The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-09
OSBORNE HAS A BOOM.
Many New Buildings Starting Inciud-
ing a $4,000 Court House.

Osborne March 9.-The travelling
men know a good town by the amount
of goods they sell in the town. Hence
it is a common sight to see them light
down on Osborne almost daily. They
say this is one of the best and that the
business men come nearer discounting
their bills than many others, and that
their standing with the wholesale
houses is firstclass. The growth of
the town and the increase in all
branches of trade in the last half doz-
en- years has been phenomenal.
One of her pioneer citizens and
business men has truly said, that in.
the last dozen years her trade has in
creased no less than one-half and that
the increase has been more in proper
ton in the past half dozen years than
in the same period for six years pre-
vious. To one who has been acquaint-s
ed with the city of Osborne for the
last quarter of a century, her recent
progress can not but appear phenom-
email. From a collection of about two
dozen frame shacks scattered here and.
there along two blocks of whirling
dust in dry weather or Quagmire in
wet seasons, to its present condition
of substantially built and continuous
row of brick business blocks, mostly
two story in height, along we'll paved
streets in the business section, and
city. is an advance which any town
might be proud of. Along with these
improvements are miles of brick and
cement walks, and more are being
built every year.
What i1npresses the visitor perhaps
more than anything else on approach
ing Osborne is the fact that it is al
most invisible on account of the many
fine shade trees which surround most
of the residences and practically fringe
all the residence streets. Only the
spires of the churches and a few of the
taller buildings are visible in the sum-
mer season.
Dozens of fine modern residences
adorn the city, many of which are the
equal in convenience and architectural
elegance to those of any city, as wit
ness those of DR.. B. F. Chilcott, c. H
Nicholas, F. H. Pulver, and many 9TH
ers.
The religious spirit of Osborne is evil
denced by the number and size of the
which. the Methodist church, was COM
pleted the past summer at a cost of
The financial interests of Osborne are
administered by three national banks,
whose combined deposits . aggregate
over SS00, 900. soll+s4
So rapidly has Osborne grown that it
has become necessary to add more ter
ulation is between 1.700 and 1900, and
not an empty desirable residence is to
be found. -
In the midst of all this prosperity
work Will soon start upon the $5O,OUO
court house to be erected here this
year. Osborne county, one of the
foremost in the splendid Sixth district, |
can then point with pride to a court
court not a soul in the county will be
ashamed of. Electric lights and her
fine water service, besides a firstclass |
Touring plant, are good to take into
when seeking new fields |
to settle in. Nor is Osborne behind in
an opera house, for she has a COM
auditorium.
Osborne lacks railroad conven-
fences, with only one line. With more |
than one railroad. it is doubtful if the |
town would have any more business |
industries, certainly no greater volume
of business would be transacted. Sew |
eral railroads have been surveyed |
here. but for the present they are |
resting quietly. Maybe they will come |
to the surface again, some time. And |
after all, nothing can scarcely check |
the onward growth of Osborne except /
4 succession of -drouth years, and there |
IS so much prosperity here that her |
business men don't have time to think |
Of them.
Crop prospects, that is the present |
Indication for wheat crop in Osborne i
county, are the best ever. The acreage
IS larger, and every wheat raiser SAYS |
MS crop is the best ever shown up at |
his time, and with more moisture in
he soil to help it along.