The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-06
TOPEKA HAS BIRTHDAY


Holiday Talks Of Gas.
''If solid happiness we prize,
Within our breast this jewel lies,
And they are fools who roam
The world has nothing to bestoW;
From our own selves our joys must now
And that dear hut, our home
President Charles x. Holiday took
occasion IN his Opener" to say some
thing about the natural gas just brought
into Topeka. His address in part:
There has come to us today, mys-
ferrous stranger, one who is quietly Out
surely seeking out every nook and cor
neF of the city; invisible to the naked
eye, the mighty energy of this quiet
mysterious stranger viii soon make
ms influence felt along lines OF COM
merciai and Industrial activity. 1 REFER
to natural gas. the first natural re-
source this city has ever had, ana 20
OBTAIN which, Topeka had as usual 70
30 after it and get it. Other conmul-
tiles may fuss and fume to their hearts
content, about so-called model OrCtn-
auces that theorists are pleased 10 eL-
fer to natural gas companies ana
which are never accepted. Inc IdcL re-
mains, however. that Topeka. tonight,
10 miles from the natural gas fields Is
enjoying p cent gas, and the manu-
featuring rate places us for the first
time in our history as far as power IS
concerned on an equality with Kansas
Cits-.
"It has been said that The who would
be free, himself must strike the blow
This is as true in commercial as in
actual warfare and Topeka must be
quick to follow I'd this her first great
advantage.
eve have now entered the fight fer
the commercial and manufacturing SD
premacy Of the middle west, and we in
tend to win. No city on the American
continent can and does present so many
advantages to the commercial and in
dustrial world as the capital of Kan
STR q las
low rents, railroad facilities and near
ness to market, combined with cheap
power, are inducements too attractive
to be overlooked when properly pre-
scented
This is not ALL We have a man in
our community who ardenty declares
that Topeka is the center of as greaS
gas and Oil deposits as exist in the
United States. So ardently and fer
Vently does he believe this to be the
case that he is investing his own mon
ey i'm drilling for gas and oil and con-
fidently informed nae only today, that
he expected to bring in 20 million gas
well here this week, and that he wanted
the Commercial club to get ready to
pay over the 81 600 pledged by this or
ganization for the finding of gas and
oil in the vicinity Of Topeka, as he
was surely going to get it, This is the
kind OF faith that moves mountains.
Now admit for a moment that this man
is right What then2 If he can bring
in one 20 million gasser, he can bring In
100 or 600 and he can do the same
with the oil. Personally, / have already
begun to have visions. I can see rail-
roads and factories tumbling into TC-
peka from all directions, and Topeka so
expanded that she embraces all Shaw
nee county Let US wish our friend
Godspeed in his undertaking.
Stone Speaks of Topeka.
1--WE have lived and loved together
Through MANY changing wears.
NE have shared each others gladness,
And Wept each others tears.
The toast Topeka" was responded
TO by Robert Stone. After dwelling at
length upon the history OF the city, he
took up the sentimental side and said:
"The most important thing to US is
not the location in which Topeka was
placed, nor the climate or soil which
surround her, but the spirit Of altru-
ism which gave her birth. The inhu-
ence of a great idea or of a profound
conviction can never die. 1t is in this
sense that lie Comte says: The en-
pire of the dead over the living in
creases from age to age Accumulated
history and science are worth more for
any people than mere physical cOndi-
fiOn or environment. AS John Fisk
shows us, the defeat of Attila at Cha
Ions, of the Arabs at Tours, the victory
of Cromwell and the Roundheads, and
of Luther and the Reformation mean
more to US today than q year of
drOuth or plenty, a furry on Wall
street, or even an election at the polls.
The important thing with us is not that
we have made a political mistake or
suffered financial reverse. but that we
are permeated with a living and acting
principle that governs our lives. The
principle which inspired our fathers
was altruism. and that is the essence
of civilization. For as Fisk says So
cial progress is the continuous weak
ening Of selfshness and the strength
ening Of sympathy
"Our honOred and beloved friend and
governor has recently been praising in
eloquent words that are quoted from
coast to coast, the pioneers of Kansas.
In his speech ne quotes the beautiful
poem:
Our father cross the sea.
To make the west as they the east
The homestead Of the free
"The figure is beautiful but The
eulOgy is too meagre. The Puritans
crossed the sea to escape religious per-
secutOn, and to find q place where they
could worship God after the dictates of
their conscience. The pioneers left
homes where freedom to worship God
was unchalleneged to come to land
red with persecution of these devoted
to a mere prinicple. The Cavaliers of
England were noblemen who came to a
land whose rocks were supposed to be
gold in order to regain their fortunes
and retrieve their blasted regulations.
The pioneers were common people of
clean lives who left homes of plenty to
come to a land marked on the maps
and the minds Of men as the Great
American Desert
"Aeneas and Anchises fed from the
burning ruins Of Troy to found a new
home at Carthage. But the pioneers
left quiet homes and peaceful fresides
TO seek an unfriendly land. where they
knew their homes would be robbed and
their towns would be pillaged and
burned. The children Of Israel were
led by the hand of Moses and driven
by the hand Of God out Of land of