The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-06
BEAUTIFUL Topeka
City Has Advantages Besides
Climate as Summer Resort.
Does Not Suffer in Comparison
With Best of Them.
WATER, GRASS, TREES
Parks and Theatres Offer At
fractions tOAmusementSeekers.
What Could Be Done With the
Biddle Creek Valley.


| States and is 1000 feet above sea level.
1t may not be cool or picturesque
| in the valley of the Kaw as Pixies Peak
and other Denver points in the Rocky
Mountain range. but Topeka is pleas
antly located in the midst of chain
Of hills covered with the finest blue
grass in the world and the death rate
here is as low in summer as Colorado
Springs can boast of.
Topeka has eleven beautiful parks,
all of them touched by 10 minute car
system. Vinewood park has come to
be known as a famous resort and now
offers all the attractions known to the
amusement world. There are lakes and
groves and rustic bridges in all the
public parks Down on the Kaw river
near City park is a boat house owned
by the Topeka Motor Boat club and 30
gasoline launches are in commission
there, to say nothing Of fleet OF oar
boats. Swimming and boating will be
all the rage in Topeka this summer.
OF course the Airdome will be In full
blast all summer and also the h1gh
class vaudeville theaters and picture
shows. One Of the finest concert bands
in the west furnishes music at the diff
ferent parks on hot weather schedule
that does not expire until Kansas peo-
pie sing the Harvest Home"
Really, there is not a more beautlful
city than Topeka in the Mississippi val
ley. The streets here are broader, the
parkings wider, the trees more plent1-
, full than dozen cities this size In the
United States can equal. All the streets
in the city are two-thirds wider than
the usual average of cities. The paw
ing is narrow and this gives hand
some parking on either side, which op-
portunity has been taken full advan-
tage of by property owners who love
the beautiful. Long rows Of noble trees
adorn every street in Topeka the
blue grass grows here on the lawns
and parkings like it does in the mead
ows of Shellcutt county. Ky. A view
of the city from the dome OF the CAPT
toll or the roof Of the new National
hotel will astonish even an old resi-
dent, swelled with pride Of his city. II
he has not seen 1t lately. The scene
ry Is not on the order of that of Lake
Lucerne, Switzerland, but the trees are
so thick as to give the appearance OF
an immense grove through which the
paved streets struggle like white RIB
bons and the roofs Of the houses and
tious structures are seen like those OF
French village in the valleys OF
southern Canada
Speaking Of the National hotel. brings
to mind the fact that Topeka Is to
have a roof garden this summer, and
one as finished and modern, Of not as
large, as that Of any city in the coun-
try The National will open this gar
den on the 18th Of this month with a
reception to the local lodge OF the
Another great inducement Topeka
offers as a summer resort is the guam
tity and quality of her city water, an
item to be considered in the prairie
country OF the western states. the CITY
water supply is secured from the sand
underneath the valley OF the kaW. A
large number of wells have been drill
ed deep down into the made" ground
below the river bed and all one mas
to do is turn a faucet in order to get
drinking purposes as that drawn from
the we'll at the old homestead Dy the
old oaken bucket covered with moss
This city Is enjoying steady
growth and prosperous times. There
is something doing here all the time.
Amusements, conventions, activity. In
every suburb of the city can be founo
fine houses and grounds, parks ana
public institutions of interest. such as
Washburn college, three hospitals and
the state asylum All these institu-
tons are surrounded by large and
beautiful grounds intersected by
driveways.
OF course, 1t is hot here In the
summer. There are no breezes from
the sea, no snow clad mountains, but
If the sun shines hot and the
thermometer climbs to lofty perch,
there is always a cool breeze from the
south across the prairies that makes
the many shady places in the city cool
and comfortable. A city Of trees and
grass and cool breezes can keep very
| comfortable in hot weather. There
are no saloons here for summer re-
sort jewellers, but as a compensation
there is water as pure and clear as
that brewed in the mountain tops
among the cataracts. The extreme
blessings and drawbacks Of the Ia
nous summer resorts are not found
here, but there is a happy medium
that will appeal to many people
Some day some enterpris1ng person
! or syndicate will build a dam across
the valley just this side Of the ceme-
terry at the terminal Of Eleventh street
and utilize the waters of Biddle creek
for an immense lake of depth and
beauty. Nature has fashioned a fine
reservoir at this place for a lake and
the dam The lake will be 400 feet
wide by over a thousand feet long and
| a depth Of over forty feet. The water
could be kept clear and fresh all the
| time. One of the finest parks In the
| entire country could be built at this
| place, and If this is ever done To-
| peka will become a famous health
resort. People will come here from
| all over the west by the thousands
| and settle in the big horels along the
| edge of the lake, wondering why they
| did not hear Of Topeka long ago as
an ideal place to spend the summer
| months. After all, 1t Is water that
makes a health resort. A lake, an
| ocean or a mountain peak. People
will travel hundreds of miles and put
| up with the heat and dust and high
way robbery and crowds and mis-
cradle accommodations in order to be
near the sea or the shade OF the
mountains
4 A..