year
Among the manufacturing concerns
which are all reported as doing a pros
porous business are the Topeka Bridge
works the Topeka Artificial Stone works
| the Topeka Pure Milk company and a
number of other smaller Industries.
The Topeka Bridge company was
compelled to increase its capital stock
| in order to take care of it's rapidly in
| creaSing business.
! The Central Sash & Door company
has been unable to fill It's orders (beine
more than 400 orders behind since July
| y and has increased its capital stock
from fifty thousand to one hundred
thousand dollars. This increased stock
is now seeking a market and ought tC
| find ready sale among our own citizens
who are looking for remunerative in
vestments.
The Continental Creamery company
| has purchased the entire plant of the
Moeser Ice & Cold Storage company
and has increased the capacity of the
plant until it is now much the largest
| creamery in the world.
The Topeka Ice & Cold Storage com
pany has erected new plant of large
capacity. In this connection it might
be noted that Topeka is the center OF
| the apple growing industry in Kansas
and has cold storage capacity for $4,000
barrels of apples.
Seymour & Co. have extended theil
| facilities for handling eggs and poultry
William Schick in order to provide
| for his rapidly increasing business, pur-
| chased the plant at present occupied by
the Topeka foundry and that institution
! is now seeking new quarters. The plant
must have a new building and the pro
prietors offer a rental on a long lease
| that will pay a good interest on the in
vestment. 1t Is hoped that some of oul
! citizens who have unimproved lots from
which they derive no income will cree
the necessary building for Messrs. Mil
lice and Holcomb, and thus retain this
growing industry in the city.
| THE KANSAS MIDWINTER EXPO
SITION.
The management of the Exposition
association in view of the success o.
the Midwinter fair in 1902 felt warrant
ed in holding last winter the SECOND
one, which was even more successful
than the first and is now preparing II
hold in the latter part of this month
Much credit is due Mr.. R. S. Brigham
the secretary and general manager, fo
his untiring work and able manage
ment in connection Herewith.
TOPEKA CITY RAILWAY.
The greatest improvement made il
the city and the largest expenditure o
money for labor during the year ha
been by the Topeka Railway compan.
IN rebuilding it's entire line and wheI
completed in the early spring Topeka
cellence of roadbed and equipment Il
any in the country. The interest takel
: by the Commercial club in securing tn
: franchise for the Vinewood Park roat
and subsequently for the extension O
the franchise of the city railway afte
its purchase by the Vinewood company
! has been fully justified.
The City Railway company has me
every promise and obligation assumed
, by it and has acted in the utmost goo
faith It is to be hoped that the com
pany will be heartily supported in 1t
efforts to give the capital of the stat
thoroughly equipped and up-to-dat
: rapid transit system.
, STREET PAVING.
Since the Commercial club took &C
ton in 1898 looking to a revival o
street paving 207 blocks of paving hav
. been contracted for. Some of the paw