The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-13
STARTED IN 1919
First Long on Station at Fourth
and Quincy.
-Four Locations in Topeka Be-
sides Storage Plant.


Oil company established a filling sta
ton at Fourth and Quincy streets
Since then its business has SO in
creased that the company now has
four stations, besides its storage plant
and warehouse.
The oil company had operated this
storage plant and warehouse before
the filling stations were established
They were started December l, 191s,
in a building at the corner OF Curtis
and Tyler streets in North Topeka
They had storage at that time for
thirty-six thousand gallons of light
oils, as oil men call gasoline and kero-
sene. Since then the storage capacity
has been doubled and now seventy
two thousand gallons can be accom-
modated- In this location there IS a
brick garage and warehouse from
which trucks are operated in city and
country.
The second filling station to be put
in was at Tenth street and Topeka
boulevard The last to be built was
at 2502 East Sixth street This was
the first filling station on the new
hard surfaced road from Topeka to
Lawrence. These two filling stations
seem to tie for first place in the
amount of business done This is
largely due to their splendid locations,
which are very convenient and favor
able to motorists.
Lease Station On Seward.
station has recently been leased
at 1901 Seward from Roy Derby. 1t
and the one on Quincy take care of
the business IN the north part OF the
city.
P. A. Fairbank, who Ii the man
ager Of the filling station at Tenth
avenue and Topeka boulevard, II also
the manager of all the Topeka bust
ness He is one Of the directors Of the
Long company.
Tree Service is q principle with
the Long company that they attempt
to make felt whenever possible. Il
operates q gasoline service car for the
benefit Of its patrons. II q customer
or country. all he needs to do In to
call one Of the Long service stations
and car viii rush to the rescue, with
no charge for the service.
This company was the first one in
Topeka to give free crank case service
At any Of ne Long Oh company sta
lions, the customer can have the crank
case Of his motor drained and filled
and VIII be charged only for the oil.
Other companies have since followed
suit.
At Fourth ana Quincy there is a
wash-r1ck where any customer OF the
company may at any time wash his
car absolutely free OF charge
In connection with each Of the Long
Oil company's filling stations is a
These rest rooms have been especially
designed 50 that they are accessible
without entering the office Of the fill
ing station.
According to Mr. Fairbank, an aver
age Of 1900 gallons of gasoline Is
sold by the company in Topeka every
month Besides this they do q large
iuhricatfng business
More low-grade gasoline is sold, es-
peciatly in the summer, according to
Mr.. Fairbsnk- In the winter most
motorists prefer the higher grade,
which is q vaporized gasoline, and
which tnsures quicker starting The
price, whether high or low, doesn't
seem to cut any figure with the buy
ing public-ehey buy Just the same,
whether the price is away up or away
down
Besides the regulation trade IN
gasoline and motor oils, the Long COM
pany handles vacuum cup tires for
the Pennsylvania Rubber company.
This means that Il sells to dealers as
them az retail.
Is Kansas Product
fact not generally known is that
the Long company Is strictly Kansas
product, not going outside the state at
all There are branches in eight cities
in Kansas, of which Topeka is one.
The home office is at Manhattan, the
home of A ". Long, the president
Even the products that are sold are
from this state. with the exception of
4 1ubricating oil which comes from
Pennsylvania
Other towns In which the company
is represented are St. Marys. Wamego.
Manhattan, Atchison, Solomon and
Randolph The combined sales Of all
the stations average between three
and four million gallons every year.
This company has no connection
with Standard Oil urr r
ever.
1t is probable that no more filling
stations will be built because of the
prohibitive city ordinance, which pro-
vides that before filling stations. ga
RACES. etc, may be built, the permits
sion of the fire marshal, rs per cent
OF the property owners within the
block and Of those within one hun
dred feet On the opposite side OF the
street must be secured However,
Mr. Fairbanks ambition Is to make
the three already built and the one
under lease as good as It Is possible
to make them. He believes in what
he IS selling and thinks that no better
quality OF oil or gasoline can be :
procured
The filling stations of this company :
are open one hour longer daily than
most filling stations. The hours are
from O'Clock in the morning to II
o'clock in the evening. The reason
for this is that there are two men en-
pIoyed at each filling station. aver
aging eight hours every day, whereas
the other companies employ three
men 70 two stations
Didn't Get to the Fair.
Manhattan. Kan, Sept 1.-THE
Free fair OF Topeka was deprived of
one visitor yesterday when officers
Floyd Ackerxon. who is
charged with being the author Of sew