The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-29
North Shawnee Telephone Sub
scribers Want Better Service.
Not Satisfied With Attention
Given Rural Lines.
BELL FoR6ETS IT'S PROMISE
George Allen Returns to Cuba
Feed Store Robbed.
Other News Notes of Interest to
North Shawnee People.

North Shawnee People.
People who live in the north part Of
Shawnee county are not pleased with
the telephone service furnished by the
Bell Telephone company. Service on
the rural lines Is very unsatisfactory
and many Of the subscribers have
signed petitions asking for better serv-
| ice. These petitions will be filed with
officers Of the Bell company within a
short time.
Trouble with telephone service was
first noticed q year or more ago. Pre-
vious to that time, many of the farmers
who live close to the city were allowed
| to enjoy the same service rendered the
subscribers who lived in the city. and
| their lines were connected with the
same exchange. The trouble started
when the Bell company transferred the
lines of these close in farmers to the
switchboard provided for the rural
lines
In making this transfer the company
also installed the old style telephones.
those where one must turn g. crank to
call the attention of the operator. All
this has proven to be very unsatisfac-
tory to the subscribers.
| In the late months of 1913, subscribe
ers who live north and west OF North
Topeka. attempted to organize a COM
pany and raise capital sufficient to
build a county telephone system as a
mutual organization but failed to get
|1he necessary support.
NV. 8. Robson was very active in
this campaign and worked hard for its
success but the farmers of the county
did not appear to take interest in the
matter and Robson and other active
men dropped the movement.
Just now, farmers in all sections of
North Topeka are signing petitions
which will be presented to the officers
of the Bell company, asking that their
lines be transferred to the main switch
board or that the rural service be i'm
proved until 1t is fully satisfactory.
In this petition, it is claimed that the
service is not adequate, that the equip
ment il not modern and the lines are
unfit for service.
Among some Of the men who are said
to be devoting time to these petitions
are A. Tomlinson and Joseph Hook.
who live northwest Of the city.
Burglars Enter Hartman's Store.
Burglars entered the feed store of
Jake Hartman at 91s North Kansas
avenue and stole 125 grain and feed
sacks. They entered the building by
| crawling through a rear window. They
broke open the office door and Mr..
Hartman's desk but were unable to
find any money.
Officer Frank Summers found about
forty of the sacks behind billboard
about 100 feet north Of the Hartman
place. The others have not been found
George Allen Goes to Cuba.
George E. Allen will leave this aft
ernoon for Cuba. His home is in To-
peka but he has been spending the
greater part of the last Is years on the
island. He and a brother are engaged
there as contractors in railroad and
public work. Mr.. Allen has been in To-
peka since early last spring. Their
headquarters are in Cienfuegos.
The railroads of Cuba are owned by
British capital but the construction
work was stopped last spring and he
returned to Topeka. All public work
also stopped and as there was nothing
to do he elected to live in Topeka with
sumed. Mr.. Allen received a cablegram
from his brother. Friday asking him to
return at once.
MIR. Allen lived in Topeka before go
ing to Cuba and was employed in the
Santa Fee shops. He went there soon
after the Spanish-American war and
became interested with his brother in
contracting. They have been quite sue
cessful.
His mother, Mrs. w. F. Allen. lives
in North Topeka and he is brother to
Mrs. John Pratt. Mrs. Allen and
the children will remain here as the
children are being educated in the
schools of Topeka.
George Wind to Return from Europe.
George Wind, jr.. of Shorey, is ex-
pected to return soon f. m a Eu-
ropean trip, where he has been trav-
cling for three or four months He
left here expecting to visit Germany,
but the international trouble of ma
tons Of that continent caused him to
change his mind. He arrived in Paris
more than a month ago, just before
war was declared, and did not attempt
to go to his fatherland.
E. S. Gresser, cashier Of the Shaw
nee State bank, recently received a
letter from Mr.. Wind in which the
latter asked to have money RENTED
to him that he might return home
Mr.. Wind had travellers checks, but
these are not being honored in Europe
now, and it was necessary that he get
a remittance by draft.
The last letter received from Mr..
Wind was dated August z, and the
money has been forwarded He is
expected t. return home as soon as he
can secure steamship reservations
Upland Corn at MenOken Is Good.
Mark Blackler, who lives north of
Menoken, cannot be convinced that
his corn crop is a failure. Even
though he planted his corn on the up
land, it will yield an average of 40
bushels or more per acre.
Samples OF white and yellow corn,