The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-11
IT'S OURS ATLAST
Formal Transfer of Water Plant
Takes Place.
Bonds Turned Over at 2 O'clock
Today.
THE DEED rs FILED.
Through It Topeka Comes Into
Its Own.
Slight Delay Caused by Regis
tratiOn Of Bonds.
Superintendent Shaw VIII Now
Report to Council.

Report to Council.
The formal transfer of the property
of the Topeka waterworks to the city
of Topeka was made this afternoon at
2 o'clock in the office of the city at
torney at the city building. Mayor
Bergundthal, City Attorney Charles
| Spencer. City Clerk Squires and City
Treasurer NJ. M. Hale appeared in
behalf of the city, while Charles F.
Street appeared as the representative
| of the Topeka Waterworks company.
The whole transaction took but a few
minutes and was very informal in it's
nature. The registration of the $780,
| 600 4 per cent bonds of the city of
| Topeka which took place this morn
| ing at the auditor of states office was
completed by Il O'Clock. City Treas
urer Hale and City Clerk Squires were
present during the registration. The
securities were carried back to the
city building tucked under the arm OF
City Clerk Squires. The $3.50, 1000 bonds
made a bulky bundle but the open
ness with which they were displayed
in the transfer from the state house
back to the city building would have
mlSled anyone as to their value.
Ordinary common binding tWine was
/ N4dppS0 dDOuL the mass Oh green
paper which represented over half of
the purchase price of 100000 paid
for the plant. The cost of the regis
tration of the bonds at the auditors
| Office to the city was SITS. With the
| payment of this sum of money the
ordinary looking bulk of green paper
was transferred into a mass of Sc
curities representing thousands of
dollars
The deed registered at the court
house was turned over by Mr.. Street
to the city officials and in return he
| accepted the bonds. These will be
shipped via express to New York.
Mr.. Street will return to New York
today. Commencing with Monday
morning the employees of the water
works company receive orders from a
new boss. The citizens of Topeka,
through the city officials. are the su-
pIeme head of the waterworks prop
erty; The money. which has been
, grudgingly given for water rentals to
the octopus on Wall street will now
stream into the Golfers of the city.
The present employees remain in
his successor appoints the board of
trustees. However, before this can be
done the citizens of Topeka, under the
provisions of the law just recently
by a. vote upon the adoption of the
law. The vote is to be taken at the
coming city election.
The city officials, when they heard
of the removal of the final obstacles
to the transfer, heaved a general sigh
of relief. After legal technicalities
which looked unsurm ountable at first
the city has come into its own.
The entire history of the attempt
by the city to take over the water
works plant would fill the seven
columns of a newspaper Resolutions
and motions to fill dictionary have
been presented to the city council and
passed with reference to the municipal
ownership of the Iong-sought prop
erty. Lawsuits to reduce the rates
were brought by the city during a
course of time extending over some 1 5
years. No conclusion was ever arrived
at, however, and the matter was
finally dropped. Away back in April
of 1902, three years ago, the Topeka
Water company made the proposition
to sell out for $620,O00, and it looked
very much at that time as if the
tangle in which the title of the prop
erty was at the time, however, kept
the city from purchasing Along in
the fall of that year the company en-
underbrush by foreclosure proceed |
ings. The status of the matter re-
mained, however, indefinitely fixed
until the forepart of 1904, when activ- |
relapse through the Parkhurst-Davis |
fire of February IS, which showed |
the condition of the power of the |
plant in no enviable light. Hope |
cilmen. Then along in April of the !
same year bonds were issued by the |
city to purchase the plant and again /
everything looked serene. Delay after /
delay occurred, however, until the 1st
of January, 1905, when the council |
triumphantly announced its intention /
of making the transfer. The triumph |
was previous. The city attorney and |
the special attorney, J. D. Mcfarland, /
who were employed in going through /
the title, found a great mass of flaws. |
The council subsided into their seats /
with a groan- The attorneys fought /
among themselves and argued pro /
and con. The council sat dumb and I
dazed with the flow of legal outpour- I
ing. 1t was the night before the I
dawn, however, and the legal techni-
The city has come into its own.
How Deal Was Closed.
The city will take formal possession |
of the property of the Topeka Water
works company early next week, prob
ably on Monday. The question of the
exact time hinges with the state audi
tors office. The registration of the
1886. 600 bonds of the city of Topeka,
which will be offered in payment of the
plant, viii have to be done by that
office before they are valid and negoti-
able and can be turned over by Charles
f. Street trustee for the company
Mayor BergundthaI at last nights ad-
journed meeting of the council with
drew his objections against taking over
the plant previous to April 1 and upon
his statement and the report of the
special committee appointed from
the members of the council to
go over the books and accounting of
the company the council deemed it adj
+r,Txe