The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-15
Topeka Had Plenty of Street
Service 33 Years Ago.
Map Shows "Circle," "Rapid
Transit" and Horse Cars.
HOPPER HAS CURIOUS RECORD
Also a Collection of 5000 Speci-
mems of Shawnee Stone.
Has Copy Laws of Virginia Re-
quiring Road Signs.

In 1887 Topekans could make a
round trip on the Circle railway from
Second and jefferson streets to Mar
tins hill, two miles west of Topeka, re-
turning by way of Seabrook and
Washburn college to Jefferson street
and down jefferson to Second street
the place of beginning.
This railway. owned by the Boston
Syndicate, is shown on a map of To-
peka printed in 1887 by the Topeka
Lithographing and Bank Note COM
pany, for Bartholomew & Company,
real estate, 1S9 Kansas avenue. The
map is owned by John H. klopfer, 10
East Twentieth street. together with
a collection of old books and other
curios. Kiopfer's hobby is geology and
he has about 5000 specimens picked
up from various parts of Shawnee
county.
The Circle Railway company oper-
ated trains with small steam engines.
The map also shows the route of the
Topeka Rapid Transit company and
the City Railway company, now the
Topeka Railway company. Six Kaw
Indian reservations are shown just
north of the Kaw. The court house
stood where the Reid hotel now
stands at Fourth and Kansas avenue.
The Topeka starch factory panufac-
tured starch about on the site of the
present new Santa Fe shops.
Book Printed In 1894.
Among Klopfer's collection of books
is the History of the Three Judges of
King Charles l." written by President
Ezra Styles, of Yale college, and print
ed by Elisha Babcock in 1874. 1t
tells how the three judges-Major
General Whalley, Major General Goffe
and Colonel Dixwell-fled from Eng
land after the Restoration of 1860 and
came to America, where for thirty
years they hid themselves in Connecti-
cut and Ma SSa chlISPttS
One of his most interesting books
| is a collection of the laws of Virginia.
printed in 1919. The collection dates
from the first session of the legisla-
ture in 1919 to date of publication.
In those days practically everything
was paid in tobacco. If q master
wanted his slave whipped and was toe
| indisposed to do it himself, he might
call the sheriff, who performed the
ceremony for twenty pounds of tobac-
then repaid by the owner.
| The constable's fee for whipping a
/ servant was ten pounds of tobacco
to be paid by the owner and repaid
| by the servant. He also got ten
pounds of smokes for serving a war
standing.
| Real Road Signs Then.
There was at least one good law ir
Virginia, passed in November. 1898
| 1t required the courts of the several
counties to direct the surveyors of the
several counties to set up stones OF
| posts at the various crossroads, will
| inscriptions thereon directing to the
most noted places to which the roads
led. Failure of the surveyor to act
on the order meant a fine of fifteer
shillings per month for each month
| it remained undone
Five shillings, or fifty pounds OF to-
bacco, was the cost of uttering q
swear word. If the fine was not paid
and. the offender had no goods Oh
| chattels to be levied upon, he received
from ten to twenty lashes upon his
! bare back.
| County clerks received from ten to
| $50 pounds of tobacco for recording
and issuing various deeds and papers