The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-08

| officially in charge and he will select
| the brand of match and the brand oil
| trousers upon which to strike the said
| match. Everything in this ballot burn
| ing stunt must be performed with ut
most care and under the most stringent
laws. Captain Robinson of station No
will be the chief Judge and one of the
| firemen will act as clerk. The affair
promises to be very solemn occasion
and the city clerk has abandoned his
grey office coat for a conventional
black. 1t is customary to burn the bal
lots a year after they have been cast
At the custodian laboratory in the city
hall there are twenty-five gunny sacks
filed with the paper ballots-the fire
will burnt is estimated-for two
hours and eighteen minutes.
City Clerk Burge has answered the
communication from General Manager
Hurley of the Santa Fe who asks that
the city pay $4,000 for a new steel foot
bridge across the Kaw river attached
to the Santa Fe bridge in place of the
plank one that is now in use Mr..
Burge has informed Mr.. Hurley that
the contract calls for the city to pay
for the removal of the bridge from one
Santa Fe structure to another when the
railroad company is inclined to rebuild
but it does not call for a new foot
bridge. The foot bridge now in use is
good enough for the people who use it
it is still new, being built only last
year and the city is not inclined to
sink $4,000 into a new one. The North
Topeka people built the bridge by sub
scription.
This is the time of tn. year the peo-
pie regain their careless habits and
throw everything not in use in the al
leys. There is law against this and
1t Will be enforced at once. The Sani-
tary officers are making daily trips over
the city this week observing the alleys
and warning the violators of the Or
dinances to desist. 1t is not only an
eye sore to have tin cans and rubbish
and Topeka is in fine condition at this
time-as far as health is concerned.
Sanitary Sergeant Patrfson said this
morning that the health of the city
WIS never better and if the proper
precautions were taken there was no
excuse for the condition to change.
Warnings have been issued to the resi-
dents who persist in blocking up the
alley with material of all kinds.
The back yard behind the four num-
bers facing East Seventh street COM
mencing at the southwest corner of
the Seventh-Qulncy intersection are in
a dangerous condition for fire, accord
ing to Mayor Green this morning. The
fire marshal will be informed of the
straw, hay, boxes, and infiammable
materia; that has been piled high in
this place for the last few weeks. This
yard faces the mayors office in the city
hall and is beautiful place to enter
tain the eyesight of visitors who call
at the office of the city's chief execu-
witnessed from the mayors window
would look good in a reform magazine.
Since the approaching complexion Of
the new police patrol wagon is gradu-
ally dawning upon the city officials an
other problem faces them-a problem
which will undoubtedly mean a new
wagon house for the police apparatus.
When the new top wagon is completed
it means that the present quarters for
the stabling of the horses and the
handling of the harness and wagon
room will be too small. 1t is a skill
full job to swing the harness on the
police team now without catching up
the wagon by the frame when the exit
is made from the barn. Chief Eaton
has conferred with Mayor Gree'' resl-
corning the situation and he has Deen
instructed to introduce communica-
ton to the council Friday night which
will call forth the efforts of the pub
lie building committee. The present
barn is the ruins of the burned. barn;
some of the rafters in the loft are
burned half in twain and the whole
structure is in q very weak condition.
It should be condemned and rebuilt
according to those who know. The barn
should be built to accommodate the
patrol wagon and the chiefs private
patrol.
Senator Curtis has acknowledged the
.etter from Mayor Green concerning
the extension of the Melan bridge by
the. county commissioners and he has
promised to take the matter up with
the war department in Washington at
once. The county officials are going
ahead with their expensive plans and
it is hoped that a compromise of some
kind can be made so that the bikes can
be built and the bridge. extended be-
fore the June floods come down from
the Kaw watershed