The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-07
case is susceptible of proof. for the po-
lice records are happily available:

"some time before Tleft home there were
AZ arrests for drunkenness in one day and
arrests some days more The records OF
the police courts show an average of S3,oV
in fines assessed each month These m
lust the size you claim San Diego to be.
In the district court the greater number
of criminal cases are for violation OF the
lions This law has created army corps
of liars. starting men on the downward
factional differences. and men are array
ed as enemies of each other who. but for
friendship Owing largely to this condi-
tion added to the general stagnatlon IN
property values, many OF the Weaithh,er other
places where goodness has not opened the
doors to the depths Drastic as were the
until now the statute books are filled
with legislative attempts to enforce the
expressed will of the people, instead OF
regulating the evil
The police records show that the
largest number of arrests for drunken
ness in one day in Topeka during the
past three years was seven on Feb- &.
1909 The majority of these were chronic
drunkards who drink alcohol and the
rest were Indians from the Pottawato-
mie reservation. The statement must
surely have been the result of bad
dream either on the part of the re-
porter or the Topeka man.
Another important feature of this
statement is that which refers to prop
erty stagnat ton. This is something
about which Mr.. Sterne should be espe-
cially well informed. "A short time be-
| fore he left Topeka for his visit to
California he sold a tract of 60 acres
outside the city in the western suburbs
| for 81 900 an acre.. That doesn't look
! like property values have been de-
! moralized in Topeka by the closing of
| the saloons and no one knows that
| they have not been any better than Mr..
| Sterne.
| The fact is. as he knows that there
| has been a decided increase in prop
! erty values since the saloons and joints
were driven out. Had he asked 81 900
! an acre for the Metsker tract ten years
| ago he might have been laughed at but
| the price he received less, than a few
months ago didn't create sensation
and the buyers thought they had a
bargain.
Mr.: Sterne is further quoted as say
ing this:
| Il will mention house on the
state house square belonging to the
widow of the late Judge Foster. Many
San Diego people will recognize it, The
house is situated on a lot $50 by $50
feet. costing over $4,000 to build, in
addition to which is a stable costing
at least $4,000 more. This for the
! buildings alone. The property has
| been offered for sale at $4,000, the
offer having been standing since the
present conditions prevailed
The house 1 live in cost nearly
| $4,000, yet the Z owner anxious to
| leave the city. sold it to me Tor $500.
| "On the main street there is busi-
ness house with a frontage of 100 feet,
well built, that today would not bring
as much as the building cost. The
Columbian building, one of the finest
| in the city costing it's builder, Mr..
| Knox. $150,000, was recently sold for
] s540 These are merely samples,
as hundreds of Ike instances can be
! cited.
Il want to add saAword more in re-
| about, but which has come to my
| ing over s1,500,000 who have made ur
| their homes-provided they are moi
compelled to face the same conditions
that prevail where they now live, in
Kansas cities.
| 7 understand this interview is to be
published 1 have no other interest
| than to wish you to escape the deplor.
able conditions that prevail in the cit,
| in which live, and in Wichita. For1
Scott, Leavenworth and other places
even including the university town Of
Lawrence"
The interview is one which is rea1I,
absolutely unfit for Topeka paper te
| print, but 1t was printed in the morn.
ing paper with big headlines and ac.
cordingly should not go unchaIIenpedS
a baser slander of this clean. prosner.
Gus and thriving city has seldom beer
| printed Dei