The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-29
NORTH SIDE NEWS
A. A. Graham Advocates Drive
way on West Dixie.
proposes to Connect 1t With
Silver Lake Road.
THEN GRAVEL DRIVE.
railroad Men and Negroes Ex-
change Shots.
Latter Thought to Have Stolen
Flags Sunday.

Special Agent Fessler of the Union
Pacific and Special Agent Sullivan of
the Rock Island and J. E. Hender-
son, Union Pacific section foreman,
exchanged shots with several negroes
near the three bridges Just north
and east of Topeka early about 2
O'Clock yesterday morning The rail-
road men were hunting the thieves
who stole the hogs from the Union
Pacific box cars Sunday night. The
men who fired at them are supposed
10 De the guilty parties The latter
escaped.
The special agents and foreman
were nearing the bridges when they
saw four negroes. 1t seems that the
colored men saw the railroad men
about the same time as they began
firing almost as soon as they were
seen. For a few moments there was
regular fusillade but no one on
either side was hurt as far as can be
learned. The negroes slipped away
in the darkness.
David Bowie has received a copy of
the Alloa Advertiser from Alloa, Scot
land. The place is a town of about
$4,000, about thirty miles northwest
of Marlborough. The paper has four
pages of eight columns. One of the
Z
Lawson, a gents furnisher. He was
Mr.. Bowie's Sunday school teacher
when the latter was a boy in Alloa.
Among the sporting news is mentioned
T. A. Bowie, a brother of Mr.. Bowie
of North Topeka. The item tells of
score in a hockie match. He is said
to have a national reputation as an
athlete in England and Scotland.
w. w. Mills, president of the Com
mercial club. has received a letter
from A. A. Graham, an attorney on
the South side, telling of a walk that
the latter took over the bikes Sunday.
The letter also advocates making a
river side drive of the dixie from
point west of the Rock Island tracks
to its western limits. From there he
suggests that 1t be connected with the
lower Silver Lake road, so that parties
may make the round and come back
direct to Garfield park. 1t Is the idea
that the proposed drive should event
ually be covered with a coat of gravel.
The letter follows:
Topeka, Kan, April 26, 1909.
Mr.. w. w. Mills, President CONNER
cial Club, Topeka, Kan.
Dear Sir: Having had desire for
some time to inspect conditions on the
North side, 1 walked the dixie yester-
day for it's entire distance, taking the
lower Silver Lake road from Garfield
park to the west end of the dixie at
it's farthest point UP the river.
The time spent was three hours and
thirty-flve minutes; and to every one
desiring to get first hand information
of the situation there, 1 recommend
that he take the walk did, If he has
physical strength to enable him to
hold out for the trip; and, if he has
not then, for the purpose of this case
only, I will deny him the intellectual
strength to formulate a valued Judg-
ment herein, although, otherwise, he
may be able to run the government,
and when it comes to that, l will ex-
cuse him even for thinking he knows
how
was very fortunate in having the
company of Mr.. /. ]. Ketchum, real
estate and insurance agent. who is en-
tirely familiar, and has been for a
number of years, with conditions on
the North side, who could correctly
answer all my questions, and also tell
me many things 1 did not know Mr..
Ketchum is not a member of this
club, but says he is going to join
The purpose of this letter is to sug-
gest the ACCESSIBILITY of making the
dixie from a point west of the Rock
Island tracks to its western limit a
Riverside drive. A connection can be
made near the Rock Island tracks
from Curtis street without much trou-
BILE or expense, and the west end of
it can be connected In a like manner
with trif1ing expense with the lower
Silver Lake road, which, presume. is
eventually to be a state road and i'm
proved, so that parties can make the
round, coming back direct to Garfield
park
More majestic rivers flow by larger
towns than the combination of the
Kaw and Topeka. but for a Riverside
drive, the dixie have mentioned could
have no superior. By sprinkling it
with oil, which must be done anyway
to preserve it to the best advantage,
il is ready for immediate use in good
weather, while eventually it should be
covered with a coat of gravel such. for
instance, as is now used on the roads
approaching the North side.
That part of the dixie from the
north end of the Melan bridge to the
east around to Garfield park would not
railroad tracks, and no special occa-
sion exists for undertaking to make
that a drive, because the park is on
the circuit first described.
The use of this dixie as drive would
not only enhance its present value by
tending to make and keep it solid. but
the people of the drainage district
would also reap an advantage in the
advertisement they would thus get,
while the coating it with gravel event
ually would add very materially to its
height and efficiency. so that no OBJ
lection by them to such a project as
this ought to be made.
The immensely of the work which
these people have done can only be
appreciated by a full view of all of it,
such as 1 had yesterday, and the in
dustry and push of the people who
built it are still more to be COM
mended than the work they did
If the whole of Topeka would mani
fest the spirit such actuated the
people of the North side in this enter
prise of theirs. we would have no oc-
casion to give much concern to our
motto. Topeka Kan; Topeka Will.
Be it known that 1 have no local
interests whatever on the North side
to boom, and am only interested there
as I am in all of Topeka Yours very
truly, A. A. GRAHAM
kilmaurs King. the humane officer.
advocates the establishing of a home