The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1878-04-04
Special correspondence ofthe Kansas City Times
WICHITA.
TIE METROPOLIS or TIE ARKANSAS Wiley,
And the Commercial Headquarters for thu
Counties Of Sedgwick, Cowlsy, Sum-
ner, Harper and Barbour.
WICHITA. March soth. 1873.

W 40 "~S-3
nsr, Harper and Barbour.
WICHITA, March 30th, 1873.
During the last five years | have
written several letters TO the Times on
the prospects of Wichita and the re-
sources of the country tributary to it.
have invariably styled it the most
prosperous city in Kansas, and | have
no reason to change my mind now.
While there are four other cities that
have larger population than Wichita.
there is not one that docs so large
business. Not even Leavenworth,
sometimes known as the metropolis
of the State, can make so fine show
ing in q commercial point of view.
The location of Wichita is such as to
give il the entire trade of four of the
best counties in the State. Ii is the
terminus of the branch ofthe great A.
L. & s. Fe railroad, extending 26 miles
south of Newton, reaching the Arkan-
sas River. This gives it the
CENTER OF THE TRADE
of Sedgwick, Summer and Cowley
| counties, together with that of large
portion CT Butler, and also Of the com
paratively new counties Of Kingman,
| Barbour and Harper.
SO long as this city remains the ter
minus OF this branch of the railroad il
| will be the most important CONNER
cial city in the State. There is very
little prospect of the road being ex-
tended. 1t certainly will not pass this
| point so long as it can control the bus
mess of the country by remaining
where it is.
The climate of this section Of coun-
try, which is tributary to Wichita; is
mild and salubrious. 1t is never WISH
| ted by the severe storms of the north,
and there is sufficient rain fall TO pro-
duce the most luxuiant growth of
| vegetation. Corn, wheat, oats, rye,
potatoes and all kinds of garden vege-
tables flourish remarkably here. There
is no portion of the entire magnificent
State of Kansas that presents
so MANY ATTRACTIONS
to the immigrant and home seeker as
this portion of the Arkansas Valley.
1t is superior 10 the extreme west be-
cause it is not subject to the drouths
which so frequently prevail during the
summer months in that portion of the
State. 1t is superior to the eastern
portion of the State, because the herd
law prevails, and the expense ofopeu-
ing and improving a farm, is so much
less than where fences have to be
built before crops can be planted. And
above all the
SOIL Is SUPERIOR
to that of any other portion, and is
adapted to the production of a greater
variety of cereals and vegetables. Wa
ter is easily accessible, and fuel is not
expensive. Those unfortunate people
IN the east that are renting or living
upon worn out lands in Ohio, Penn
| sylvanis, Indiana, or the barren hills
Of New England can here easily secure
| comfortable homes for themselves and
their children.
Wichita is town of about 5000 in
| habitants, and the population is con-
| importance of the place first was due
to the fact that it was the principal
point for the Texas cattle trade. Then
the cowboy fiourished and the dance
| house was one of the favorite institu-
lions of the place. But as the country
became more densely settled the dead
inc was placed farther away until
the
TEXAS CATTLE
were excluded from the market. The
trade of the place is now confined to
the expectation of the natural product
Of the soil, and domestic stock, and
the importation of such provisions and
goods as are necessary to supply the
| demands of the people. The principal
trade here is in grain and agricultural
| implements. The shipment of grain
during the last year was over two
million bushels, aud the trade in agri-
cultural implements was almost meal
culable There are about ten firms
engaged in the sale of implements,
among which the most important are
those Of Houck Bros. Smith & Keat-
ing, represented by j. r. VanZandt.
The Houck Bros. began business
here a few years since on limited cap
ital They are now occupying mag
uificent brick, two story, 25xl20 feet.
This they find too small to accommo-
date their immense and increasing
business, and this spring they are
erecting another fine brick building
4Sx120 feet, to accommodate their in
creasing trade.
a new firm, composed of J. N. Hol-
loway and J. W. Byers, of Kansas City,
have Just opened q magnificent stick
of hardware in Eagle Block. They
are thoroughly posted in the business
aud will certainly succeed. They han
die hardware, stoves and tinware.
j. A. Wallace, of st. Louis, who has
been for the last six years in the en-
ploy of j. e. Hayner & Co. is here
representing the celebrated Walter a
Wood self-binding harvester, which is
so popular in this section. lie under
stands his business thoroughly.
W. ID. Russell, formerly of Slichter
& Russell, is building up a fine trade
in hardware, stoves and tinware.
f. G. Smyth & Sons known as the
Arkansas Valley Agricultural lmple-
meni Co., are doing magnificent
trade. They handle the Mccormick
Harvesters asd Self binders, the Chi
cago Manufacturing Company's plows,
and the Aultman & Taylor threshers
They are one of the best firms in the
Valley.
DRY GOODS.
There are a number of splendid dry
goods stores here that carry very
heavy stocks, reaching up into the
tens of thousands.
q. Y. Smith & Co., which is the
same as the great house of Doggett &
Smith in Kansas City, have splendid
store here in Eagle Block, end are do
ing a magnificent trade.
g. I. Myers 81 Bro, successors to
w. c.. Woodman, in the dry goods
business, have one of the most conven-
lent rooms and one of the best conduc-
ted stores in the State.
Morris Kohn, proprietor of the New
York Store, at the corner of Main st.
and Douglas Avenue, is the A. T.
Stewart of Wichita.
BANKS.
There are three banks here, viz ::