The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-10
Spend the Day in the Wheat
and Salt Belt.
TALK TO MERCHANTS
ssMade' a Dozen Good Towns
Along the Santa Fe.
Find Merchants Prosperous and
Crop Prospect Good.

Anthony, Kas., May 10.-The Kan
Has City Commercial club pulled into
Anthony at dusk. after a hard but
pleasant days work. It was met at
the depot by the Anthony brass band
and escorted up town, where the visit
ors spent a couple of hours with local
merchants. No formal programme
was arranged. The club was here last
year and a blowout was given for it
at the opera house, but the opera
house is closed now. The eastern
owner won't open it unless the city
will contract to buy it, and the city
declines to buy. The band gave
concert from the band stand on the
square.
The trip of the day was over the
Santa Fe. through the famous Kan
sas wheat belt. The growing wheat
is in excellent condition and the pros
poets are bright for a record breaking
crop in the country traversed. Corn
is peeping through the ground and
shows a good stand, pastures have a
heavy coat of fresh grass. and cattle
are all looking sleek The people are
prosperous and happy. Merchants
everywhere report good trade and
banks show larger deposits than ever
before. This section of the state has
had plenty of rain. 1t is too wet in
most places to work the fields.
At Florence.
This was the first town made by the
Kansas City Commercial. club on it's
present trip. The train ran in here
during Sunday night and laid up till
morning. The members were out
bright and early, calling upon their
customers. Florence is feeling good
over some improvements which the
Santa Fe proposes to put in. Con-
tracts have been let for a fine pas
senger depot freight depot, and
about two miles of yards. The COM
a
this summer.
At Peabody.
The Kansas City Commercial club
spent an hour here Monday All of
the stores were visited and the whole
salers got an opportunity to make up
a personal acquaintance with local
dealers with whom they have been
doing business for years. Peabody is
surrounded by rich agricultural
At Walton.
The half dozen merchants here were
swamped with visitors for a few min
utes Monday when the Kansas CITY
club made its stop. Greetings We're
exchanged and acquaintance formed
which will result in mutual benefit to
Doth Kansas City and Walton.
At Newton.
The Newton Commercial club headed
BY a. brass band. met the Kansas CITY
Commercial club special Monday and
NooHA TIE NlhllOIS IN charge for hour
ne wholesalers were escorted up town
where they called upon their customers
and then spent a few minutes at the
depot talking trade. The Santa Fe
company VIII spend 100000 in improve
ments at Newton this year. 1t is put
ting new yards of u tracks a mile in
length, is charging it's roundhouse to
accommodate the heavy new engines
M 5l IS extending its machine shops.
Next year the yards will be doubled
again. The Santa Fe has built a stock
ace around Its shops to protect it's en-
Bines and machinery during the present
strike. Local merchants renorf trade
good.
At HaIstead.
Halstead business men had carriages
az the depot and drove the Kansas Civ
wholesalers over town. Each visitor
was taken to his customers stores and
IN ms way was able to get around in
hurry. Halstead is thriving Pros
poets are bright for big wheat crop.
At Burton.
The entire population of Burton. in
Guiding men, women and children turn
ed out to welcome the Kansas CIV
Commercial club. and for 70 T9inS,t tes
showed the visitors everything there
was to be seen here. Growing crons
are in good condition and the mer-
cnants look for big years business.
At Hutchinson.
The Kansas City wholesalers got a
move on them when their s1eciaI
train reached here. They only had
an hour to do the town and it took
some tall hustling for the different
members to see their customers
delegation of business men met them
at the depot and escorted them to the
business section, making it easy for
them to find their people. Hutchin-
son is getting ready to take on a new
electric street railway system and
paved streets, also an interurban line
10 Wichita and Newton. This is the
greatest salt town in the west also
the largest poultry and produce shin
ping point in the state.
AT Pretty Prairie
The Kansas City wholesale dealers
were delighted with the prosperous
condition of this place and the pros
poets for growing crops this season.
j. M Bush, "A local merchant gave
them samples of growing wheat three
feet tall and samples of blue grass
that cannot be beaten in old ken
lucky.
At Kingman.
Local merchants dropped business
for an hour and entertained the Kan
sas City wholesalers. They report
bright prospects for business. as the
country is in fine shape and gives
promise of rich harvests. The visitors
were each given a rock salt watch
charm as a souvenir.
At Harper.
The Kansas City Commercial club