The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-22
Prominent Men Thruout State
Are Behind the Plan.
Help to Make Topeka Grain
Center of Kansas.
TO BUILD ON THE NORTH SIDE
Option on Curtis Street Prop
erty Has Been Obtained.
Elevator Will Be at the Service
of General Public.

A quarter million bushel storage
elevator costing 100000 will be built
block east of Kansas avenue on
Curtis street in North Topeka, accord
ing to an announcement made this
morning at the city hall. A representa-
tive of prominent grain firms in KAN
sas Interested in the project called at
the city hall this morning. making in
quiries concerning obtaining a fran
chise for building switching tracks
across Kansas avenue, just north OF
the bridge. An option on the land has
already been obtained.
Prominent grain men thruout KAN
sag have already subscribed sufficient
stock and the rganization of cor
poration will be completed in short
time E. J. Smiley, secretary of the
Kansas Grain Dealers association, one
of the most active men in the organi-
zation of the company, announced this
morning that a Rock Island engineer
would arrive in Topeka in a few days
to prepare estimates on switching for
the quarter of a million bushel stor-
age house.
Transit Privileges.
Transit privileges will be enjoyed
by shippers using the storage elevator.
With transit privileges they can get a
rate on grain from point of shipment
to destination and store it in Topeka
in transit for six months. At the end
of that time or during any time inter-
veninS they may ship the grain on to
destination for the remainder of the
rate quoted from point of shipment to
destination.
Under the plan which has been in
formation for months, there will be
unloading facilities at the big storage
houses on three railroads. the Rock
Island, Santa Fe and Union Pacific
That means there will be no switching
charges for unloading or loading on
any of these three roads
Public Elevator.
The storage house will be classified
as a public elevator operated under
the laws of the state. Any shipper in
Kansas may use the elevator for stOr-
age purposes if there is room at the
time he applies. 1t is expected that
every mill in Topeka will use the eIe-
vator as all are short of storage capa-
city at various times during the year.
1t is in answer to the long felt need
of such storage house that il was
finally decided to build an elevator
second to none in the state outside of
Wichita and Kansas City, Kan. Then,
too, the realization of grain men in the
state of Topeka's logical location as a
grain and storage center aided i'm maxi
ing the project reach its present meas
ure of success Not only are Topeka
grain men subscribing stock to the
concern but well known grain dealers
also are doing SO.
Six New Grain Firms.
Another proof of Topeka's growing
importance as a grain center was made
public today when it was announced
that six prominent grain and com
mission men are contemplating OPEN
ing offices in Topeka shortly after a.
board of trade is opened. This. prob
ably will be January 3. The firms
contemplating opening offices here
are: Robinson Grain company, Sa-
lima; Williamson Grain company,
Wichita; George Harper. Silver Lake;
Mcclure Grain company Hutchinson;
]. f. Jones, Wakeeney, and j. d.
Sperry. Ellsworth. 1t is known that
a number of these firms will include
stockholders in the big storage house.
Three rooms have been thrown to-
gether on the third floor of the New
England building and will be used as
headquarters of the board of trade A
continuous market wire will be re-
ceived during the day IN the New
England building. The B. c. Christo-
pher Grain company of Kansas City,
will furnish the wire. H. d. Yoder
is the president of the board of trade
and Fred A. Derby, president of the
Derby Grain company, is vice presi-
dent. Directors will be elected next
week and following their election a
secretary will be chosen.