The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-15
To Be Begun Immediately and
Pushed to Completion.
AMERICAN SURETY co. SAY SO
Their Bond for 100000 Is Back
ii Their Words.
Award for Excavation Has Al
ready Been Let.
Contract for Superstructure Let
Before Foundation In.

\ sufficient number of the sub
scribers to the 6 per cent preferred
stock of the North American Hotel /
company have paid their subscriptions
in full in cash to the prudential Trust
company. in trust. acting as interme-
diary between the American Surety
company of New York and the stock
holders of the hotel who have paid
their subscriptions in full
This means that the actual con-
struction of the proposed new modern
fire-proof ten-story hotel al the north
cast corner of Ninth and Kansas ave-
nue.. with a frontage of 100 feet on
Kansas avenue and $50 feet on Ninth
street will be commenced Immediately.
The American Surety company of
New York whose bond was deposited
With the Prudential Trust company to-
day becomes effective because the
Si5O.00O of the local subscriptions, to
be 100000. have been paid in. This
bond provides that the old buildings
shall he wrecked Immediately, and
that the site be cleared for the eX-
CaNations. This will be done at once
as the site was taken over this after
noon by the North American Hotel
company. Tom Smith of Topeka, the
contractor, will begin the work of
pulling down the old 2-story buildings
tomorrow.
The American Surety company
bond on file with S E. Cobb, presi-
dent of the Prudential Trust company
of Topeka, now in effect, provides
that the site shall be prepared at once
and that the construction on the build
ing itself shall be commenced as soon
as the contract can be let.
The Kansas law requires that pub
licatiOn asking for bids be advertised
for six days in some Kansas newspa-
per
Unless there are lower bidders. the
Bankers Realty Investment company
OF Oma ha will proceed to do this work.
The American Surety company bond
above referred to provides that the
work shall be commenced promptly
and be prosecuted with due diligence
10 the completion of the hotel.
The North American people have
such quick facilities for construction
at Topeka having completed the steel
frame work and cement Work upon
their other hotels under construction
q Grand Island. Kearney and Scott
Blu f. Nebraska. that they are able
to send their men to Topeka soon as
the site is ready, tho excavations made
and the foundations in, and push the
work very fast.
1t is said that in order to complete
the ble hotel by the opening of next
session of the Kansas legislature
next January that the North Ameri
can people may decide to put on
double shift of men and accomplish
N less than one year what would
ordinarily require perhaps two years.
This new will be good news the
State Joural believes. to the hosts of
friends that the North Amer can peo-
pie have made in Topeka and Kansas,
because the North American people
md the Bankers Realty Investment
company of Omaha are giving to this
capital city of Kansas hostelry of
which all topeka and Kansas may
well be proud and which this city has
sorely needed and for which there is
not only a tremendous demand but
prospects of good profits; for every
well managed. modern, fireprOOf hotel
in any progressive city is a money
maker as W, II big asset to the city
in which it is located.
The active North American men in
Topeka who have secured the local
subscriptions are Mr.. Arthur w. Gross
and Mr. William Johnston. of Omaha
who have been here for over six
months engaged in this work and who
are on the regular salaried staff of the
company.
a The president of the Bankers
N'Realty company is Peter Elvad. whose
concern has built many fine buildings
in Nebraska and Kansas.
The president of the hotel company
is Mr.. John +. Letton. who is one of
United States, and has a fine reputa-
tion among such men as H. L. Nudge
and many Santa Fe men. who knew
him when he was manager of the Ho-
tel GalveZ at Galveston and other ho-
tells. His acquaintance among the
big hotel men of New York Chicago.
San Francisco and other bis cities and
among the travelling public is extern
sive and favorable.
Mr. Letton is now at the head of all
the North American hotels in the
operating and equipping end. This in
cludes the magnificent million dollar
Blackstone hotel at Omaha, owned and
operated by the North American COM
pany and enjoying a profitable pat
ronage from satisfied patrons
The architect of the Topeka North
American and all the hotels in the
chain of twelve, in operation. building
or under way. is F. w. Fitzpatrick
who has a reputation of high standing
and who has designed and made plans
and specifications for the Topeka hotel
which will make it unique as a hos
telry sure to he soon favora bly, known
far and wide with the travelling public
The North American hotel people
are practical. eXnert men. in finance
construction and hotel building equip
ment and operation and rave always
carried out their contracts Their
individual reputations are based on
years of honorable and successful
work.