The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-27
BLOCKS THE GAME
VIM. H. Barnes Refuses to Leave
Horticultural Rooms.
In Open Revolt Against Orders
of the State.
MUST PUT HIM OUT.
Won't Go Until His Term of
Office Expires.
Custodian Voorhees, Declines to
Custodian Voorhees, Declines to
FOrcibly Eject the Secretary.

|
Seated calmly in his little Office in
the basement of the state house. WILL
lam H. Barnes, secretary of the state
| horticultural society, has formed him
self into, hollow square, run up the
| black flag, and bid defiance to the great
| congress.
Barnes won't move The state of
Kansas told Barnes to pack up the
| horticultural society exhibits and move
them to new quarters provided on the
| top floor of the capitol building.
Barnes told the state to go plumb to
| thunder, or words to that effect. He
said that he liked his quarters in the
basement, and wouldn't stand for any
interference.
So the executive council instructed
Carl E. Vorhees, custodian of the build
ing, to move the horticultural society
in spite of its screams. Mr.. Vorhees
turned his janitors loose in the room.
and commenced to pack up the picked
pears and Waxen apples, and transport
them to the top floor. Mr.. Barnes, with
d1gn1hed austerlty, retired to his pri-
vate office and refused to participate in
the dismantling of his works. Figur-
barricade between his private office
and the outside world, and went into
a state of siege.
Here 1 stay" he announced to the
custodian, until / am removed by
force. And when 1 am compelled to
move, will leave the state house. 1
won't, go to the top floor, so there
nOw.'
Day by day the work of moving the
horticultural society to the top floor has
been in progress. Canned goods and
dried fruits Went first, closely followed
by books and documents to the extent
of several wagon loads, and then the
furniture was lugged off by the indus
trious hirelings of the state. Pictures
the new rooms, and today there was
nothing left but Mr.. Barnes himself,
his desk and his Office chair, all three
of which were firmly rooted to the pri-
vate Office.
1.-The game is blocked" announced
Custodian Voorhees, when he had re-
moved everything except Mr.. Barnes, |
the desk and the chair. 1--WE can't get |
any further until we get rid of Mr. |
Barnes. don't propose to throw Mr. |
Barnes out into the street unless the I
executive council tells me to. The ex-
ecutive council is unable to hold a |
meeting because a majority of the
members are away from town. Until I
the council orders me to forcibly take |
possession of Mr.. Barnes private Of t
flee he may stay there and hold the |
fort.
But it is not a little bother to the |
state. We have the painters and |
cleaners ready to go into those rooms
which have been used by the horticul- |
tural society, and fix them up for the |
adjutant generals department. which |
has been assigned to them. But we
can do nothing until we can get into
Mr.. Barnes private office, and clear it
out. Everything must come to
standstill until Mr. Barnes is ready to
go, or the council orders him put
out"
indications are that the siege will
continue until Saturday, at IL m, at
which time Mr.. Barnes has announced
that he will pull down his colors,
blow up his powder magazines, dis
mantle his batteries, sink his ships,
and retire from the field in good or
der. If Mr.. Barnes can carry out his
and hold possession until
tory as victory for Barnes, for on
noon, his term of Office ex-1
pires, and he is succeeded by Walter
WellhouSe, the new secretary elected
by the horticultural society at the meet
ing last winter. OF course after the
expiration of his term of office, he
doesn't care what becomes of his desk
and chair, and they will be left to look
out for themselves.
Walter Wellhouse, the new secre-
tary has superintended the work of
moving the horticultural society to
the new quarters on the fourth floor,
in place of Mr.. Barnes, who refused
to recognize the existence of the order
There seems to be no especial objec-
ton to the new quarters on the part
of Mr. Wellhouse. The society has
been given suite of three rooms, and
the rooms have been connected by
archways, and made very attractive.
In many ways the new quarters are