The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-04
Gives the State Journal an In
teresting Interview.
BOOMS OKLAHOMA CITY
The Remarkable Growth of a Re-
markabIe Town.
Good Progressive Pol
icies-RaiIrOad Rates Secured.

The fact that the city council is go
ing to open bids for the resurfacing of
Kansas avenue on Monday night has
brought a number of paving con-
tractors to Topeka and considerable
interest is manifested by those en-
gagged in this line of public improve
ment in the future course of this city,
in awarding contracts.
Among those who are here investi-
eating the proposition, is A. G. Root OF
the Cleveland Trinidad Paving COM
pany, of Cleveland, Ohio.
The company represented by Mr..
Root is said to be the largest indie
pendent paving company, laying
asphalt pavement, in the country and
has control OF what is known as Ber-
mudas asphalt
This is the asphalt deposit located
in east Venezuela over which there has
been so much controversy in the past
few years and which has caused a
suit to be prosecuted by President
Castro of Venezuela against the as
phalt trust in which damages are
claimed by President Castro for SILL
600, 900.
Mr.. Root has charge of the opera
tions of this company west of the Mis-
sissippi river and his company is now
executing contracts in Kansas City,
where they recently busted the trust
and secured six of seven streets that
were advertised for resurfacing there,
, and contracts in Oklahoma. City, Okla,
and in Wichita, Kansas.
Mr.. Root is an enthusiast on Okla
hOma City and said TO the State Jour
nal in response to questions from the
reporter
..Unquestionably the greatest sur
prise Of my life is Oklahoma City. This
town in the past five years has built
about eighteen miles of asphalt
streets and it is the best paved city of
it's size in the world. 1t has about
thirty thousand population now within
its limits, and the suburbs have about
| five thousand.
Its growth is wonderful, when it is
known that the United States census
of 1900 gave the city but ten thousand
and thirty-six population.
1.-THE chamber of commerce there
has a secretary whom they pay
thirty-six hundred dollars a year
They have a membership of over five
hundred.
1.-The secretary showed me on a recent
visit there, wherein he had saved the
city in freight rates in the past year
| over one hundred thousand dollars. He
was formerly an assistant general
! freight agent of the Santa Fe railroad,
| but now makes his home in Oklahoma
/ City and has invested there quite -heav-
/ ily. His figures show that Oklahoma
J III
viii exceed forty million dollars and IN
/ the next twelve months at least twenty
/ two new wholesale establishments will
enter the field.
I'm every public Improvement Okla
! homa City, through its chamber of
4 commerce and a liberal city council,
! now exceeds cities several times its age
and population in the east. It's credit is
| first class. An issue of four per cent
bonds there recently sold for Si06.
tkays f4f l79
homa City is particularly fortunate. 1t
4 has a FAR better theater than there IS
4 in Topeka or even the state of Kansas,
4 Colorado or Texas and the management
manages the theater. Tt pays no atten-
ton to the theatrical trust. It pays
I good money for good attractions and
gets the best Among the recent en-
| gagements there for this season are
/ Lewis James. Mime. Sarah Bernhard,
Richard Mansfield Alice Nielsen and
Nine. Calve. The theater seats about
eighteen hundred people, has fine acous-
tic properties and is Immediately clean
| "Our asphalt company now has under
i contract there nearly four miles OF
asphalt streets and several large con
! tracts viii come I'D shortly Nothing
! but asphalt is used in the paving OF
/ Oklahoma City. The city is about to
I spend two hundred and seventy-five
) thousand dollars in addition to the sani-
1 tary sewer system, $225.900, IN addition
"A leading banker there told me thai
at least 20 per cent of the bank deposits
We're owned by farmers and everybody
/ has money. The city has trade terri
tory with a radius of 100 to 200 miles
and it will unquestionably be city ol
100000 population in short time.
Our company is very anxious to ge
a foothold in Topeka. We are differ
emily situated from all other paving
companies in that we lay not only as
phalt. but we have large contracts O
granite block, brick and tar uacadan
: pavement as well. We have absolutely
T. no connection with any other paving
concern and we have quite little repu
tation for busting the trusts in a mum.
Der of the leading cities in the pas
IF we securs the contract here w
are prepared to commence work a
once; and, when we finish Topeka vii
; have as good streets as money car
: lay. Bermudas asphalt, which We viii
use here, is unquestionably twice a.
good for permanency as any asphal
used for paving"