The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-22
1t Was Site of Topeka's First
Business College.
OLDTIMERS REMEMBER SCHOOL
Its Heat Had . Varied Career
in This City.
One Graduate of School Offered
Street Car Job.

out OF LnS dusty pIdSttI.
In the days when one of our now
popular politicians was a lad with a
roam pony and a Daily Common
wealth paper route that covered the
entire city, Topeka's first business col
lege was opened in this ancient house.
Topeka then and Topeka now arc
vastly different cities. The east side
western limits and Kansas avenue
never even dreamed of her grand
white way. Beyond Buchanan street
all the cows of the city were driven
to pasture each morning by a man
whose name was later given to one
lot the streets farther west. From
Eighth avenue, south of the now pres
emit State Journal building. signboards
hid the boys baseball ground and one
could cut across lots from Eighth ave-
nue. west to a couple of homes stand
ing where the Santa Fee offices are
During those days, Topeka, now the
model of prohibition cities. had a sa-
loon. This was at Seventh and Kan
sas avenue, and among Its frequent
visitors were the Pottawatomie In
dams, who sometimes became SO
drunk before leaving that the keeper
had to right them on their horses
otherwise the jugs they were taking
home with them unbalanced and made
difficult their mounting beyond all
their desperate efforts.
PlvcmenfS Unkn0Wn.
The entire avenue, in fact the whole
city. was guiltless OF a foot OF paving.
and the mud from Fourth street to the
river was often knee deep on the
horses But what cared the Indians,
with their joy load and their brilliant
blankets, what cared the towns peo-
Pile! This was Topeka, the most fasci-
the state which some day would lead
all the other states OF the union.
Just as the city's present appearance
differs from those olden days, this first
business college was unlike our present
ones Its founding is shrouded In
mystery, but not NJ. A. Pond. its foun-
der.
One man, whose opinion on Kansas
farm loans and mortgages IS conslo-
cred quite valuable, when asked II he
remembered the school. replied, as a
broad smile spread over his face, DO 1
remember? Well rather. after enroll
ing and purchasing my books spent
one day in that school and then fled
back to high sehool-that was In
1881" Asked the reason for this sud
den desertion, he told a weird tale OF
lonely uncanniness. The family lived
in the house and the front room was
occupied as the schoolroom. Later
Mr. Pond was responsible for the
building of the present brick bulioins
on the corner next to the old stone
ing was used as bakery, the upper
rooms for his growing school,
Writing His Speciality.
In this business school of the three
"r's',-readin', ritin' and 'rithmetic-
''ritin'" seems to have left the clear
est impression on the minds and mem-
DRY of the Inhabitants. One OF the
most pleasant women about town.
with a grandchild nearing school age,
said she remembered when Mr.. Pond
had the writing period at Bethany
college, her port of knowledge. but
that she didn't recall whether the
class lasted 20 minutes or 40 minutes,
only for the cunning birds and -four
ishes he showed them how to make it
would have seemed like hours. One
person suggested that probably he
gained this inclination for picturing
birds by pen drawings from the habit
he had of robbing bird nests in the
springtime.
In one respect only the school was
like all business colleges. On compile
ton of the course of study, a position
would be found for the student.
Topeka's best beloved veteran law
yer sent one of his sons to this noted
school. After time his knowledge
of business forms was complete. Then
one night after supper there came
tap on the lawyers door. When it
state that he had secured a position
for Fred. and the position was the
driving of one of Topeka's new street
cars. Now Fred wasn't at home, but
another son was and he asked Mr..
Pond just how he had figured that
business education would help in
driving a street car. Needless to say,
the offer was not accepted.
Shorthand Was Added.
land. o., young woman, with cali
graph and knowledge of shorthand.
For a while the two Joined forces and
another branch of knowledge was add
ed to the business college. And the
same young man who had spent one
dealer in Remington typewriters,
Something went wrong with the cali
graph and he tried to sell a new ma
chine to the school.
Later some disagreement about the
ownership of the different depart
ments of the college arose and the
young lady with the stenographie
knowledge went up town and rented
rooms where she founded one of the
present business colleges of today's
Topeka.
For a while Ponds school continued
but It gradually vanished. leaving
nothing definite to mark its close.
but the tall pompous man with heavy
black beard continued to be a feature
of Topeka's history. He turned pro-
moter. Additions to the townsite were
being discussed and so he established
one called Ladies' Addition. This was
a district south of the Shunganunga
and west of Topeka avenue. It must
have been popular enough to change
its maiden name for nowadays II isn't
called Ladies' Addition.
Other Proihotion Schemes.
This was followed by a Mexico min
ing pseoosition and one business man
on Kansas avenue owns that he has
locked away in his safe considerable
silver mining stock. His last scheme
was a banana garden, but the present
price of that much-coveted fruit indi-
Gates that there is q shortage of
banana growers.