The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-12
BUSY AUTO MEN.
Never Such anActivity in Topeka
as Now.
New Factory Is Opened on North
Side.
SMITH SPREADS OUT.
Capacity of the Plant Has Been
Doubled.
Repair Shops and Sales Agents
Are All Expanding.

ACCORDING TO the CITY clerk There
are 406 cars now registered in the city.
The garage owners and dealers laugh
at this number and insist that before
the summer opens there will be 500 au-
tomobiles in the city of Topeka, TAX
ing advantage of the wide. streets, the
excellent paving and the beautiful ave-
Bues and boulevards.
Five hundred cars in Topeka by sum-
mer will mean an investment Of over
$1,000,000. A million dollars placed in
automobiles in city the size OF To-
peka means great profits for the dea-
lers, big business for the garages, and
rush work for the repair shops and
top factories. Not only this but the
Smith auto factory and the FIRTH
Short factory of North Topeka have
orders for cars that will keep them
running night and day.
All of the repair shops in the city
have signified their intention of dou-
bling and TRIPPING their forces for the
coming spring work. During the win
ter months the repair work falls on
but as soon as the warm automobile
weather shows up the machinists are
in continual demand. The auto boom
in Topeka this summer will make the
demand especially heavy and the pro-
prietors are signing up" men to at
tend to their work.
Many Garages and Shops.
1n6rS are auCOInODlI0 garages dI1u
eleven repair shops in Topeka at this
time. Every garage owner says that
he is crowded for room. many of them
are contemplating an enlargement OF
their stock rooms and their general
prosperity is noted by their active pre-
parationS for the coming automobile
season.
The repair shops are also on the
verge of prosperity. Each of them
have sent for expert machinists to at
- ~1r1rw
mer and fall. In some cases the regu-
lar winter force will be doubled and
floor space and machinery is procured
as fast as possible. Topeka has some
of the best equipped and managed re-
pair shops in the west. Automobiles
bled, painted. run, and repaired right
in the city. It is not necessary for an
auto owner to leave the city limits to
have any part Of his machine put in
good shape.
Most of the garages have repair shops
in connection. Some of the repair
shops have acquired car agencies and
have hired men to come to attend to
their sales and their exhibits. Auto top
factories are adding to their machine
ry, charging their rooms and hiring
men for the coming rush.
1t is estimated on good authority that
there will be about 200 men in Topeka
this spring and summer who will do
re pair automobiles. The automobile
business has increased the population
Of the city about 500 since its success
full entrance. In addition to this there
are already 200 men employed building
the Great Smith car and the force is
being enlarged every week. The out
put of this factory will be at least dou
bled this year.
New establishments.
The largest new establishment in the
automobile business is the plant now
being built at 911-13-15 North Kansas
avenue for the F'rith-Short Automobile
company of this city. This company
will occupy the two bottom floors of this
large 70 foot front building and will
for the next few months assembled au-
tomobiles and distribute them from
their Topeka factory.
The company was organized short
time ago by C. +. Firth and Charles
J. Short of Wamego. They are me-
chanical experts and automobile deal
ers and will ship into Topeka at once
from factories making standard parts
of automobiles the different sections Of
the machines. These sections will be
set up in the big factory now under
construction in North Topeka and dis
tributed from this point.
The car these men expect to get out
will be built along the lines of the
models for 1910-long base, racy low
build. big 36-inch wheels and a power
full engine under the hood. touring,
roadster and baby tonneau model will
constitute the first set of cars.
BY next year the men in charge of
the new factory expect to turn out
cars from Topeka, Topeka made. AS
fast as the new machinery can be
procured it will be shipped to the city
and the cars will be designed, and
built completely in this city. The in
stitution should become one of the
most valuable in the city with the
proper support.
The building is built of brick and is
now under rapid construction. The au-
tomobile company expects to occupy
the floors and get out their cars for
spring and summer sales.
Garage and Shop improvements.
Among. the different repair shops
and garages over the city there are
a number of contemplated improve
ments. The West Side Auto company,
with rooms at 1916 West Eighth ave-
nue. has added additional repair ma
chinery to the plant and will double
the working force at once They now
occupy the first twenty-five feet of the
building at this number, but in a few
DAYS will make arrangements to oc-
cupy the whole bottom floor of the
building. making a seventy-five-foot
front. This company keeps three five
passenger cars in constant use for liv-
cry work. They now have thirty ma
chimes on the floor
The Stafford Motor Car COMPANY.
under the new management of Thomas
A. Dana, has also made extensive i'm
provements. The manufacturing plant
of Terry Stafford has been moved
away, but with the extra room in the
three-story brick building at the COR
ner of Seventh and Quincy streets, the