The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1872-08-23
Permanency Of Wichita.

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The faith Of our people in the continued
prosperity and permanently of Wichita is n
matter of surprise to many newcomers. The
future Importance Of the place is never doubt
ed by property owners and business men. and
seldom questioned by others. TO account for
this faith puzzles many strangers, who, in
turn stagger older inhabitants by demanding
= reason for its present growth and future
prospects. The answer of "why, everybody
says so,'' may be conclusive, but not conyinc-
ing to those who desire to invest money. Still
the money il invested, and still the town goes
on growing.
When an experienced business man or seek
er after new location, living in some eastern
state, opens up map Of Kansas he will be
sure to put his finger down upon our location
and remark, "There's a chance for a town."
When he arrives upon the ground and notes
our life and business he mentally adds ''goOd; :"
but after viewing the great and fertile valleys
Of the Little and Big rivers, Of Chisholm, Mem
nescah and their tributaries, he invariably
adds the adjective ''big" or ''grcat." He has
recognized the elements upon which our pres
ent and future prosperity are based without
knowing it.
The faith in the permanency and supremacy
OF Wichita, though seemingly intuitive, is new
ertheIess susceptible of demonstration. 1t is
based on location and surroundings. With no
rival within hundred miles north and east.
or within five hundred miles south and west:
situated at the junction Of two important riy-
ers, whose valleys in extent and richness are
not excelled In the known world the practi-
ca! terminus Of great line of railway, and at
the head of the cattle trail, make up part of
the location and surroundings. The vast
country that surrounds the place. and that is
drained by the above rivers, is not only being
rapidly settled by practical men, who, Injured
to toll, come to make great farms, but is being
dotted all over with rapidly growing towns.
To and for all these Wichita Is the entrepot.
To Wichita will they and do they come for
goods in bulk, and to Wichita do they and will
they come to dispose of surplus productions
and for shipments. From and to this point
does all the travel and mail matter come and
go for the great, rich and almost boundless
country lying south, southeast and southwest.
Is not the life and business, then, Of our town |
easily accounted for.
As to railroads, present and prospective, |
leaving out Of the question the trade and |
growth Of the place and viewing the place only
In the light Of point or location for a
proposed city, there appears upon the map,
and from the formation Of country and course
Of streams, and direction from us of great
commercial marts, lines for three railroads.
One Of the lines seems a possibility. another
very probable, and the third a railroad GER
tain. A railroad up this broad, rich valley of
The Big Arkansas from Memphis or Napoleon
to Wichita is the railroad certain-as certain
and that the right Of way can be obtained
through the Indian territory. OF the magni-
Jude Of such road, of its connections, and of
he immense local trade that would spring up
rom here to the Mississippi river all along its
inc, We need not specify. Everybody COM
)rchends the sit IatiOn at once. A road ALREADY
caches from Memphis to Little Rock, and on
Up the valley to GAINESVILLE, near the Indian
inc. 1t will be ut our door whenever congress
rants some company the right Of way through
he Indian territory. Wichta's probable rail-
DAD is the line from here to Humboldt, TT.
colt and Sedalia, portion Of which is already
uilt. This road is the direct outlet of this
alley to st. Louis and eastern markets. The
interests Of this great valley will not alone de-
,and its construction, but st. Louis and
he counties along its line. The construction
the Fifth Parallel railroad is only question
time. The only line of railroad that Wichi-
. desired in addition to the above was an i'm
robable route and of doubtful construction, ,
ct that was the very first one built e., the
:, L. 4 s. F. r. II. from the north
These ideas and suggestions we dot down {
artly MS a reason for the faith within us, and /
artly to answer doubts and to set our inter- $
tied readers to thinking upon the proposition Q
r themselves.
Wichita is destined to become great inland '
wn. Y