The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-25
ANOTHER VIEW.

The Kansas State Editorial associa-
ton, an organization open to all mem
bers of the newspaper profession in
the state, held its fourteenth annual
session in Topeka January so and 81.
1t was the privilege of the editor of
this paper to attend and be is pleased
to state that he never before enjoyed
visit to Topeka as much.
The complaint has frequently been
made against Topeka that it has so
many conceptions it never pays much
attention to them. This was more or
less true in the past. However, To-
peka now has Commercial club
which is on the job, and its members
get up in the morning with a determi-
nation to refrain at least part of the
time from chasing the almighty dollar
SO that they may have few moments
to welcome the strangers within their
gates. The time was when the Tope-
ka visitor was coldly viewed with the
suspicion that he might be peddling
mining stock, or a disguised revenue
officer hunting for a blind tiger. Now
all are given the glad hand, regard
less, and the swindler who can slip
one over on Topeka business men can
do 1t most anywhere The CRATER
isn't the man who profits by this
change Of tactics; it is the business
man himself, which the members of
the Topeka CONNIE rcial club have
long since learned. Nothing so warns
the cookies of a strangers heart as
to be treated like long lost brother,
and said stranger thereupon goes out
and spends his loose coin with joy and
abandon, and goes home with no Bit
terness in his soul. And the merchant
profits greatly thereby.
This isn't written to extravagantly
praise Topeka. Topeka still has weak
points; Topeka isn't a Kansas City;
Topeka hasn't the hustle of a Seattle.
But Topeka is a city that Kansas as a
state can well be proud Of The CAPT
toll with its beautiful grounds, excel
lent furnishings and the state printing
plant, power plant and partially COM
pleted memorial building, make a
handsome group of structures around
which the most important part of the
town is built. Fifteen years ago. the
Santa F'e interests, Washburn college
and the capitol appeared to be about
all that was keeping the town alive.
Topeka was dead when the legisla-
ture was not in session. The seat of
the state government was tn. Copeland
hotel. The grounds, two blocks
square, around the capitol were so ILL
kept that they were referred to as ''the
states cow pasture" The street car
service was the poorest in the United
States. The capital city was the dull
est town in Kansas. But to Topeka IS
eternal credit it must be said that the
rejuvenation wasn't the result of a
boom; that no immense factories came
along and made" the town; that the
city didn't grow by leaps and bounds
from the influx of land-mad specula-
tors. Topeka has achieved its present
rank solely by the efforts of its good
citizens. Clearly they came to see that
the old town must be pushed forward
If it wished to remain the leading city
of the state, and the business men and
retired citizens got behir stamped
their heels in the mud and put their
shoulders under it. They not only
have the vehicle out of the "chuck-
hole" now, but up on the paved thor
oughfare where the going is faster and
better
Right here it might be mentioned
that Topeka has some big things for
a town of $4,000. The main shops OF
the Santa Fe system employ thousands
of men and do every class of railroad
work. The Santa F'e general Offices
| employ hundreds more. and the old
five story ~ffice building of that COM