The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-11
measure Melan BridgeExtensiOn
Work.
OlCy Engineer Learning How
Much Remains to he Done.
w NUH a.
WANT A NEW DEPOT
santa Fe Junction Rapidly Fall
Ing Into Decay.
Umc1al Tour of Road Calls At
tentiOn to Fact.

surveyors from the city engineers
once this morning made measure
menus OF the partly completed exca-
NdIloh OF the Melan bridge extension
work The object is to find out how
iluch earth remains to be removed,
so that bids may be submitted for an
other contractor. Johnson & Son of
Kansas City, who had been doing the
work threw up the job after a great
zeal of bad luck, according to their
statements. They claimed to have re-
moved about $4,000 cubic yards of the
nearly "a, 600 cubic yards to be taken
out The pit is said to be down far
enough in some places, but the sides
nave not been trimmed and the bottom
mas not been leveled. The city esti-
mates are being made to verify the
old contractors figures.
The firm OF Berry & Retter, at COS
North Kansas avenue, this morning
sold out to McClintock & Stanley. E.
,. McCHntock and L. Stanley have
bought the grocery store which has
Deen conducted by Charles Berry and
b. A. Retter for several years. The
latter have been successful business
men and well liked on the North side.
1ney are successors to Berry & Son.
MT. Berry, ST., has not taken an active
interest in the business for the last
year or two, devotinG more of his
Llme to his farm. He has lived here
Tor about thirty years. Mr.. McClin-
took and Mr.. Stanley are well known
and will likely prove successful in
Ihelr new business. Mr.. McCIintock
has been in business at sos North
Kansas avenue. Part of his stock will
be transferred. Mr.. Berry and Mr..
Retter are undecided as to their fu-
ture plans.
If the Santa Fe officials who are
hAfwa
the ''grass-roots" to learn what the
patrons of the road want, should hap
pen on the North side they would
hear far and wide (rhyme accidentally
that new Santa .Fe junction depot
was wanted the worst kind
The present depot (out of respect
to its old age the old shed is called
''depot") has stood without rebuilding
in its present location at North
Jefferson and East Gordon street since
1872 soon after the Santa Fe first en-
tered Topeka. Then Tom Anderson,
at that time agent for the Kansas Pa
cific here (now Union Pacific) laugh
ed at prediction made by Cyrus K.
Holiday, one of the founders of To-
peka, that the road would some time
reach to California Mr.. Anderson
thought that 1t would not amount to
much: The road does but the North
side depot doesn't.
1t is as out of proportion to the
equipment of the great Santa Fe sys-
TEN" as the ability of the average
politician is to his ambition. It is as
seedy looking as an enlarged picture
agent after a weeks tramp through
the country. Its architecture is as ar
tistic as that of a packing box. It is
as warped as that kind of box after
a month in the sun and rain. 1t is
sweltering in summer and freezing in
winter It is almost impossible to heat
it properly by stoves and there is no
steam heat or other modern conven-
fences. There is no wash-room. A
sign in the small waiting room states
that drinking water may be found in
the freight room. Here is a pump
and cup. There is nothing else for
drinking apparatus.
This building is used by the travel
ing public, including those who trans
fer from the Union Pacific to the
Santa Fe, those coming in from Valley
Falls or going back north. The struc-
ture has been an eye sore. and is rapid
a new up-to-date depot will be substi-
tuted in the near future.
Just why certain North side boy
should have taken his UNI breIla when
he called on his girl last night is
difficult to explain, but he did, and
thereby hangs tale. It seems that
about 1920 p. m. the boy became
hungry. The girl told him to go to the
pantry and help himself while she
stayed in the parlor. He did so, and
for some reason or other took his
rain stick with him. A mouse jumped
from the pantry shelf into the folds
of the umbrella, all unbeknownst to
the boy until he bid the lady good-by
at the front door. Then a dark object
sprang from the umbrella to the floor.
A succession of ladylike yells and
Jumps followed. And the boy was as
much surprised as his fair companion
The moral is: Don't leave an UNI
brella in the pantry.
Notes and Personals.
North side people were grieved to
learn of the death of Harmon Colvin