The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-30
WH|RR OF WHEELS
Topeka Industries Attracting
Attention of Outside World.
Many Home Concerns Better
Known Elsewhere.
SEC'Y ]. WILL KELLEY TALKS
'sPatrOnize Home Institutions, >
He Tells Topeka People.
Land Men Look for More Ac-
tive Market Soon.

Topeka is growing as an industrial
center. True it is that few factories
have left the city in the past year or
two, but scores II new enterprises have
sprung up. Many of Topeka's factor
les are better known elsewhere than in
this city.
There is a plant making railroad
tongs which facilitate the handling of
ties, that is only known to a few peo-
pie in Topeka, yet this firm ships it's
products from Canada to Mexico and
from ocean to ocean to the leading
railroads of the country.
One of the most unique pieces of ma
chinery is that to be found in a local
lightning rod factory, 1t weaves a
single wire into cable three-eighths
of an inch in width.
Visit Local Factories.
1t would be we'll if Topekans knew
more about the buzz of machinery III
the local manufacturing establishments.
If a business man were taken from his
desk and escorted through half dozen
Topeka factories and told of the prod
ucts and their ultimate destination, he
would pinch himself and swear that he
was dreaming.
1t is possible to buy nearly every
thing used on the table from the vast
assortment of Topeka products. With
our packing industry, creameries, -four
ing mills establishments where break
fast foods and other edibIes are pro-
duced, and the growing truck garden
industry adjacent to the city, Topekans
could live sump.uously on home prod
uctS.
The People Are Interested.
1T is surprising the number of things
manufactured in Topeka that even
members of the Commercial club in fair
touch with industrial conditions do not
know anything about" said Secretary
]. Will Kelley of the club today. "A
great deal of interest has been taken in
our industrial columns in the Com
mercial Club Bulletin. Every day We
are receiving the names and addresses
of from one to five firms in the city
that are making something. We eX-
pect to publish a revised list of the
things made in Topeka in the Bulle-
tin for April, and subsequently the list
distributed widely. This should serve
as an eye-opener to many persons who
do not realize that this city is any
thing but Topeka beautiful
1T is important to Topeka that the
people patronize the local institutions.
More home consumption means more
work for the manufacturer and more
labor for the employees. The plan of
cooperation. if carried out. would add
great value to the industries of Topeka
in very short time.
Should Advertise Products.
mo more profitable effort can be
put forth than that of advertising not
only at home but abroad our confidence
in Topeka made products. We certainly
hope the people of Topeka will joir
hands in this proposition of boosting
home products
'"Topekans ought to know more about
the buzz of machinery" says the Of
fetal publication of the Commercial
club. 1t would stir UP a new civic
pride If a business man was taken
from his desk and escorted through
three or four Topeka factories and told
of the products and their ultimate des-
tination he would pinch himself and
say he was dreaming.
Hundreds of articles, from a steel
bridge to a carnival badge, are ship
ped from Topeka all over the country
daily. The manufacturer knows about
it because he makes it. The railroad
freight man is aware of it because he
has to bill it out. A pretty fluffy
haired stenographer realizes it's eX-
istence because she handled the cor
respondence. But the business man
up town sees that his ad reads cor
rectly in his daily newspaper and lets
the world wag on.
THE Commercial club should estab-
lish a few factory days each year.
The business men of the organization
should visit Topeka institutions. It
would be a wonderful lesson to them.
Their eyes would open in Wonderment
at the number of articles made every
day in their own city.
And the next time they purchased
one of these articles-they would re-