The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-13
NORTH SIDE NEWS
David Page and His Snow Block
ade Experience.
Was in Colorado With T. E.
Forbes.
STALLED FOR DAYS.
Page and Forbes Walked Down
Mountain.
Other Items of Interest in
First Ward.

! David Page, who recently returned
from trip in Colorado, tells an inter
esting story of how he and F. z.
/ Forbes were in a train which was
blockaded by the snow on the top of
the continental divide near Corona, the
last of April, and how he and Mr..
Forbes walked down three thousand
feet to relief train at the mountain s
foot.
| I'VE boarded the train at Sidney, a
| On the Moffett road, about April 29,''
| said Mr.. Page in relating his exper-
| fence. There had been a snow block
| ade previous to this, but 1t had been
partially cleared away. However, we
had six engines, two pushing snow
| ploW, two which were buckled on from
| a freight train which had started ahead
of US; and two for our passenger train.
However, in spite of all of these en-
1 gines We got stuck in drift after it
had been showing for some time The
| train was blockaded for several days.
| Mr.. Forbes and myself stayed on the
| train until about Mays.
| I'VE rather enjoyed ourselves. The
car was furnished with plenty of food,
as delays from blockades were expect
ers are too heavy to pull over the
| mountain roads. The first thing in the
| morning we would go outside the cars
and join in a SNOWFALL fight with the
| rest of the passengers. Meanwhile the
| tra1nmen had established telephone
| communication with a nearby station
and learned that a relief train from
Denver had reached as far as ToIan, at
| the foot of the mountain below US.
These mountain trains are equipped
! with telephones which may be attach
ed to the telegraph wires and thus
| communication established with sta
| lions. When we heard the news of the
! arrival Of the train, we decided to go
down to Tolan.
] However, before we started we saw
our rotary snow pillow bucking the
| drifts. 1t was a great sight. The plow
would back up eight or ten feet and
| then butt up against the drifts and
snow would fly in all directions This
| process was repeated time and time
| again. 1 understand that the train
| broke through the drifts and got to the
mountains foot two days after we left.
| Mr.. Forbes and myself were the
only ones who went to Tolan on foot.
| We left about noon of May 3, carrying
heavy grips on our backs. We followed
the telegraph lines as it was the
shortest cut to Tolan-about eight
miles, which was 5000 feet below our
blockaded train. The distance by fol-
| lowing the railroad would have been
forty-two miles.
/ by wading, sliding and walking we
reached ToIan about D. m, took the
train there and reached Denver about
p m.
1.-The scenery along the Moffett road
! constitutes the Switzerland of Amer.
, ica.''
From the Topeka State Journal OF
May IL, 1920, (perhaps): At a meet
, ing of the stockholders of the K. P
Building company last night it was
decided to add a fourth story to the
building. The proposed story will
: probably be occupied by the offices Of
the North Topeka Aerial Navigation
; company which have outgrown theil
! present quarters over the Shawnee
: State bank.
j While nothing official is given out
= | it is rumored that the North Topeka
wireless telegraph station has re
> ceived signals from Mars in answer tt
Z the flashes from the gigantic mirrors
which have been operated along tht
! river front.
A line of rapid transit air ship,
y will be esta blished in the near futur.
between North Topeka and Onaga
' The air boats will also stop at Eas
Indianola and compete with the ser
vice of the Topeka railway to tina
!, point.
\ The management of the North To
peka salt works reports that the out
V put of the factory this month
/ double of that of any month since tn
v plant was established.
i Although the river is rising rapid
S | from the spring rains there is not tn
i least feeling of insecurity among tn
4 | people of the First ward. Since tn
4 | dikes have been tested and hav
made good" so many times since the.
e were built In the spring of 1909, 1
= now scarcely seems possible that thei
Il efficiency was ever doubted.
81 Notes and Personals
g Mr. and Mrs. AL Hohnbaum VIII
e live on Kansas avenue just north O
o Soldier creek. are the parents of
= ten pound boy, born yesterday.
Mrs. Charles Suit is visiting L
Hutchinson.
All of the latest styles in men
e $500, $3.50 and $500 oxfords sold b
o T. d. Joseph
Flower gardens are being laid on
: at intervals in Garfield park. Tn
f casino is to be painted in a few days