The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-11
CITY HALL NEWS.
Small Boys Have Commenced
+ Dog Catching.
Two Boys and Two Dogs Appear
Before City Clerk.
COMMISSION WANTED.
Many Weaknesses in Present
Council Form.
Other Items of Interest From
the City Building.

The action of the city council in
passing a resolution offering a reward
for all stray dogs without a license
delivered at the city pound has
brought a response from the young
boys over the city.
This morning while City Clerk
Burge was busiIy. engaged checking
up some of his books two little BASH
full boys came edging their way in the
lobby of the Office. They stood here
for awhile and then shyly crawled to-
ward the door.
II want-want-I want the
Tu-u-peka clerk spoke up one of
the boys and both of them jerked
their little caps from their heads
displaying two masses of crumpled
| tow heads.
az am the man." roared Mr.. Burge-
AT this the two little boys stepped
back a few steps and twisting their
caps in their hands they glued their
eyes to the floor.
know-Johnny and me-if this is the
place what gives four bits a piece fer
dogs" and they looked nervously
about the room first catching the eye
| of the assistant and then the second
| assistant, these two girls eying with
| leaky lids the youngsters
| This is almost the place, young
| men," rumbled Mr.. Burge again and
| before the boys could culver at the
sound of his voice a pitiful howl
bies-each howl accompanied by
shrill voice demanding silence.
"WeH-we1l-we-J and me
got two-o-o dogs down stairs un
we-Johnny and me-want fifty cents
| er piece fer them-we read all about
| it in der PEPPER" and both boys took
their hands from their place of bust
ness and placed them on the desk as
if to receive the donation.
City Clerk Burge looked at them a
| he demanded of them the time, place
| and story of the capture. The boy
| speaker answered thus:
lone of de guys down where we live
told us all about this dog catchin'
business un me and Johnny started
| right out for to do some catchin'-you
know there is fifty cents in it fer US
each. Well we'll, we got these two
dogs right off un we are here to get
paid fer Them
What school do you go to-" asked
| the city clerk.
when we go we go to der Quincy
| shack-dat's where g, old man Stanley
| is de boss''-and the, boys, looked at
each other and then giggIed "furieusly."
Mr.. Stanley is the father of the dog
resolution.
| Mr. Burge finally referred the boys
to the city pound and when last seen
| they were trotting across Quincy street
| in front of the city hail. each towing
dog with a big rope around his neck.
One of the dogs was a big light col
ored bird dog-with a fine build and
color. The other would have suited the
worst kind of a pound.
| In about a half hour the city dog
catcher, William Core. phoned to the
city clerk and with a voice trembling
with fear he told Mr.. Burge that two
boys with two dogs had just arrived.
| "Mistah Burge, what shall I do
with them dogs-and those boys.
know that one of those dogs is worth
at least $10-I believe l would give
that much for him myself. Shall I turn
the dogs loose or what?-I don't want
| to get into any trouble over this thing. ~
| But the law is the law and Mr.
Burge had to act according to the will
| of the council. Therefore he ordered
| the dogs to be left in the pound the
regulation "A hours and if they are not
claimed at the end of that time they
will be sent to the happy hunting
grounds-and the two boys can buy
enough fish lines and marbles to last
them the rest of the season.
| In Kansas City, Kansas. the BUSH
ness men of the city have taken up the
| fight for commission form of govern
| ter through the city council. The peo-
pie in the city are demanding such a
proposition and they are going to
| have it,
The people of Topeka are really ask
| ing for the commission form of gov
| eminent in their own ninds-but they
are not noisy enough about it. If the
matter was explained and put to a
vote today. this city would be in the
hands of commissioners. Every meet
| ing of the council, every action of the
city officials and every touchy matter
| with the people has created sentiment
| against the present form of govern
ment and for the commission. This is
not saying that the present city coun-
Gil is inadequate. 1t is the best bunch
of men in the history of the city-this
is the sentiment of the constituents of
all the cOuncilmen present.
| For instance take the street naming
| proposition which has never been set
tied and is pending before the courts
at this date-the weakness of the
| council form of government was very
| ing of the council was attended by
hundreds of people who would rise in
| their gallery seats and make sugges-
| tionS to the councilmen-entreati
them for this and that and influencing
| them, when twice as many people on
the other side of the question were at
home in bed relying upon the council
to use their good Judgment
/ As a result nothing was done-the
/ few councilmen who took 1t upon
themselves to waste time and money
for the cause stood pat and they
watched their hard. conscientious
/ work go to pieces for want of atten-
ton. If this isn't discouraging to a
/
/