The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-16

emergencies.
The Associated Press faced a world
of. trouble because of the fire. The
news service supplies "poney' service
to a number of Kansas dailies from
Topeka. The leased wire reports,
picked up from The State Journal Of
flee, are boiled down and read to the
smaller town A. P. papers. The
ponies" depend entirely on the tele-
phone. When the wire service broke
down, Topeka not only found herself
cut off from neighbors and associates,
but the outlying papers faced a news
famine. The service was restored for
today's news readings.
| The inter-office telephone system in
the Santa Fe general offices was not
! interrupted. for more than few min
utes when the local switchboard was
burned out Wednesday. Current from
the plant in the office building was
| applied. and the offices were kept in
communication with each other. A
private line to Kansas City was also in
| operation, Independent of the Bel; line.
] The break in telephone service was
a hard jolt for state departments. All
| of the state house wires reach the
long distance switchboards thru the
regular city switches. In consequence
number of state officials were forced
to rely on telegraph service in COM
nunicating with outside parties re-
| garding state affairs.
Cafes and restaurants suffered. But
| the fire came at an hour when the
| public eating houses were most pre-
pared Their days shopping had been
| done when the wire service ceased.
This morning marketing was carried
on as usually phone.
I Topeka thought mostly of he own
trouble and inconvenience. The shock
tOf sudden realization that much of the
eity's business is conducted by tele-
phone left little opportunity to con-
slider the rural neighbors. They were
| even greater sufferers. Truck garden
ers and dairymen were due for real
trouble day. They were removed from
| the markets and the paved street,
| news and gossip. In consequence the
fire left the rural subscribers in a
numb, half comprehensive realization
of the real worth of a wire to the ear
of neighbors, friends and business as
sociates in the big outside world.
It was great night for the young
sters who were ambitious and alert to
4 iopportunity- When the phone bells
jceased jinEfing there was an instant
demand for messenger service. Today
There are many quick wtttedsTopeka
youngsters who are numerous quar-
tiers, half dollars and even dollars
L 4
paralysis which hit Topeka.
The lack of service made 1t diff
cult to handle teamster work in the
| city Wednesday afternoon. All trans
/ fer companies require drivers to call
their offices Immediately after deliv-
cries for the purpose of facilitating
| "pick-ups" in certain territories.
| Without telephones it was necessary
for the drivers to double back to head
quarters.
i The citizens of Topeka at least be-
came thoroly acquainted with the To-
cation of fire alarm boxes.
The old timers who padded Kansas
avenue before the days OF telephones
were in their glory. Many a grand
child last night sat on the front
porch listening to the stories of long
ago.
The wireless outfits in town were
} enjoying the telephone drouth. Anna
lteur operators were up late into the
night showing the neighbors the
central offices and switchboards and
girls 'neverything.
, There was general rush to the
| 'phoneS today by persons who made
needless calls Just to see If it wa;
working"
Small boyes about town today are
| rigging up their own telephone syS-
TENS. With waxed string and tin can.
!; they are talking from barn to barn
t garage to garage and tree top to tree
J top.
Unmentionable words were used b,
) the proprietor of big garage, who i.
accustomed to command unlimited
motor car service. when he had cal
touble on West Tenth steet Wednes
/ day evening. He was forced to rids
ron street car to find help for hi.
} situation.
81 Mothes and babies wee gatheed IL
r large numbers at the free baby clini,
3 conducted by the Public Health Nurs
) ing association of Topeka at Tecum
t sch Wednesday afternoon Mothers
babies and nurses waited restlessly
but no doctor appeared. Miss France
t Hoy and Miss Margaret Kitchener
/ nurses in charge. tried in vain to tele
/ phone to Topeka for physician
e They finally drove the six miles 4
e Topeka and returned with a physician
I In order to offset as much as pos
sible the lack of telephone service. tn
afternoon force of the police depart
4 ment worked all night with the regu
e lar night force. The night force ais
r worked until about 10 O'Clock tf1i
: morning. The phones at police head
quarters were connected with the Ro,
Payne Taxicab company's telephon
z system. which was a great aid to tn
( officers.
A street car ran off the track Il
Oakland Wednesday evening. No tele
phones being available word had to b
sent back on the next car for the worl
:. car to come out.
: MOTOR BUS HITS STONE WALL