The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-21
City's Growth Demands Famous
Kansas Avenue Landmark.
Rhodes Second Hand Store May
Be a Memory Soon.
AN INSTITUTION SINCE 1885
Last Haven of Financial Dere.
licts for 20 Years.
Prospective Hotel Builders OBJ
tain a 4-MOnth Option.

Father Time has left few of his
landmarks on Kansas avenue. But
his trusty scythe thru some fault al
ways missed the old John Rhodes
second hand store at the southeast
corner of Tenth street and Kansas ave-
nue..
For years visitors to the capital city
have remarked on the appearance of the
one story, implanted building stand
ing on Kansas avenue in the midst of
modern structures and modern i'm
provements. Now, Father Time spur
red by the necessity of a modern fire
proof hotel in the convention city of
Kansas is whetting his scythe and
threatens to cut the last vestige of the
good OF days from the face of Kan
sas avenue. Prospective hotel men
have obtained 4 4-months option on
the site with provision attached that
they may extend the option four
months longer.
AS the exterior of the building has
witnessed the transformation of To-
peka from a good sized country town
to a city supporting promises of
union station, a city auditorium and
Jim Wilson as chief of police, its in
terror has been mute witness 10 the
beginnings and ends of scores of do
nestle and financial tragedies in To-
peka.
Haven of Grass Widow.
Since 1888, the Rhodes second hand
store has been the last haven of the
grass widow with no alimony and d
few trinkets and the financial outcast
with few books and many debts.
That's where the mother called to dis
pose of few sacred trinkets for the
education of a child threatening to
become a musical protege and there's
where the man and wife went who
contemplated leaving Topeka minus
books, albums, carpets, book cases and
other miscellany
The veteran proprietor hasn't any
idea as to the value of the hundreds
| of pieces of furniture piled haphazard
thruout the store. Their memories
are worth thousands, their actual
value is a problem he never has solved.
Every phase of life in Topeka for the
last Twenty-Five years is presented by
articles on the dusty shelves. There Is
a baton swung years ago by the proud
drum major of some band which
marched proudly up Kansas avenue.
Relics of Old Times.
Prohibition books. galore. used by
the early opponents of prohibition, are
found on the shelves. Then, by the
side of these books is one of more
recent date, "A Story of the Titanic
Disaster There's a can of rouge on
the shelves, two or three dusty boxes
of face powder, old guns, old picture
postal cards and a thousand other
article owned by householders. old
fashioned and modern in Topeka in
the last twenty nine years.
"Whatll you do with your junk
shop when you sell the site?'' the
proprietor was asked.
Its no junk shop" he replied
! Its a second hand store"
| Just then a visitor kicked a rubber
ball that the proprietor's dog was
playing with under an old cupboard
The dog began yelping.
| Built in 1880.
I'VE must find that ball or the dos
will never stop barking" said Mr.
Rhodes as he got down on his hand:
and knees. Fully ten minutes were
spent IN a dusty search under the
second hand stuff for the rubber ball
The visitors popularity had ceased
with the kicking of the ball under the
| cupboard. He merely learned tina
the building had been erected in 1880
was boarding house until 1888 wher
it was purchased by the present pro
prietor.