The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-12
CITYHASONENEED
Place Of Rest and Retirement
for Farmers Families.
Should Be Adjunct to Public
Market or Exchange.
PLANS DEVELOPING.
Merchants Nay Get Together
and Establish One.
Suggestion Made That CONNER
cial Club Take. .It Up.
DEVELOPING.

A crying need in Topeka, one which
will do much to make the city popu-
lar with the great number OF far
mers and their families. who ind it
necessary to do business neres and
which viii attract to the city many
more farmers. who now md it con
venient to trade elsewhere, is the es-
Enlistment Of a sort of a farmers ex-
change or public market, similar to
those with which many other cities in
the country are equipped.
And a most important adjunct of
such an establishment, and one which
is particularly needed in Topeka, is ..
good substantial building in which can
be htted up rest rooms for the wives
and children of the farmers who come
to town with them and need just such
places to rest and fix up after q long
and tiresOme drive from their homes
in the country. Under the present
conditions there are practically no Ia
cilities of this sort. in the city, unless
1t is the hotels which could not be
patronized except at considerable sx-
/ pense. Many farmers. with their
wives and families drive ten, twelve.
fifteen and even twenty miles in the
morning to reach the city to do their
weeks trading, and there is actually
no place for the women and children
/ to go and rest Up before starting or
their trips around to the stores
During the past few months there
have been many complaints from far
mSrs to merchants of a lack of Sucft
q place in the city, and the merchants
have been told that many more far
mers would come TO town oftener and
/ their wives would do more trading n
/ the city, and less with mail order
! houses, If there was some place here
for them to make their headquarters
while they are in town. A number OF
/ the mercantile houses have thought
that it might be advisable TO set
apart rooms IN their stores for the
benefit OF the farmers wives and
children. but such places would hard
! iy I'LL the bill. What the women OF
the farm need and want is a central
ly located place where they can be
driven as soon as the city is reached
/ and where they can talkesa good rest
brush the dust from their clothes and
fix up generally before starting
! around to the stores.
A building with rooms for this pur-
pose, on the site Of & farmers exchange
or public market could be made large
| enough so that the upper story could
be used as q hall by the farmers fos
| holding meetings of one sort or anoth-
| er. There are three oranges in this
vicinity and majority Of the members
| of each of them are generally in town
| on the same day and Ii would be con-
| venient for them TO hold their meet
ings here. Then this hall could be used
for the holding of lectures for farmers
on a variety Of topics Of interest to
| them, for which there would be NO
I trouble in making arrangements wish
/ the professors Of the State AEricul-
tural college and the state officials who
look after the agricultural and hort
cultural interests of the state.
/ As to the scope Of the farmers ex-
change, it could be made as large OF
small as desired. At any rate there
] lrYTe n lk H@<r -F TO- Es--
to stall their wagons and sell their
stuff direct to the public if they cared
to do SO, and there ought to be facili-
\ ties for them to auction of such
they might, desire. They could be charg-
ed a fee for stallfng facilities OF for
/ auctioneering privileges and the mon
ey so collected could be used towards
/ the support of the undertaking and
make it self-sustaining.
! There is no doubt that an establish
ment of this kind would be most popU-
lar with the farmers and their families.
and would attract any quantities OF
them to the city who are content to do
their trading in the smaller surround
/ ing town, and what they cannot buy
| at these places secure through
mail order houses. As the trade of the
farmers Is one which the merchants de-
/ sire to cater to such an establishment
would not only be popular with and
families but would also be Of benefit tn
the business interests Of the city
In most cities where places Of this
sort have been put at the disposal Of
the farmers the expense Of creating
them and operating them is borne by
the municipal authorities Topeka's
financial condition is such at the pres
ent time that the city fathers would
probably hesitate a long time before
they would set aside a sum OF money
sufficient to provide such q place, al
though the sum needed you'd not
necessarily be large. It would not be
necessary to buy vacant plot OF
ground suitable for the purpose It
could be rented for the time being and
if the venture proved successful could
be purchased eventually
But the need for such a place is 50
great that it is likely the merchants q
the town will get together and provsfA
It in some way without asking ak
from the city. A plan has been sUg-
gested by some Of the merchants that
this is matter which should be taken
up and pushed to q, conclusion by the
Commercial club.
One suggestion is that the CONNER
cial club should form a stock company
for the purpose and sell stock to the
merchants OF the city. There is little
doubt that this stock would be taken
up in short order by the business men
as they are all alive to necessity for
such an establishment. In this way
each business man could invest an
amount OF money in the venture which
interests and the drain on no one man
or Arm would be heavy.
j