The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-25
NOW He LIKES IT.
Former TOpekan Comments on
Appearance of Topeka.
FL. C. Speer Talks About the
Transformation.
PAVING SYSTEM DID 1T.
Wide Parkings Improve Ap-
pearance of Streets.
Here to Sell Kansas Bonds to
Depository Bidders.

Henry c. Speer, who from 1881 to
1885 was state superintendent of pub
lie instruction, and who since that time
has Joined the ACKNOWLEDGMENT union
and settled in Chicago by virtue of his
profitable deals in bonds, is in Topeka
today, with about s300.OD0 worth of
Kansas bonds which he has to sell to
Kansas bankers who desire to bid on
the state deposits under the new law.
From the standpoint of an out
sider," said Mr.. Speer today, 81 should
say that the state was not very anxious
to find banks to take the state money.
OF course the board of treasury ex-
aminers complied with the law, and
published the advertisement stating
taht the state would receive bids at
certain time from banks which desired
to become state repositories. If a
banker happens to see this advertise
ment, which of course he is likely not
to, he can send to the state treasurer,
who 1 see by a peculiar provision of
the law is made secretary of this
board which is supposed to examine
him, and be supplied with a blank
form on which to submit his bid.
Now if the state had been really
anxious to get bids under the deposit
tory law, why QtQll II S1IlPly SO
ahead and send out one of. these blank
forms to every banker IN the state? 1t
would have been easy to get a list of
the banks. and the expense would have
been practically nothing. 1t would
have brought it directly to the attten-
ton of every banker that here the
state was offering an opportunity to
secure funds at low rate of interest,
and he would naturally have consider
ed the proposition seriously.
at IIndaT-Sfa nd that aTi4V four five
bids have so far been filed. OF course
this is not the 10th, and more bids
may be in before that time.
tI have been making tour of Kan
sas, and other parts of the west, and
never saw things SO prosperous, or
crops looking so fine. Things have
changed immensely since used to live
here. l am not out here especially to
sell bonds to bankers who desire to
secure bonds to deposition state funds;
of course 1 have about $500, 900 worth
of first class Kansas bonds for sale,
but I expect my price for them is more
than the bankers would care about
paying
Mr.. Speer knows all the old time
politicians in the state. but there are
few of them left around the state
house. He met Colonel Veale this
morning and the had a season of
reminiscence.
Il used to think said Mr.. Speer,
fthat this town of Topeka was about
the raggedest, tough est, fiereest look
ing place I ever saw in my life. These
great wide streets, stretching away
through a SparSely settled region of
prairie land, the mud, and dust, and
scorching sun. combined to make To-
peka a mighty unpleasant place to be.
Compared to Topeka, Lawrence was
garden spot. But can't say too much
for Topeka now. 1t is one of the pref
test cities 1 ever saw, and it seems to
be improving all the time. You have
Il xxrid of the Cfr0QfS nv
throwing a large portion of them into
parks, and paving the remainder. 1t
gives a beautiful effect. Then the
growth of trees has been amazing The
barren landscape has been completely
changed.
81 notice a similar change all over
the state. Every little town is filled
with trees, pleasant homes, green grass
small the town is, 1 find that they al
most invariably have their waterworks
system, which supplies the inhabitants
with the water needed for the culture
of grass and flowers.
"Of course there has also been a
change in the climate, due to the
growth of vegetation, the breaking of
the ground here and in Oklahoma and
Texas. The rain which used to run on
the hard-pan of the prairie is now alb
sorbed by the earth, and in course of
nature again precipitated upon the
earth. This is what is making Kansas
boom.
seWhen 1 first took the office of state
superintendent, I had little office in
tn e east wing. Later was moved into
the west wing and was the first Off
cial to have an office in that wing. My
office was where the state auditor is
now located
Since leaving Kansas. Mr.. Speer has
had a great rise in fortunes, and he is
now conducting one of the leading
bond buying concerns in Chicago. He
has always kept his. eye on Kansas, and
has invested heavily in all kinds of
Kansas bonds. He has bought city of
Topeka bonds on several occasions. His
deals in bonds have proven profitable
and he isn't obliged to teach school for
a living any more.
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