The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-30
SANTA FE HELPS
Road Will Spend q Half Million
in Topeka
For New Buildings and Then
Add to Payroll Besides.
BUILDING PROGRESS.
What Is Being Done on Big
Structures Under Way.
Real Estate Men Happy Over
the Situation Here.
BUILDING PROGRESS.

The announcement that the Santa. Fe
VIII bring 500 additional skilled mechan-
les to Topeka to work in the company's
shops was the cause of more than
passing ripple of interest on the part of
| the real estate dealers and merchants
of the city, for it means that the popu-
lation of the capital will be increased to
the extent of at least 1000 persons. There
will be families for which homes must
be provided and the necessities of life
purchased. And if the company is able
to get the small army of carpenters
which they could use in the repairing
of freight cars the population of the
city will be still further increased.
| 1t has been many a long day since so
much activity In building way has
been exhibited in the shops district as
during the past few months and the
bringing in OF more mechanics will I'M
doubtedly mean that more houses will
go up. According to the real estate
dealers it is now difficult to find a house
i'll this portion of the city which has a
rent sign attached to it. 1t is safe to
predict that within the next year build
ing operations will go ahead with in
creased vim.
1t is expected that work will COM
1uence Immediately on the handsome
new seven-story Santa Fe office build
ing on Jackson street. The work on
the new shops office building will also
begin right away. as a force of work
men is now on the ground. The build
Ing will be located or the southeast cor
ner of Crane and Branner streets. The
fl flowing list Of improvements that have
previously been announced which VIII
be carried out by the Santa Fe during
the coming year. will be good for To-
peka:
General office building. $500 900
Shop office building. .............. 1000
Water service building. ........... 75,0e0
Remodeling old oil house. ....... $4,000
Total Observation-Disclosures. $3.50, 900
The Mills Building.
Douglas and Evans. the successful bid
ders in connection with the new Mills
building, report that work will begin on
1.-THE superstructure about the second
week in January. The steel for the
building has been ordered and it usually
takes something like two months for
the material to arrive on the scene of
ection. When work actually commences
it will be rushed along as quickly as pos
sible. Including the fixtures the total
hcost of the building will be in the neigh
borhood of $250,000 and it will undoubted-
ly be one of the finest buildings of the
kind in this section of the country.
The same firm of contra ctors is erect
ing the Frost and the LOOMS twin build
ings on Kansas avenue. The former will
be completed within three weeks &c
cording to present Indications. The
lower floor will be occupied by the Mu
tnal Amusement company, which will
conduct a talking picture show. 1t will
be two months before the LOOMS build
ing is completed. The two upper floors
Of both buildings will be used for office
purposes. The buildings will add much
! to the general appearance of the 700
block on Kansas avenue.
For some time past an addition to
the First Methodist church has been
contemplated which will make the
Sunday school more commodious, and
| it now appears that action in regard
to the matter will soon be taken. Sew
eral plans have been considered, and
it is likely that the improvements will
aggregate fifteen or twenty thousand