The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-06-23
(By P. Caspar Harvey


Several months ago 1 wrote a story
of which the feature was the catch
phrase, "Hays will be-"
Now this story which is written af-
ter an interview with C. G. Cochran,
Tony Jacobs and Mayor George Phil
lip, Jr., can say E'Hays is coming into
its own"
This story has in it all the ''pessi-
mism" which the interviewer could
obtain Wednesday afternoon from
the three men mentioned.
Time after time in asking for es-
Inmates and opinions l requested eX-
treme conservatism. These are not
times when anything else should be
printed concerning conditions
The city of Hays is now putting in
or is about to put in $150,0OO worth
of paving as a starter. l use the
word "starter" advisedly. The rest
of the town will catch the fever.
This $150,00O will pave forty-two
blocks, or over three miles of Hays
streets. This includes ten blocks on
Chestnut, five blocks on Fort Street,
two blocks on Main, five blocks on
Crawford and two blocks on Second
Street. In addition to these there is
contemplated paving ten blocks on
Juniata, three blocks up to St. An
Normal Avenue. These eighteen
blocks under contemplation will con-
meet with those actually ordered in
such way as to make the paving a
complete unit, connecting with the
east on the Golden Belt Road, as we'll
as on its west, approaching the Nor
NAL School and leading out to the
Experiment Station. The paving on
West Juniata and Normal Avenue
will be parked in boulevard style
with grass plots running through the
center in which will be the White
Way standards.
1t is hard to believe but over seven
miles of new sidewalks have been
put down this year, or have been or
dered
The reason all this is being done at
the present time is because it can be
done by home labor. A practical crop
failure has enabled many farmers
and teams to come to town and much
of the farm labor has been released.
Hays has taken advantage of this
period. The town is just beginning
to be built up to its needs,-not what
Will come but what are necessities
now.
This $15O,OOO for paving will not
be burden. There is not single
dollar of it which will not be return
ed by the increased valuation of the
property which will Offset as well
the interest on the money. Not only
that, but this paving will be an open
invitation to other people to come to
Hays and enough taxable property
will come from the outside to enable
the city to never feel that it had been
paying for paving Many of the citi-
zens of Hays who have been here a
number of years are entitled to the
benefits of these added improvements
and their children may help them
enjoy those benefits by assuming the
burden of paving on the easy pay
ment plan offered.
1t is the opinion of these three men
| that within twelve months the popu-
| lation of Hays will have passed the
1000 mark. Under normal condi-
tiOns with fair crop it would be be-
| fore the end of 1917. However, the
| poor crop year will enable a great
many farmers who expect soon to re-
| tire and move to town, to do so this
year. These people are moving to
| Hays to educate their children and it
seems fairly certain that by July L,
1913, Hays will have over 1000 popu-
Iation
Two additional railroads will have
| reached Hays within fifteen months.
The Anthony & Northern is now
within thirty-eight miles of Hays, and
is actually laying the steel at that
| point. The Gulf, Plainville & North
ern Railroad has practically voted its
entire bonds at the rate of $1,000 a
mile from Great Bent to Plainville
through Hays.
The letting of the contract for the
new Union Pacific depot of Hays was
advertised to have taken place June
Is. The estimate for its cost was
$4,000. No official word has been
received in Hays, in regard to the
contract as yety but it is certain that
work will begin at once.
The city council is expected to call
bond election for the erection of a
modern city hall and as a result of
this expectancy Messrs. Young, Wolf
Binder and O'Loughlin have said that
If it carried they each shall erect
store buildings adjacent to 1t.
There are under construction II
Hays about $4,000 to 100000 worth
of smaller residences. This does moi
include any of those finished or only
contemplated, but those actually un
der contract.
The most apparent evidence o1
the growth of Hays is in the large
number of store buildings that arr
being built at one time. Tholen
Son are erecting a brick and terra
Gotta two story building, 25x75, a
a cost of $4,000.
The c. W. Reeder building IL
which will be housed modern read!
to wear store will be two stories
25x75, with offices up stairs, mad,
of very fine quality brick and vii
cost $1,000.
Henry Knoche is building a specia
|
Bros. Clothing Co., 25-75, at a cos
of $4,000; J. B. Basgall is going t.
build a modern up to date and sani
tary grocery store for his increasing
grocery business. 1t will be two stoT
! les high. with basement. Specia
features of white tile viii be foun
throughout the building It IS TO .
25x10o feet and viii cost ST, ,00O-
HI c. G. Cochran is building tw