The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-13
GRAIN ELEVATOR
STORING 100000
BUSHELS IN CITY
Industrial Project Is in Hands
of Topeka Millers.
Vital Need of Storage Capacity
by the Trade Here.
FORCED TO GO OUT OF TOWN
Topeka Mills Use Facilities in
Other Cities for Grain.
Only Possible to Store 1,550,00O
Bushels in City Now.

Bushels in City Now.
A grain elevator of a storing capac-
ity of from 100000 TO 700, 900 bushels
Is a progressive Industrial project that
is almost certain to be announced in
Topeka within very short time, 1t is
believed.
! Prominent local milling and grain
men have considered the proposition
for some time. Definiteness OF detail
has not been worked out further than
that all business men interested in the
milling and grain business in the city
of Topeka will participate In the erec-
tion of as large a public elevator as 1t
Will be possible for them to finance.
; Several men have been in Topeka
recently considering the possibility of
erecting such structure. They were
considering elevators OF from $4,000 to
100000 bushels capacity. They were
| advised by local men in the business
and by Topeka bankers that they
should not even think of putting up an
elevator of under 100000 bushel stor-
age capa city.
According to H. d. Yoder, of the
Topeka Flour Mills. the lack of stor-
age capacity is one of the biggest him
ORANGES to the development of the
trade in Topeka. At present practi-
cally every mill owns its own storage
equipment. None of the mills have
enough. 1t has been customary, when
1t was possible and necessary, to pur-
chase storage space from other mills.
Under the present system Topeka op-
orators are forced to store grain at
other points in Kansas. A large
amount of grain business, reaching
into tremendous figures, is turned
away here each season on account of
lack OF equipment Yoder points out
that all this could be avoided and that
y.
creased here should this defect be
remedied.
/ Store 1850. 900 Bushels Here.
Estimates of operators place the
storage capacity in Topeka at $780,
900 bushels. based on wheat figures
estimating wheat at fifty pounds. per
bushel. 1t is divided approximately as
follows: Golden Belt Grain & Ele-
vator Co.-25O. 600; Kaw Milling Co..
$4,000; Topeka Flour Mills CO.
100000; Page Milling Co.-15o. 900:
Inter-Ocean Mills-15O.0OO: Shawnee
Flour Mills-100.0O0 Forbes Milling
Co.-15O. 900; Central Mills-5o. 900.
Topeka is conceded by most grain
and milling men to be the logical
center for the tremendous volume of
grain business in Kansas. Topeka lies
at the eastern edge of the great hard
wheat district extending to the west.
to the north and south borders of the
state. Between Topeka and Kansas
, City wheat Is of a softer variety.
: Good Railway Service.
Four railroads run into this city
direct from every part of the state of
Kansas lying to the west of Topeka.
1t is the center of a mighty transpor-
tation organization reaching every re-
mote part of the west, running thru
the immense reaches of the grain belt.
All east-moving grain comes to To-
peka. A lot OF 1t goes on thru. 1t
| Hac fnF t1f
!out. If accommodations wore offered.
The chief answer to the question.
why could 1t be stopped here?" is
that it is possible to ship to any point
in the United States from Topeka
: Shipping to storage facilities In Kan
tsas City. means in thousands of cases
that shipping charges have to be paid
again for shipping grain back from
Kansas City. thru Topeka again.
In Touch With Markets.
The local Board of Trade is in touch
> with New York, Chicago and Kansas
City at all times An estimating finger
keeps it's constant touch upon the
: grain markets of the world. All city
facilities are offered here except stor-
1 age equipment for handling grain. The
local grain business has increased
/. more than 40 per cent since the or
ganization of the Board of Trade
] about four years ago.
Increased grain storage facilities
s VIII mean many LTlDBS To tHe gram
: business in Topeka What spells sue
\ cess for the milling and grain busi-
: nesses. just surely means progress
s and growth for the city Of Topeka.
!. The market here would become
e larger at once This would be true
e both for the buying and selling sides
n of the trade. More grain will be ham
Idled by Topeka operators as soon as
r facilities are increased. More flour
e would be miiled here.
o Millers feel that increased milling
e facilities will not hurt them thru com-
: petition. The flour market Is the en-
L tire United States. and even the entire
!, world. they point out.
e Milling capacity of Topeka mills is
q estimated as follows Kaw Milling
q company, 1000 barrels: Forbes. $500
: barrels flour, 800 corn Ismert-
= Hincke 1000 barrels; Inter-Ocean.
5 / 900 barrels: Page, 400: Central.
i150 barrels corn meal; Shawnee. 4Ov
:. barrels: Topeka Flour mills. 1900.
=