News Items from The Kansas City Journal ~ Old News That's New to You from Vintage Kansas City.com

February 3, 1910

ASKS AID FOR PARISIANS.

French Consular Agent Wants Com-

mittee Appointed to Raise Funds.

The co-operation of Mayor Crittenden was asked yesterday by Emile S. Brus, French consular agent in Kansas City, in the appointment of a committee to solicit funds for the relief of the people of Paris who are in dire distress on account of the overflow of the Seine. The mayor expressed full accord with the proposed movement, and will have another interview this morning with W. T. Bland, president of the Commercial Club, and Mr. Brus, to outline a course of action.

Mr. Brus stated that Baron H. De St. Laurent, the consul in Chicago, had urged the taking of subscriptions in Kansas City.

Labels: charity, Commercial Club, Mayor Crittenden

December 2, 1909

BOOSTING RIVER NAVIGATION.

Meeting at Commercial Club Tomor-

row Night to Increase Interest.

A special meeting will be held in the Commercial Club rooms tomorrow night for the purpose of creating more interest in the project for improving the navigation of the Missouri river. No solicitations for funds will be made at the meeting.

Walter S. Dickey, president of the company which proposes to establish a boatline on the Missouri, will show 125 pictures of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, some of the pictures being moving scenes. Comparisons between the navigable Mississippi and the Missouri will be brought out, by which Mr. Dickey expects to show conclusively the possibilities of the Missouri.

Moving pictures of the Kansas City delegation going to New Orleans in the Gray Eagle, and the visits of President Taft and other notables will also be shown.

Labels: boats, Commercial Club, Missouri river, moving pictures

November 12, 1909

THOMAS G. BEAHAM

SUCCUMBS AT 68.

FAULTLESS STARCH FOUNDER A

KANSAS CITY BUSINESS MAN

FOR 22 YEARS.

Veteran Army Man Made This City

the Scene of His Many Ac-

tivities -- Became Ill

Last Summer.

THOMAS G. BEAHAM.

Thomas G. Beaham, for twenty-two years a Kansas City business man, died at his home, 2940 Troost avenue, at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr. Beaham had been ill since last summer, while on a hunting and fishing trip on the Nipegon river in Canada.

Mr. Beaham was born in Cambridge, O., the only child of John and Harriett Beaham. His boyhood was spent in Muscatine, Ia., where he enlisted September, 1861, in the Union army as a commissary sergeant of the Second Iowa volunteer cavalry in the Civil war. He was appointed second lieutenant December 1, 1861, and promoted to first lieutenant a month later. Mr. Beaham was detached from his regiment in April, 1862, and assigned to duty as aide-de-camp on the staff of General Gordon Granger, commanding a cavalry division in Mississippi, until August, 1862. On November 19, 1863, he was appointed and commissioned major and aide-de-camp of United States volunteers and assigned to the staff of General Granger. While in the department of the Cumberland, in the military division of the West, he participated in the advance and siege of Corinth; occupation of Corinth and pursuit to Boonville; pursuit of Van Dorn to Duck river and defense of Franklyn against Van Dorn's attack. He was in the battle of Chickamauga, Orchard ridge and Missionary hill, and many other historic battlefields. He resigned September 12, 1864, and was honorably discharged from the service. Mr. Beaham was a lifelong friend of Captain Gordon Taylor of Cincinnati, O., who was on the staff of General Granger.

Shortly after the war he went to Cincinnati, O., where he engaged in the wholesale paint and glass business. In 1878 he moved to Zanesville, where he lived until 1887, when he came to Kansas City and entered into partnership with E. O. Moffatt in the whlesale coffee, tea and spice company. The company was formerly Smith and Moffatt, but Mr. Smith was killed in the cyclone of that year and the firm was started anew under the name of Beaham & Moffatt. At that time Mr. Beaham was living with his family in Independence, Mo.

It was early in the history of the firm of Beaham & Moffatt that the Faultless Starch was originated as a specialty. Shortly afterwards Mr. Moffatt returned to the grain trade and the business was conducted as the Beaham Manufacturing Company. Owing to the growth of the starch department the coffee, tea and spice business was disposed of and for several years the business was conducted as the Faultless Starch Company, unincorporated, Mr. Beaham being the sole owner. In 1900 he moved to Kansas City from Independence and in 1903 the business was incorporated as the Faultless Starch Company with Mr. Beaham as president and Gordon T. Beaham as secretary.

Mr. Beaham is survived by a mother, Mrs. Harriett Beaham, 91 years old. Mrs. Beaham has been living with her son for the past seventeen years. His wife, one son and two daughters also survive him. Gordon T. Beaham, the only son, was named after his lifelong friend, Captain Gordon Taylor of civil war fame. Two daughters, Edna and Helen, reside at home.

Mr. Beaham was a member of the University, Country, Midday and Commercial Clubs; also a member of the Loyal Legion. He was very fond of fishing and hunting and was a member of several shooting clubs. For a number of years he spent his summers in Lake Miltona, Minn.

Labels: business, Civil War, Commercial Club, death, Independence, Troost avenue, veterans

November 12, 1909

JAPANESE COMMISSIONERS

COME TO TOWN TODAY.

COMMERCIAL CLUB ROOMS DEC-

ORATED FOR RECEPTION.

Five Women Members of Party Will

Be Guests of Honor at Country

Club Luncheon -- Omaha

the Next Stop.

Kansas City will be the host today to the Honorary Commissioners of Japan, consisting of forty-three of the leading business men and educators of the Oriental empire, who, together with five Japanese women, are touring the United States. No efforts will be spared to entertain the foreign guests during their stay here, which will be from 9 o'clock in the morning until 11 o'clock at night.

Following the arrival here the party will breakfast in their special train. At 9:30 the men of the party will be met in automobiles by the members of the Commercial Club and the next hour and a half will be spent in a reception in the club rooms. The club rooms have been decorated with palms and ferns, the stars and stripes, the Japanese national flag, the mikado's coat of arms, and the Japanese man-of-war emblem. Judge W. T. Bland, president of the club, will head the receiving line, and in it will be the forty-three Japanese commissioners, the officers off the Commercial Club and all former presidents of the club.

WILL VISIT HIGH SCHOOL.

At 11 o'clock the party will be taken to the Westport high school, where Baron Kanda, head of the school of the nobility in Tokio, will make a short speech. Baron Kanda speaks English fluently and is a graduate of Amherst college. The address will be followed by a drive through Swope park and a stop at the Evanston Golf Club for a buffet luncheon.

After the luncheon the party will be driven through the city, up and down the principal streets, over the boulevards and through the leading parks.

The first place of interest to be visited will be the Bank of Commerce. This will be followed by an inspection of the Burnham-Munger overall factory. A drive to Kansas City, Kas., is next in order, where the party will be shown through the plant of the Kingman-Moore Implement Company. These will be the only places visited during the day.

While the men are being entertained by the members of the Commercial Club the five women in the party, Baroness Shibusawa, Baroness Kanda, Madame Midzuno, Madame Horikoshi and Madame Toki will not be forgotten. A committee composed of the wives of the Commercial Club directors and Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Clendening will entertain them. A visit to the Westport high school, a noon lunch at the Country Club and a tea at the home of Mrs. W. R. Nelson will be the events of the day which have been mapped out for the women.

DINNER AT THE BALTIMORE.

At 6:30 o'clock in the evening a dinner will be served to the men in the banquet room at the Baltimore hotel. At the same time a dinner will be given for the women in the Japanese room of the hotel. At the conclusion of their dinner the women will repair to the banquet room, where the entire party will listen to the addresses by David R. Frances, Senator William Warner, Baron Shibusawa and Baron Kanda. Judge Bland will act as toastmaster.

This will conclude the events of the day. The visitors will be taken back to their train, and will leave for Omaha, from where they will work west to San Francisco, from which port they will sail for Japan, November 30.

LEADING FINANCIER.

The Japanese arrived in Seattle from Japan September 1, and when they leave will have spent eighty-eight days in America, visited fifty-two cities, and traveled more than 11,000 miles. During this time they have visited plants and institutions representing nearly every American industry. Many of Kansas City's leading industries will not be visited, as the party has been to similar ones in other cities.

Baron Elighi Shibusawa, who is the head of the commission, is one of the leading men of Japan, being both a statesman and a financier. His individual efforts have raised the status of business men in this country. In 1873, Baron Shibusawa organized the first national bank in Japan under the capital stock system, and has been connected since with all leading banking institutions in Japan.

One Pullman dynamo car, a baggage car, a Pullman dining car, four ten-compartment sleepers, one twelve-section drawing room car and a six-compartment observation car comprise the equipment of the special train that will bring the Japanese to Kansas City over the Burlington railroad. The train will be in charge of W. A. Lalor, assistant general passenger agent for the Burlington at St. Louis.

Labels: banking, business, California, Commercial Club, Edwin Clendening, Evanston Golf Club, Hotel Baltimore, Judges, Kansas City Kas, Omaha, railroad, schools, Swope park, visitors, Westport

October 25, 1909

OFF FOR TAFT RIVER TRIP.

Deep Waterways Cheered as Party of

Kansas City Men Leave for Alton

and St. Louis.

More than a half hundred prominent Kansas City men, comprising the delegation that is to go down the river on the steamboat Gray Eagle in the presidential party, departed last night over the Chicago & Alton railroad on a special train consisting of five sleepers and a baggage car for Alton, Ill., where they will arrive this morning.

Decorators who were sent to Alton in advance, reported last evening to Secretary Cledening of the Commercial Club that the boat will be one of the handsomest in appearance in the big fleet.

It was a merry party which met at the Union depot last evening and as the train pulled out cheer after cheer was heard for the deep waterways convention which will be held in New Orleans Saturday of this week and Monday and Tuesday of next week.

The delegates expect that President Taft will breakfast with them on their boat Tuesday morning either at Cape Girardeau, which will be the first stop after the fleet leaves St. Louis, or between the Cape and Cairo.

The Kansas Cityans will arrive in Alton this morning in time to board the Grey Eagle and be landed at the levee in St. Louis at 9 a. m. They will go to the Coliseum, where President Taft will speak at 11 a. m. The trip down the river will begin at 5 p. m.

Labels: boats, Commercial Club, Edwin Clendening, New Orleans, President Taft, railroad, St Louis, Union depot

October 24, 1909

FOR TAFT BOAT TRIP

DOWN MISSISSIPPI.

KANSAS CITY DELEGATION

WILL LEAVE TONIGHT.

Will Travel to Alton on Four Spe-

cial Cars -- Decorations for the

"Gray Eagle" Sent

Ahead.

Imbued with the "Kansas City Spirit" and a determination to impress upon the big waterways convention at New Orleans the need of improving the Missouri river, the Kansas City delegation will leave for Alton, Ill., at 9 o'clock tonight on four special Pullman cars by way of the Chicago & Alton railway. Decorators were sent to Alton Friday night and by the time the Kansas City delegation arrives tomorrow morning the Gray Eagle, the boat on which the Kansas City delegation will ride, will be one of the gayest in the fleet. At least that was the declaration last night of E. M. Clendening, secretary of the Commercial Club, who has made all of the arrangements for the trip.

Yesterday it seemed very unlikely that President Taft would be able to accept the invitation of the Kansas City delegation to ride at least part of the way down the river on the Gray Eagle. More than a dozen telegrams were exchanged with the management of President Taft's itinerary, but late last night Secretary Clendening was informed that it would be practically impossible. He still hopes that the president will find time to visit the Kansas City boat and take breakfast on the steamer Tuesday morning.

LEAVE ST. LOUIS MONDAY.

The "Gray Eagle" will reach St. Louis at 9 o'clock Monday morning. President Taft will speak in the Coliseum at 11 o'clock. The party will embark at 4 o'clock in the afternoon for the great trip down the river. The fleet arrives at Cape Girardeau at 6 o'clock Tuesday morning, Cairo, Ill., at noon, and Hickman, Ky., at 4 o'clock. Memphis, Tenn., and Helena, Ark., will be the principal stops on Wednesday. Vicksburg will be the only stop of importance on Thursday with Natchez and Baton Rouge on Friday.

The fleet will arrive in New Orleans early Saturday morning and until the following Tuesday night there will be a continuous round of convention work and receptions in the southern city. Grand opera, addresses by the governors of the different states, inspection of the city, and attendance at the convention will take up about all of the time of the Kansas City delegation. The party will leave New Orleans at 6:20 o'clock Tuesday night.

Besides Secretary Clendening, members of the delegation of seventy include Jerome Twitchell, J. H. Neff, Hon. Edgar C. Ellis, C. S. Jobes, H. F. Lang, W. B. C. Brown, C. D. Carlisle, W. G. Mellier and Hon. W. P. Borland.

Labels: boats, Commercial Club, Congressman Borland, Congressman Ellis, conventions, Edwin Clendening, Missouri river, New Orleans, President Taft, railroad, St Louis

October 11, 1909

SWOPE MEMORIAL PROJECT.

Commercial Club Agrees on One Built

by $1 Contributions.

In a memoriam adopted by the Commercial Club yesterday a plan is suggested by which a monument be raised by popular subscription to the memory of Colonel Thomas H. Swope. It suggests that no one be permitted to give more than $1. When the subscription list will be started is not yet known.

At the meeting of the club yesterday it was stated that influence would be used with the school board to have it declare a half holiday each year on the anniversary of Colonel Swope's death, October 3, that the children might spend the day in Swope Park.

The Journal recently received $1 from "An Old Citizen," who wishes to honor the memory of the philanthropist with a suitable monument, as an initial contribution to a fund for that purpose.

"An Old Citizen" believes, he says, that if any plan is arranged to raise money for the memorial no one should be allowed to contribute more than $1, in order that as many persons in Kansas City as wish may have an opportunity to show their gratitude to the man who did so much for the average person in the community by giving the city a park big enough for all the people. He states that he thinks a simple monument, bought with the dollars of many persons to whom a dollar means much, would make a more suitable memorial than an expensive shaft bought with the donations of men who easily could afford big contributions.

The Commercial Club's memoriam praised Colonel Swope's generous spirit and designated that the club "initiate, formulate and carry out a plan for raising a fund by popular subscription, each individual subscriber to be limited to $1, for the purpose of erecting, as a public testimonial, a suitable monument in Swope park, in his memory, and to commemorate his great philanthropy, although he has builded monuments that will never perish."

Labels: Commercial Club, Swope park, The Journal, Thomas Swope

August 28, 1909

DOWN THE RIVER WITH TAFT.

Steamboat Chester Will Carry Kan-

sas Cityans to New Orleans.

At a meeting held yesterday afternoon the directors of the Commercial Club enthusiastically accepted the invitation from St. Louis to send a steamboat representing Kansas City with the flotilla which will escort President Taft down the Mississippi river from St. Louis to the big waterways convention at New Orleans in October. Secretary E. M. Clendening was instructed to send notification of Kansas City's acceptance and to ask that the Kansas City boat be assigned a good place in the formation of the down-river fleet.

The steamboat Chester will carry the Kansas Cityans to New Orleans. It is the intention to begin the trip at the home dock, make stops at the towns down the Missouri river as far as Jefferson City and join the flotilla at St. Louis. This scheme, it is thought, is preferable to making the start at St. Louis and besides it will afford the Kansas Cityans an excellent opportunity to campaign for river improvement at Lexington, Glasgow, Boonville, Jefferson City and the other towns down the Missouri between here and the state capital.

The Chester has capacity for sixty passengers, and from the way applications for berths are coming in it is probable that they will be engaged long before the trip is to be taken. A band will be on board the boat, which will be gaily decorated. H. G. Wilson, transportation commissioner of the Commercial Club, will be in charge of the arrangements.

The boat will probably leave Kansas City on the afternoon of October 21, will reach St. Louis October 25 and will arrive at New Orleans October 31. It will be used as a floating hotel for the Kansas Cityans while at St. Louis and New Orleans.

Labels: boats, Commercial Club, conventions, Jefferson City, Lexington, Missouri river, New Orleans, President Taft, St Louis, Steamboat Chester

July 31, 1909

DEATH CAME SUDDENLY

TO P. D. RIDENOUR.

HEART DISEASE CLAIMED PIO-

NEER WHOLESALE GROCER.

Had Been Ill at Home About Ten

Days, but Fatal Termination

Was Not Expected by

Physicians.

THE LATE PETER D. RIDENOUR.

Peter D. Ridenour, pioneer wholesale grocer of Kansas City, died suddenly of heart disease at 11:00 last night at his home, 1416 East Eighth street. He was 78 years old, and as the result of complications due to old age has been kept home from the store at 933 Mulberry street, in the West Bottoms, for over a week. His fatal illness is believed to have begun ten days ago when he first complained of shooting pains in the vicinity of his heart.

At his bedside when he died were his wife, Mrs. Sarah L. Ridenour and his son, Edward M. Ridenour. The family physician, Dr. Lester Hall, and Dr. R. T. Sloane, who had been called in, were in attendance, but neither believed death would result from the indisposition.

BORN ON OHIO FARM.

Besides the widow and the son, Mr. Ridenour is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Catherine Lester, Mrs. Alice Raymond and Miss Ethel Ridenour, all of this city, the last named living at home. Four brothers are living, T. M. Ridenour in Colorado, Irving W. in Richmond, Ind.; Elisha at Liberal, Mo., and Samuel Ridenour, who through the death of his brother will become president of the Ridenour Baker Grocery Company, lives at the Washington hotel.

Funeral arrangements have not been made.

Peter D. Ridenour was born May 5, 1831, on a farm of one half mile south of the village of College Corner, O. His parents were of Dutch extraction and pioneers of the state. The town received its name form its location in the northwest corner of the land donated to the Miami university. In 1837 his father bought a store in the town and in it for the next seven or eight years young Ridenour gleaned the knowledge of the grocery business so useful to him in after years.

At the age of 26, Mr. Ridenour married Miss Sarah Louise Beatty at Xenia, O., and moved to Lawrence, Kas. Part of the trip was made in boats because there was no railroad leading into Kansas City or in fact any other town in the vicinity of the Sunflower state.

BEGAN BUSINESS IN LAWRENCE.

With his brother, Samuel, who also had left the old home in Ohio to come West, Mr. Ridenour started a small grocery store at Lawrence taking as partners in the business Harlow W. Baker of that city and later his three brothers. This was in 1858.

By the death of Mr. Ridenour last night Samuel Ridenour became the sole survivor of the original Ridenour Baker Grocer Company. This firm was incorporated thirty-one years ago when having grown to dignified proportions it was moved from Lawrence to its present ho me on Mulberry street. Such has been its progress in Kansas City that it has been able to establish branch stores at several points. Both Peter and Samuel Ridenour grew wealthy. P. D. Ridenour's estate probably amounts to about $300,000.

Mr. Ridenour was known as a public spirited citizen. Three years ago he was vice president of the Commercial Club and was offered the presidency but he refused because of his advanced age. He maintained a large farm near Dallas, twelve miles from Kansas City, where he had intended to spend the remainder of his life.

Labels: bakers, Commercial Club, death, doctors, Eighth street, grocers, history, Lawrence, Mulberry street, pioneers

July 29, 1909

A NEW TELEPHONE DIRECTORY.

Bell Company's New Booklet Is Re-

plete With Information.

The July issue of the Missouri & Kansas (Bell) Telephone Company's Kansas City directory is now being delivered to subscribers. The directory appears in an entirely new form, made necessary by the large increase in the number of subscribers. The old style cover which persisted in rolling up and breaking, has been replaced by a handsome, index bristol cover. The front section of the directory contains several pages of useful information, including a page write-up of Kansas City, compiled by E. M. Clendening, Secretary of the Commercial Club, postal information, office buildings, directory of both Kansas Cities, street directory of both Kansas Cities, libraries and reading rooms, theaters, table of weights and measures, information for taxpayers, street car routings, railroad time tables, carriage and automobile rates and a two year calendar. Subscribers' names are listed double column in new style type. The classified business directory is printed on yellow paper. The listing therein now includes business addresses. This section of the directory contains a goodly showing of classified advertising of a varied nature.

In speaking of the new directory, Homer Montfort, Advertising agent of the company, said: "The telephone directory of today has many uses aside form that for which it was originally intended. Its value as a social and business directory is beyond question. We have added the new features at considerable expense, with a view of making the directory more valuable to our patrons, and we will gladly receive suggestions as to other useful features that might be added. Our Kansas City directory is used for various purposes approximately 250,000 per day or 91,000,000 times per year."

The new directory is said by telephone men to be the handsomest ever issued for the purpose. There are 30,000 directories in this issue.

Labels: books, Commercial Club, Edwin Clendening, telephone

June 4, 1909

JOHN W. SPEAS, LONG

ILL, KILLS HIMSELF.

With Pistol and Poison Makes Sure

of Death After Writing a

Farewell Note.

JOHN W. SPEAS.

After writing a brief farewell note to his family, John W. Speas committed suicide yesterday morning at 6:30 o'clock in a bedroom at his home, 1028 Summit street, by drinking carbolic acid and shooting himself.

Mrs. Speas, who was in the dining room downstairs, hurried to the bedroom when she heard the report of the revolver, and found Mr. Speas prostrate upon the floor. She summoned the family physican, Dr. R. T. Sloan, who said death had been instantaneous. Before firing the fatal shot, it is believed that Mr. Speas swallowed the carbolic acid. According to the deputy coroner either method would have resulted in death.

Mr. Speas has been an active member of the Commercial Club for a longer period probably than any other man in it, and once refused the presidency. He was active in the building of the first Convention hall, and also was conspicuous in the work of reconstructing it after the fire. As a member of the Commercial Club he was looked upon as the most popular active worker. He was president several years of the Priests of Pallas, and a member of the board of directors.

Mr. Speas was a native of Missouri. He came to Kansas City at the age of 10 years, and for several years sold papers, and later carried a paper route. He studied bookkeeping at Spalding's Business college, and then allied himself with the Kansas City Distilling Company. Much of his business career was interwoven with that of E. L. Martin, president of the distilling company. Later Mr. Speas became interested in the Monarch Vinegar company, and eventually became the sole owner.

An enthusiastic baseball fan, he identified himself with National League in the '90s, and for three or four years owned or controlled the franchise in Kansas City. He was a member of the Masons, Elks and Mystic Shrine.

Mr. Speas was born on a farm near Kansas city, October 18, 1862. In 1884 he married Miss Evelyn Southworth. Besides his widow he leaves one son, Victor Speas. Continued ill health of three years' duration is believed to explain his suicide.

The pallbearers for the Speas funeral, which will be held Saturday morning, are F. A. Faxon, L. W. Shouse, E. M. Clendening, William Barton, J. C. Schmelzer, D. P. Thompson, F. S. Doggett and W. H. Holmes.

Labels: Commercial Club, Convention Hall, doctors, Edwin Clendening, Frank Faxon, Funeral, guns, Spaldings college, sports, Suicide, Summit street

June 3, 1909

5,000 SEE THE MEYER

MEMORIAL UNVEILING.

MANY TRIBUTES TO THE FIRST

PRESIDENT OF THE PARK BOARD.

Addresses by Leon Smith, Henry D.

Ashley and Mayor Crittenden.

Cord Releasing Flag Pulled

by Phillip Meyer.

At the unveiling yesterday afternoon of the bronze and marble memorial in honor of August R. Meyer, first president of the park board, at the Paseo and Tenth street, a drowed of 5,000 persons witnessed the ceremonies. Members of the Meyer statue comittee, Mayor Thomas T. Crittenden, Leon Smith, president of the Commercial Club, and business associates and friends of the man whose memory was to be honored, rode to the scene of the memorial services in carriages. Chief of Police Frank Snow headed the processoin with a detachment of mounted police, followed by Hiner's band and Company K, of the Third regiment, national guards. Colonel Cusil Lechtman, attended by the majors and captains of the regimennt, rode in advance of the guards.

Before the arrival of the parade the crowd had gathered in front of the statue and locked traffic on Tenth street. Many women and children were in the crowd, and when the mounted police turned west on Tenth street from the Paseo the pushing back of those in the middle of hte street crushed the smaller children, and women begged the police to help them out of the jam.

A raised platform had been erected on each side of the statue, which his located on the Paseo grounds just north of and facing Tenth street. The committee occupied the platform and Mrs. Meyer accompanied by her children and friends sat in an au tomobile in front of the statue. Following a selection by the band Leon Smith made an address in which he told of the services rendered by Mr. Meyer in whose honor the shaft was erected.

FATHER OF PARK SYSTEM.

The subject of the bronze portrait in relief which adorns the marble statue was the father of the park system in Kansas City. He was not only president of the first park board, but was also president of the Commercial Club, which was instrumental in securing the statue. A few days after the death of Mr. Meyer, December 1, 1905, the Commercial Club met and instituted a popular subscription for a monument to the memory of one of Kansas City's foremost men. The amount to be raised was placed at $25,000. Daniel Chester French, the great American sculptor of New York was selected to do the relief. It is the fist monument ever unveiled by this city.

Henry D. Ashley, an old friend of Mr. Meyer's, spoke for three-quarters of an hour in eulogy of the man, whom he declared had done more for the beauty of Kansas City than any other one man. He said that his friend was not only interested in beautifying Kansas City, but was prominent in every public enterprise and civic improvement. Following Mr. Ashley an address was made by Mayor Crittenden. He said, in part:

TRIBUTE BY MAYOR.

"The biting frost of death does not kill the fruit of patriotism. It bears on everlastingly. Thee handiwork of Washington is still our daily benefit, and the richest asset of Lincoln's life will pay dividends from generation to generation. While our distinguished townsman August R. Meyer, sleeps, grateful multitudes are daily reaping harvests of bloom and bower and flower and fountain, children of his busy brain. In life he gave abundantly the best he had -- his talents; in death we give him freely the best we have -- our gratitude.

"This great citizen, forerunning his time, saw wisely that the modern city must not confine itself merely to commerce, but must beautify as well; that it must not only have stores and banks and lawns, where the rich and the poor could enjoy the health giving sunlight and pure fresh air."

Labels: Commercial Club, Mayor Crittenden, military, music, parades, Park board, Paseo, Police Chief Snow, statues, Tenth street

May 17, 1909

SOUVENIRS WORTH $8,000.

That Much Given Away During

Commercial Club Trade Trip.

Nearly $8,000 worth of souvenirs were given away by the Commercial Club "specialists," who returned Saturday night from their 1,400-mile trip through Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas. This estimate was not made with "Schmelzerized" money, either.

According to his own guess, Herman Schmelzer, vice president and secretary of the Schmelzer Arms Company, burned up $1,873,500 on the trip. At almost every station he would ostentatiously set fire to a crisp roll of yellow-backs amid the ill-suppressed gasps of the natives, and the plaudits of his white-hatted excursionists. Thus his counterfeit Confederate currency displaced the real coin of the commonwealth on board the train, and some of the transactions made between the missionaries dealt with large figures.

What was given as souvenirs from the train is hardly worth mentioning. Anyway, they included everything from traveling clocks and papers of needles, to rubber stamps and automatic calendars.

Labels: Commercial Club, railroad

April 6, 1909

MONUMENT TO A. R. MEYER.

Sculptor Here to Discuss Unveiling,

Which May Take Place May 7.

Daniel Chester French, sculptor and designer of the monument to be erected to the memory of A. R. Meyer, first president of the park board, on the Paseo near Twelfth street, was here yesterday to consult with the committee of the Commercial club in regard to the unveiling. The members. The members of the committee are: E. M. Clendening, Frank A. Faxon, William Barton, H. D. Ashley, C. J. Schmelzer and George Kessler. The committee and Mr. French visited the site of the memorial and practically decided on May 7 as the date of the unveiling.

The sculptor said that the bronze statue was about finished and would be here in about two weeks. It will be seven and a half feet in height and will be supported by a bronze background.

Mr. French said that it was his second visit to Kansas city and he spoke in admiration of the parks and boulevards. He left for New York last night.

Labels: Commercial Club, Edwin Clendening, Frank Faxon, George Kessler, New York, Park board, Paseo, statues, Twelfth street

September 16, 1908

WOULD DIVERT KAW'S CHANNEL.

Mayor Announces That It Can Be

Done at Cost of $10,000,000.

The old plan of diverting the channel of the Kaw river, advanced several times since it was outlined in the report of the Stickney board of engineers, is to be taken up by the Kaw river flood abatement congress. Mayor Thomas T. Crittenden, Jr., at a meeting of the executive committee in the Commercial Club rooms yesterday, announced that Ira G. Hedrick had for some time been working on such a plan, and that it would cost about $10,000,000, the money, proposed by the mayor, to be collected by a tax on land and by contributions from the industries protected.

Mr. Hedrick will attend the next meeting and outline the plan in detail. Mr. J. Hedrick will also be called into consultation with an expert dyke engineer, to be employed by the congress at a cost of $1,000. The employing of such an engineer was recommended by E. R. Crutcher, chairman of the committee on engineering.

Labels: Commercial Club, Kaw river, Mayor Crittenden, public works

July 7, 1908

SWOPE STATUE AT THE GATE.

Likeness of Donor to Grace the Entrance.

On recommendation of Member George W. Fuller yesterday the board of park commissioners decided to begin negotiaions through the Commercial Club for a statue of Colonel Thomas H. Swope to be erected at the entrance to Swope park. The Commercial Club recently became interested in a statue of the donor of the park, and has asked the board to assist in its purchase.

Labels: Commercial Club, statues, Swope park, Thomas Swope

April 25, 1908

MEYER STATUE WILL

STAND ON PASEO.

SITE IS CHOSEN BETWEEN NINTH

AND TENTH STREETS.

BRONZE STATUE TO BE ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF A. R. MEYER ON THE PASEO, BETWEEN NINTH AND TENTH STREETS.

After spending almost the entire day yesterday going over the boulevards and through the parks of the city, the members of the Meyer statue committee, together with Daniel Chester French, the sculptor, late yesterday agreed upon a point on the Paseo between Ninth and Tenth streets, for the location of the bronze statue to be erected of the late A. R. Meyer, first president of the park board. The statue will be near the south end of the block and will face toward the south. The immediate surroundings for the statue will be decided upon by the park board.

This will be the first public statue to be erected in Kansas City, and will be in honor of the man to whom perhaps more credit is due for the splendid park and boulevard system for which Kansas City is now noted, than any other.

The model for the monument was sent ahead by Mr. French with the request that it not be opened until his arrival. It was first opened at 10 o'clock yesterday morning in the Commercial Club rooms, in the presence of Mr. French and the members of the statue committee. The model was unanimously accepted by the committee and, on recommendation of that body, was later accepted by the city art committees. A committee composed of E. M. Clendening, H. D. Ashley and Frank A. Faxon was named to frame a suitable inscription for the base of the monument.

The monument consists of a main structure of Knoxville marble fifteen feet in height, about seven feet in width and two feet in depth from front to back, resting on a base of the same material about ten by six feet.

The monument is surrounded by an ornamental cap, and the main stone, containing the portrait of Mr. Meyer, is supported by an ornamental stone, resting on the base proper. The portrait of Mr. Meyer will be in bronze, let into the main stone of the monument, and will show a figure seven and a half feet in height. It has been the endeavor of the sculptor to suggest Mr. Meyer as the originator of the park system, and he is represented as standing out of doors with his right hand resting on an open map, which lies upon a marble Pompeian table. The left hand holds a pair of field glasses, and a tree under which he is standing is introduced at the right.

Mr. French will remain in Kansas City until tonight. He expects to have the statue finished in about a year.

Labels: arts, Commercial Club, Edwin Clendening, Frank Faxon, Ninth street, Paseo, statues, Tenth street, visitors

December 2, 1907

DR. A. W. GOODSPEED TO SPEAK HERE.

Dr. Arthur W. Goodspeed, professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania, will speak on radio-activity at the meeting of the Commercial club Tuesday night. The alumni of the University of Pennsylvania in Kansas City and vicinity have been invited to attend the meeting.

Labels: Commercial Club

January 24, 1907

THE DIRECTORS SKATED.

Bumps Were Frequent at Convention

Hall Last Night.

One of the most noticeable things at a skating rink is the strong attraction of the Human body and the floor. --Bill Nye.

Zip-plunk-plunk-boom.

This was heard around 8 o'clock last evening above the steady rumble of skaters gliding over Convention hall floor. It was J. A. Runyan, who, for the first time in twenty years, put on a pair of roller skates at the skating party given by the directors of Convention hall to members and the families of members of the Commercial Club, the Mercantile Club, the Manufacturers and Merchants' Association and the Kansas City Athletic Club.

There were more than 3,000 who attended this gathering and more than 900 disported themselves on the floor--some like Mr. Runyan. In the crowd were old men with bald heads, fat men, young men and boys, as well as girls and women of many ages, sizes and proportions.
An exhibition in fancy skating was given by Miss Lucille Landsdowne, a professional, and a game of broomball was played between two picked teams, neither of which scored. "Kid" Nichols, of baseball fame, refereed.

A match race between George H. Teftt, president of the Manufacturers and Merchants' Association, and O. V. Dodge, president of the Commercial Club, was scheduled, but Mr. Dodge was out of the city. The party was given as an opening event after the two weeks' cessation of skating at the hall while the Implement Men's convention and the Chicken show was in progress.

Labels: amusement, Commercial Club, Convention Hall, Kansas City Athletic Club, skating