The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-12-02
Correspondence of tn Kansas City Times.
WICHITA.
The Metropolis Of ihe "Happy
Valley
The Most Prosperou. Town
in the New West.
An Eiab,ra.s Article o. the Rise, Pre-
grass a1i Prosps:ts Of Wichita
The Great Grain Market Of tas Arkansas
Valley.
Brief Mention OF the Men who Have
Made Happy Locations in
the New West, Etc.
The Great Grain Make. Of tas Arkansas
Valley.

alton. decorated il with the rather
significant head line"Near Birthstone"
AT that time the streets were thronged
with Texan COW boys, with huge spurs
ga their heels, and howitZers strapped
ipon their backs. Every other door
,pened into a saloon. The first thing
,eard in the morning aud the last al
iight was that unceasing music at the
saloons and gambling houses. The
town was headquarters for harlots for
TWO hundred miles around. Fighting.
shooting aud even killing were not ill.,
frequent. The streets were patroled by
4 half dozen policemen. Gamblers
we're more numerous than respectable
men. Thosu were days of the cattle
rade in its glory. Then the name of
Wichita was Synonymous with crime.
Even Kansas City criminals came here
20 perpeirate their biabolical deeds.
But these days arc gone, happily for
Wichita, never to return. The demon
llizing and debasing effects of the cat
lie trade will never be felt here again.
The grangcrs have come in vast num-
ners /; they have upturned the virgin
soil. and now for twenty miles in any
direction the earth is clothed with a
magnificent carpet of green. Wheat,
which produces the staff of life, is
Gown as it were TO the winds, and next
wear a most bountiful harvest is antici-
pated. The cattle trade, comparative
" speaking, has gone, but in its stead
has come the grain trade, 4 hundred
fold more beneficial and conducive to
The permanent growth and prosperii,
If the city of Wichita. This ely, siiu-
Itcd on The Arkansas river, has a popu-
iation of 1000. Ii has churches of every
name. and schools that cannot be sur
passed in towns of similar size any
where. 1t is the metropolis of four
counties and thirty thousand people
are paying tribute to its business men.
Il is surrounded by the finest wheat
growing district il: the world. 1t has
well been designated the Happy Val
lev" The soil is unsurpassed, the eli
mate is delightful and all things COM
bine to render this the best place for
The home-seeker. Wichita affords
good market for all kinds of produce
The Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe
road, ably represented here by Chas.
Marsh, an experienced, reliable man,
furnishes transportation for all sur
plus grain. Should the country be
blessed with another bountiful har-
vest. rival line from Kansas City
will certainly find its way into. the val
ley. As n commercial point. Wichita
is without rival in the Southwest.
md is likely to hold its supremacy for
many years TO come. The following
review will give some idea of the
place.
The banking facilities OF this place
are unsurpassed by those of any town
Of its size in the west. The three
banks here have an aggregate capital
# S300.o00 The FIRST National Bank
was organized in 1872, with j. &. Fra
ker as President: j. II. Mead. Vice
President and J. w. Eldridge, Cash
Ter. 1t is located in a fine two-story
brick building on the corner of Main
street, one block north of Douglas
avenue. During the present season
this bank has shipped to its order as
nigh as siXty-fiye cars of wheat in a
inglc week. 1t has paid as high as
S65, 900 week TO the farmers in this
section. The bank gives special atten-
lion TO collections. This department
has been under the charge of K. e..
Wright, who has handled 10000 collec-
tons, in the past year, VARYING from
$4,000 to $50. The bank Is very
successfully managed.
The Wichita Savings Bank was or
gamized about three wears since, with
sol. H. Kohn as President Samuel
Levy, Vice-President and a. 4.
Hyde, Cashier. This bank has done an
immense business in the wheat and
cattle trade. 1t is one of the few banks
hat did not close its doors during the
panic of '73. 1t is located in Eagle
Block, on the corner of Main street
md Douglas avenue. The President,
Mr. sol. III. Kohn, has been remarkably
successful in business and enjoys the
of the business community.
w. L. Woodman & Son do a general
business, in connection with
general merchandising. Mr.. Wood
man, who was for many years promi-
lent business man in Philadelphia,
.ame to this country in 1870 with the
of goiug into the stock bust |
ness, but soon changed his mind and |
went into the business of money loan |
ng and selling goods, in which he has |
been remarkably successful. lie loans
arge sums of money for eastern capt. |
alists, aud seldom makes bad loan. |
there is Emusic in the air"
Woodman always plays his part, !
in the locating of post offices |
81 moving county offices.
w. & n. McClees and ii. c. Day do |
they never ask more than legal rates
with good fair commission. That is
70 say.
They are three leading exclusive dry |
goods houses in the city, viz: NJ. kohn |
I Co., w. G. Woodman & Co. and w. |
J. Hobson. NJ. Kohn & Co. occupy a |
magnificent room i'll New York Block,
IN The corner of Douglas avenue and |
Main street. The senior member OF
he firm is one of the most successful
'oung men in the west. He came TO
Wichita five years ago with very linn
ted means. His store now carries |
took Of not less than $50 900, and the |
nuual sales will reach $4,000.
w. c. Woodman & Son deal i'll
that there is dollar in,
# corn. The house carries a stock of
10000 in goods and sells not less than
10000 per annum. Mr.. Woodman is
ne of the remarkable successes devel-
ped by Wichita.
w. j. Hobson is doing very fiue
rade, about as large as that OF kohn ~
%. or Woodman, and one which is
ntirely safe, sound and lucrative.
The leading millinery store is kept
y Miss l.. Markham, formerly of Kan
as City.
The trade in ready-made clothing
as been one of the most lucrative
ranches of trade in Wichita for the
asst five years. During the cattle sea-
on, when the COW boys came up from
he trail. they invariably bought a
ew suit, and tho cloihiers gathered
ich harvest. But that spasmodical
rade has disappeared, and the cloth
ng business has settled down to a reg
lar, steady thing, which, if not so lu-
rative and exciting, is certainly more
There are four houses
ngaged exclusively III the clothing
usiness, of which Hobson & Cox and
:, Jacks & Co. are the most promi-
emit. Hobson & Cox are the proprie- I
,rs of the Oak Hall clothing house.in /
commercial Block. Mr.. Cox began
usiness here in 1870. and has done a I
irving. successful trade. r. Jacks 81 I
o. came TO Wichita three and one 7
llf years ago, aud have continued in 3
lsiness in the same room. Mr.. Jacks q
a genial, clever gentleman, who /
oroughly understands his business. t
e represents capital of $4,000. aud t
cir annual sales amount to $35, 600 a
AR. S
There are but two furniture stores e
the city, kept 10y Ii. Bolte and j. I. il
cMillen. Mr.. Bolte is one of the old c.