The Topeka state journal., 1908-07-01

grow to big Institutions and we want
tneir aid in this movement. Some of
these little fellows have been talking
to me about the matter. and 1 believe
their arguments are good
Frank Cope: I'VE sent out market
quotations last Saturday to 800 Gus
toners all over the state, and 1 en-
closed an invitation to merchants'
week and self-addressed card in each
envelope. While I have hardly had
time as yet to receive a general an
sMer to these invitations, yet about
fifty replies have been received al
ready The. very first one wanted
three plates reserved at the banquet
Tor himself. wife and daughter. A
second is coming sure: will try to be
Johnny on the spot A third says he
Will surely come and wants us to have
a platter ready for him. Another will
De here If he possibly can. Still an
other says that some member of the
firm will be here to enjoy the fun An
other man from whom 1 have never
Deen able to get an order writes that
ne cannot come, but as P. S. gave a
nice order for goods. Another asked
for two plates at the banquet and at
the same time became a new customer.
And so 1t continued down the line of
answers. Over half Of them accepted
and all expressed regrets that prev
lous arrangements prevented their at
tendance. I am confident that this
d
large number of representative busi-
ness men to Topeka from all over the
state"
The card received by Mr.. Cope in
which the writer asked for plates for
himself, wife and daughter brough.
up a discussion of the question of
whether or not ladies would be invit-
ed to the banquet. 1t was finally de-
cided that this was to be more Of a
business than a social affair, and that
while the ladies would be entertained
and cared for, yet they were not par
ticularly included in the invitation,
neither were they barred, however
r. b. Nelson was called upon and in
short talk gave a good boost for the
new organization.
Frank P. MacLennan: Just as an
Illustration, to show the variety and
magnitude Of the business done in To-
peka by country merchant 1 want
to cite the case Of my brother, who
conducts a small store at a cross roads
town. Mr.. Whitteker and Mr.. Nelson
sell him seed potatoes; he ships his
eggs to Mr.. Borman; he buys Topeka
flour from Mr.. Bair and Topeka hams
from Mr.. Wolf; he buys his tomato
plants from Mr.. Lutz and produce from
Mr.. Cope; he buys drugs here in To-
peka, and the other day made an order
for refrigerators. He buys pottery
from Mr.. Wurley, and by the way this
is a man we should get to join our
association. Then he sells hides to
Mr.. Smith, and of course buys goods
from the Parkhurst-Davis Co. Now il
small merchant at a cross roads does
business with a dozen men present in
this room tonight, consider the volume
of business you have with the larger
merchants in the towns over the state.
want to call your attention tonight
to a couple of new men we have here
at this meeting. The gentleman on
my right is Mr.. Jolly. and he has at
least $50 customers over the state.
Then there is A. D. S. Macarthur, the
new man at the head of the soliciting
department of the Smith Automobile
factory. He has travelled all over this
western country. and is. 1 understand,
most pleasant gentleman and fluent
talker. He has come here to live and
thinks Topeka is the best city in the
west. You can hardly realize the i'm
portance of this meeting tonight. The
attendance and interest in the face of
the bad storm indicates more plainly
than anything else the strength and
momentum this movement has gained.
II this number would brave the storm.
how many would have been present
here had the evening been clear and
fair? We are on the right track and
sure to gain great benefits in the end
for Topeka"
Mr.. Macarthur was called upon and
responded with a funny Irish story.
Then he went on to tell about
Diagonal, little one horse town in
Iowa that had post cards printed
showing a map of the United States
with a big black spot with a circle
around it to indicate Diagonal, 1.-The
only place on the map" But while
this appealed to Mr.. Macarthur as
:oke, yet he declared 1t paid always to
advertise. He said that on one
occasion while in the east he talked
to a man about the Great Smith auto
mobile, made in Topeka. The man
thought it was a joke about good
car being made SO far west, but when
he learned the facts about the car, the
plant and the city in which it was
built, gave an order for car without
ever having seen one.
T. E. Armstrong: Il am a new
member, but since l am here I under
stand the trend of your meeting and
1 want to say that the A. A. Co., are
with you on every jump in the road.
This movement will place Topeka be-
fore the state in the proper light and
her resources will be seen and appre-
ciated. A prophet is always without
honor in his own country. I had to
go to Denver to learn about our IA
nous preacher. DIR. Sheldon, and it
was on visit in Texas that learned
that Topeka was the home of the Y.
NJ. c.. A. movement, and / am a SUBJ
scriber to that cause, too. Your meet
ings beats those of the Commercial
club. and 1 am member of that
organization. You are wide awake
here and will accomplish great
things"
Arthur Beard: "Our firm has 500
customers in the smaller towns Of
Kansas, and we will invite them all
here for Merchants week. / believe
this plan is going to be grand sue
cess"
j. X. Bair: 81 am just getting ac-
quainted with the men and resources
of this city myself. We have to get
together occasionally to know each
other We are sure to make a great
success of this movement, and / want
to say that my firm will increase its
assessment if necessary to carry out
the plan as outlined here this even
ing"