The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-17
kansas Merchants Leaving for
Their Homes Today.
Total Registration of Store
keepers Was sos.
SAW REAL FIRE DRILL
Visitors Watch Topeka Depart.
mental Box Factory Fire.
Everybody Seems Well Pleased
With the Weeks Visit.

The three days which have been
designated as Kansas Merchants
Week closed today one of the most in
teresting events held in the state In
years. Thursday was the big day or
the week and every moment Of 1t was
crowded with events of especial In
terest to the out of town merchants
who responded to the invitations is
sued by the jobbers of the city.
Some of the visitors have returned to
their homes but many more of them
spent today visiting sights about the
city and in getting better acquainted
with the industries of Topeka which
they patronize. That the event was
grand success Is admitted by everyone
and during the week from six to eight
hundred country merchants and sales
men visited Topeka, some of them Tor
the first time although they had trad
cd here for years.
Stragglers began to arrive Tuesday
evening and by noon Wednesday the
town was alive with badge-decorated
strangers bont on having a. good time.
And expressions heard on all sides In
dicate that they were entertained TO
their entire satisfaction. There was
some confusion occasioned by the fact
that the committee anticipated from
two to three hundred visitors while
more than twice this number came.
But at that all were cared for by the
committee though the membership OF
this committee was increased to two
or three times the original number in
an attempt to keep pace with the grow
ing number of visitors.
AS soon as a guest registered they
were provided with book which con-
tained passes to nearly every attrac-
tion about the city admission to Vine
~ arlr ND q n oil ftf bn r
fractions as well as free street car
tickets. At three o'clock Thursday af-
ternoon the five hundredth man sign
ed the register at the Commercial club
and received his book of passes.
Fifty-two other names were added
to the list during the evening and the
five hundred and fifty-third name the
last on the register, B. L. Wicket of
Soldier, was added this morning. A
fine exhibition was given in front of
the city fire department Thursday af-
ternoon. but those who stayed in the
city today were treated to the real
thing when the Topeka Box and Bar
rel factory burned this morning.
Thousands of spectators witnessed
the fire which was one of the most
spectacular seen in the city for
months and among the crowd were
hundreds of individuals bearing the
guests badges which were distributed
by the Commercial club. The pro-
moters of the Kansas Merchants,
week deserve great credit for the way
in which matters We're handled in the
face of the fact that several hundred
more merchants were in the city than
was expected.
Less than three hundred out of
town merchants notified the commit
tee that they would attend the Mer-
chants week events and usually in
cases of this kind a. number of those
who intend coming are detained or
find IL impossible to reach the city as
they intended. This week was the ex-
ception to the rule and the crowd was
three or four times greater than was
anticipated.
At that every one was cared for in
good shape and no complaints of any
kind were heard and most of those
who were here this year as we'll as
many more will attend the meeting
when 1t is given next year. Though
the temperatures of the past two or
three days have been exceedingly high
there were no heat prostrations Three
or four showers fell while the visitors
were in the city but IN every instance,
during the night or early morning
hours so that the program was in no
way interfered with.
The following names were added to
the list of visitors at the Commercial
club rooms since 3 o'clock Thursday
afternoon: .r..- .---.s.
A. l.. Daniel. Sylvia, confectionery.