The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-07
THEY WORK NOW! BOOK PLANT BUSY
TOpekas River District LOaer State Printer Now Working
Earning Daily Bread. Big Text Run.
Police Are Making All of Them Turn Out Million and Half Vol
Get Steady Jobs. by September.
LITTLE ELSE FOR COPS To DO WORKING DAY And NIGH
Made Bad Bindery and Press Rooms Nov
Districts Quiet and Orderly. Burn Midnight OIL
BOOeggers About Quit Big Contracts Opening at Be
Trying "Get By" ginning of School Year.
TOpeka's River District LOafers
Earning Daily Bread.
Police Are Making All of Them
Get Steady Jobs.
LITTLE ELSE FOR COPS TO DO
Bone Dry Law Has Made Bad
Districts Quiet and Orderly.
BOOtleggers Have About Quit
Trying to sect By"

Police characters who had not done
a tap of real work in ten years are
holding down steady jobs in Topeka
They're not doing it willingly, but they
are working and their natural habitat,
the river district, is as quiet and
peaceful as the pasture south of the
Topeka cemetery.
The first warm and sunny morn
F., ings of spring brought out a lot of
characters who have spent winter
IN Notwithstanding Information
As rapidly as they have appeared for
a little sunshine they have been put
to work. The police department has
become a sort of compulsory employ
ment agency.
The bone dry law has reduced law
breaking in Topeka to the minimum
There have been only eight arrests so
far this month and they are all for
minor infractions of the law. The
police get tired of merely patroling a
beat all day and they have taken up
the employment agency idea.
For instance, Officers Ferguson or
Ransom is strolling down Crane
street of a sunny morning. The warm
south wind has been blowing since
the night before Robins are hopping
here and there picking up juicy fish
worms. Grass is turning green and
the buds on the trees are swelling.
Spring is in the air. The officer knows
it
An Example of Work.
Nose Washington knows it, too He
has spent his days inside, close up to
stove, all winter and his nights have
been spent off the beat of the river
district officers. But he sees that sun
and feels that south wind and blood of
his kicking ancestors calls He
slips outside, finds a soft pine board
located in the sun and goes to sleep.
There the officer finds him.
Wake nm Nose bat t-o,,
ing?"
''Nothin'."
Well. it's time to get busy"
But boss. I hain't got no job"
I'll give you until Monday to find a
job. Monday morning you be at work
or up you CO."
And the officer jerked his thumb
over his shoulder in the general direc-
ton of the police station Nose rolls
off his board, yawns. stretches and
makes half-hearted promise. Mon
day morning he goes to work.
Many Getting Jobs.
In the last three weeks most of the
male population of the river district
has been put to work. Some of the
most notorious characters have been
perspiring freely for the first time in
| years
Doc Crawford has given the police
and county officers a great deal of
trouble. He was given working orders
and took them seriously. The last
warm day Officer Ferguson met him
in an alley near the Wolff Packing
plant Doc was wheeling a barrow
loaded with cement.
He was letting go of all tn perspi-
ration he had stored up for years"
said Ferguson Honestly the salt
hair"
There has been little trouble from
the river district in the last month. 1t
has been growing less weekly since
the bon-dry law went into operation.
Several notorious characters tried out
importing liquor once or twice and
got caught. They quit and their cases
served as an example to others of
their kind Many of them left Topeka
and the rest have gone to work