The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-05
THE COUNTRY CLUB.
A Subscriber Gives His Views on
Location.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
/ As one of the subscribers to the
/ Country club project allow me 10 COM
mend the stand taken in your issue O
the 1st instant: to go slow in the selec-
ton of q suitable location for that club
| Surprising the financial affairs of the
proposed club were in the hands OF con-
/ serVative and reasonably unselfish busl-
ness. men it was a surprise to learn that
their initial act contemplated hiring
site instead of buying one.
Eligible location at this time can cas-
fly be procured at a value within
I reasona BILE limits; ten and Twenty-Five
years from now it probably viii not be
possible to own a desirable ground OF
one hundred acres without paying al
most a prohibitory price for it. Anyone
conversant with the trend OF suburban
values within the last few years Will
assent to this assertion.
Add twenty-five years to the age OF
your humble servant and I much FEAR
not even the wings of everlasting time
will enable him to take part in any
amusement even if it be as pleasant
sounding as those of a Country club,
nevertheless how selfish and unfeeling
it would seem not to consider and plan
for those who in a quarter Of a cen
fury will be at their heyday of enjoy
ments. If the present generation is all
for self how glad some of US are
that those preceding US were not form
ed on such lines.
The beautiful and in some instances
almost grand designs On which Topeka
was conceived would lead US to sup
pose that our fathers'' were more far
seeing and perhaps unselfish than our
Country club proposes to be and hSW
glad we OF this generation are that the
permanently beautiful entered into the
conceptions that laid out this city
which is an ornament to western civiliz-
alton.
Shall we fall behind those that went
before in planning for the future?
No, no, gentlemen; let US design and
build up this Country club for those
growing up as we'll as for ourselves.
After all, the most important matter
to consider is not whether to reach
the club it takes a. drive of few min
utes more OF less, or whether that
drive is mostly along the brick paved
streets and curbed walks of Martin &
Dennis addition, or through the park
like Potwin, Auburndale and asylum
and more or less over country roads
strangers and friends through one
route we may feel more complacent
than in doing so through the other,
but this is incidental; the main ques-
ton is how suitable is the Dudley
tract for the purposes generally sought
| in forming a Country club.
If golf is the sole aim of our club,
the Dudley tract is probably as suit
dDle DIS Is the cage ldHus Dul AO1 Tie
purpose of all other sports and out
door pastimes the Dudley tract, on
account Of its rolling surface, is about
useless.
Do you think our young men won't
want to become polo experts? Don't
say it's not the fashion in Topeka.
Was golf a Topeka sport ten years
ago?
Do you think those handsome girls
we daily see riding about the streets
won't wish for level prepared turf
or avenue over which to breathe their
swell mounts and show their expert
horsemanshiD2 I rather guess sol
VIII the young men be behind the
girls in their desire to show off? If
so this generation is different from the
last
A Country club should have other
aims and aspirations than golf; all
outdoor sports should and will be de-
sired by its memb ers.
The Gage land as it lies is emin emily
suited for the general purposes of out
door pastimes and If, as this writer
opines, the Dudley tract is adapted to
but one, that of golf, don't let's have
it, even if it has the advantage 20
/ that we can rent it and have the priv
ilege during the next twenty-five years
! of spending in buildings, walks, drives
and on maintenance of the property
the nice sum of $150,000, and at the
end of that time moving off with not
so much as a thank you" to make
room for suburban building sites.
If the directory of the club find,
upon sending out their requests for
the payments on subscriptions, which
We're made with the understanding
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