The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-26
MUST HAVE CASH.
Six Thousand Dollars Needed to
Save Right-of- Way.
Fate Of Topeka Southwestern
Awaits the Issue.
ALIVE TO SITUATION.
Small Meeting Held and Nearly
$4,000 Raised.
Another Meeting Tonight to
Complete the Fund.

l
cure the right of way to the west line.
into the treasury of the county to Sc
cure the right of way to the west line
of Shawnee county from the west line
| of Topeka, to satisfy claims of those
| who have appealed from the findings
Of the appraisers.
A hurry call for a special meeting of
those interested was sent out this
morning by the financial committee of
the Topeka Commercial club and re-
suited in a meeting of a dozen men
during which s1,7OO of the necessary
sum was pledged. A week ago a COM
mittee consisting of Geo. W. Crane,
w. C. Stephenson, and ]. w. Robinson
was appointed to secure the necessary
subscriptions.
At a meeting held last night they
reported their lack of success and the
meeting this morning was called for
the purpose of Immediately raising the
necessary funds. The purpose of the
meeting was stated by Mr.. Robinson
who then said: There never was a
time when everything looked as bright
for the Topeka & Southwestern rail-
road as the present.
However. We are up against pro-
position which must be met and that
by Monday night, the raising of $4,000
cash, which will be used to satisfy the
demands of the Shawnee county court
in accordance with the report of the
appraisers who have fixed a damage
value upon the land through which this
road will pass. Until now we have
never been in shape to offer securities
to an investor which would warrant the
purchase of the bonds of the road.
Conditions are different now and
we are able to offer securities which
appear to me to be gilt edged. In the
past the lack of certainty has tended
to produce lack of confidence on the
part of those who otherwise would
have become purchasers of the bonds
of the road. These bonds were re-
leased last week upon the payment of
a registration fee Of $1,000, to the
Columbian Trust company of New
York
Immediately the Southwestern
Construction company which was
formed for the purpose of building the
road wired the secretary of state from
New York and deposited $4,000 or 20
per cent of their capital stock, which
now makes our proposition a tangible
one from the financial standpoint. 1t
will cost 100000 for the right of way
for the road to the west line of the
county and as soon as this is paid the
actual construction work will be
commenced.
Donations are not being asked by
the Topeka and Southwestern COM
pany. Ten thousand dollars worth of
bonds have been subscribed for in
Topeka and six thousand dollars
worth more must be disposed of be-
fore the construction work can be
commenced. This sum must be sub
scribed and paid over to the treasurer
of Shawnee county by the 29th of this
month, next Monday, to save the right
of way, which has already been ap-
praised and arranged for.
Ready tn ReCiu
1.-THE minute that this money is paid
into court the actual work of railroad
building will be commenced. There is
no doubt about it. The contractor
with complete outfit of more than 100
teams and an equipment sufficient to
push the work to an early completion
is on the ground and has been for sew
eral weeks, ready and anxious to go to
work. The matter of furnishing the
right of way as we agreed to do should
have been attended to some time ago
and now we are up against it and only
have until Monday evening in which to
raise the $4,000 necessary to secure it,"
Among the people who are demand
ing more than the appraisers allowed
and who make it imperative that this
money be raised are James Chappelle
and Mrs VIM. Sims, through whose
property the railroad is surveyed.
I'VE must get busy, and that at
once" said c. K. Holiday who pre-
sided at the meeting. I'VE have been
besieged by small army of knockers
organized by a man who is asking
$4,000 damages which he claims will
be done by the railroad crossing a
| farm, which cost him less than $1,000.
| The appraisers allowed him $1,000
damages for less than three acres of
land which Is to be used as right of
way"
II would like to ask If Mr.. Chapelle.
for 1 take it that he is the man re-
| ferred to, would not accept three $500
| bonds in lieu of his claim for dam
ages" said member of the COM
/ mittee.
| I'VE suggested this to him. said
| the member of the committee, land he
turned us down fiat and said that
| $4,000 was what he was asking for the
| damages done his property and that
| this must be in cash. We then asked
if he would allow $500 of the damages
awarded him by the appraisers to be
applied on bond which he subscribed
for and has not yet paid for, and he
refused to entertain proposition of
| any kind other than the $4,000 in
cash, and as we were soliciting money
instead of paying 1T out we left him.
Blames the knockers"
we would not have been confronted
with this trouble of raising $4,000 if it
| had not been for the knockers who are
| loose in the community" said Mr. Hol-
liday, "and just why they exist Is more
| than l can see. l understand that if
1T had not been for one Topeka bust
| ness man who is out of humor because
| the road passes through his farm that
there would have been no appeals ia
ken from the work of the board of ap-
praisers who have allowed liberal dam
! ages to properties injured Cor benefit
ed) by the proposed line of the Topeka
| & Southwestern railroad
A. G. Goodwin said: Mr.. Chapelle's
property is not greatly damaged by the
proposed road and viii on the other
hand be benefited to a large extent. AS
a depot is to be located just across the
road from his farm. Less than three
acres will be used by the Topeka e
Southwestern and its right of way and
, IL seems ma thar the