The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-14
COPELAND is SOLD
James Chappelle RelinGuishes
the Property Today.
New Manager Is George Law.
renee of Wichita.
WILL BE REBUILT.
IL BE REBUILT.
Extensive improvements to BE
Made.
Retiring Manager Promises to
Give Topeka New House.

/ James Chappelle, for the past five
Il years proprietor of the famous Cope
land hotel at the corner of Kansas
avenue and Ninth street, has sold out
to James Copeland Gordon and George
Lawrence, and the new proprietors
take charge at once. They will later
close up the hosiery for the purpose
of remodeling and renovating it from
top to bottom. When opened again to
the public, it will be strictly modern
i'll fittings and fixtures throughout.
| Mr.. Chappelle came to Topeka five
years ago from Kansas City and leased
| the Copeland for term of five years,
| the lease expiring last Saturday. He
had an option to renew the lease, but
decided to dispose of his right and all
the hotel furniture at the same time.
J. G. Gordon is the owner of the Cope
| land building, while Mr.. Lawrence,
who will have active charge of the re-
modelled hotel, formerly conducted the
Hamilton hotel at Wichita, and is a
hotel man of long experience. ee
Mr.. Chappelle received the old Cor
don homestead at Highland park. two
houses on Van Buren, street and a cash
consideration on the deal. Mr.. and
Mrs Chappelle will remove to Kansas
City in the near future, where Mr..
Chappelle, who is secretary OF the
Western Life, will engage in the insur-
ance business Mine host of the Cope
land started out in the hotel business
as bell boy in the old Palmer house in
Chicago, twenty-five years ago. Later
| he conducted a hotel at Rockford, Ill,
| and still later two hotels at Butte,
Mont. He came to Topeka from Kan
sas City. During his five years here
! as proprietor of the Copeland Col.
| Chappelle has made a legion of warm
friends and played his part well as a
prominent citizen of Topeka. He Will
hold his Topeka property and also
| the farm at Seabrook southwest of the
city, visiting Topeka often to look at
| ter his interests here. Mr.. Chappelle
| expects to return to this city some
| time in the near future and engage
in the hotel business on a big scale.
| He has the money raised, through
| company, to build a 100000 hotel
here and will do so as soon as the site
desired can be secured. Work on this
proposed hotel would have been start
ed over a year ago but for trouble ov-
er the site question.
The Copeland hotel was built by j.
| Copeland Gordon, twenty-three years
ago and was conducted by Mr.. Gordon
Continuously up to the time 1t was
leased to Mr.. Chappelle in 1908. This
hosteIrv is the best known hotel in
the state, becoming famous as the po-
litical headquarters of the Republicans
of Kansas. Located only a block dis
tant from the capitol building, all the
Kansas statesmen. their followers and
the office holders and lobbyists that
frequent Topeka during sessions of the
legislature and state conventions,
stopped at this hotel. The Copeland
lobby and committee rooms are by
words over the state and II their walls
could speak they would tell OF every
political deal of Importance that has
I. ;rkr Of state
the past quarter of century.
The formality of making laws was
transacted in the state house, but most
of these measures were drafted dnC
passed beforehand in the upstairs
rooms Of this famous Inn. Men clmped
the staircase OF the Copelaho WIN "a.
and lean purses and known ana I'M
known to fame and descended them
with their political fortunes made or
lost.
During legislative session or state
convention the pail of cigar smoke
that enveloped the lobby of the Cope
land day and night marked the center
of the campaign and the making OF
state history, just as the history or
fate of nations was decided in the
smoke of battle. ingalls,, Plumb, Per-
kins, Baker. Martin. Long. Curtis,
Bailey one after the other entered this
smoke of political battle in the Cope
land lobby and fought and won and
lost and most of these men are gone
and the Copeland knows them no more.
In the Populist days there was time
when the gloom hung over the Cope
land lobby heavier than the cigar
smoke. but PopuIism passed away and
the cigar smoke remained until the
primary came and dissipated 1T to some
extent But the Copeland lobby will
always be a gathering place for the
hosts of the faithful, even If some of
the old glory and Importance of the
place has gone. 1t was a Stubs
headquarters in the last campaign and
when the falling leaves sound the
requiem of summer past and gone AMI
the January winds beat its windows
and rattle at the storm doors, the
council fires of countless cigars will
again be kindled and the smoke rise
again to the rafters of this we'll known
and we'll loved lobby, as the hosts of
Hamilton assemble to settle the des-
TIMES of Kansas.
Every politician, great and small, in
Kansas will note with interest the
slightest change that affects the Cope
land. They will regret the passing of
the genial Chappelle while they hail the
return of the founder of the hosiery.
Mr.. Lawrence, who will have the active
management of the hotel. is an ex-
perienced and capable tavern keeper.
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