The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-31
THE COMMERCIAL GnOWTH or
KANSAS CITY
u,ItlItude OF Her Grain and Produce
Trade The Advantages offered as
u Eve stock MHrhet-Wonderiui
Railroad Facilities Failure
HusinOss OuliOOk, Rte,


Missouri river makes is great boad In IL
meandoring course to mingle Ia muddy
waters with those Of the Mississippi above
Alton, that within half century there
would spring up city upon these seventy
hills that has become n successful rival OF
81. Louis lorthe groat commerce (now In its
infancy, the result of the rapid settling up
of the most productive alluyial soil upon
the face Of the earth, and tho development
Of untold mineral wealth, laying betweea the
l7th and 10Th meridian Of longitude west Of
Washington, and from the ga TO the llsI
parallel Of latitudei embracing country
tributary 10 Kansas City, not excelled In sa'
lubrlty Of climates pure crystal water album
dance of wood and coal, md all tho 'undo
yelopod, natural elements for the production
Of wealth, found in any similar aroa upon
the globe.
TO trace the wonderful growth Of Kansas
City from 1913, when small trading post
with population of three hundred, TO the
present time, now taking high rank rs COM
mercial center with population of sixty
thousand live, eRterprising mon and women,
might prove interesting to many Of our
readers,
Our object in this article being simply to
present brief synopsis Of facts aud figures
as to the present commercial advantages she
presents TO the merchants, shippers and
stock.raisers, within the belt Of territory we
have named,
Previous TO tho close of the war in 1865,
Kansas City had made but little progress in
attracting commercial relations.
It's almost marvellous growth may be
traced more directly TO the completion Of
the bridge across the Missouri river in 1869,
which heralded tho advent, and inaugura-
ton of the grand railway system now stretch
ing their arms Of steel and iron
to the Pacific upon the west, passing
through the rich agricultural districts OF
Kansas, the great parks and pasture'lields Of
Colorado, and tapping the trensuries of gold
and silver now being so rapidly developed in
the Rocky mountains, 10 the south the
vast plains and prairies of Texas and New
Mexico, containing IN area OF pasturage SUI
hcent TO feed all the cattle and sheep neces-
sary TO supply the civilized world with fresh
beef and mutton for Il century TO come. To
the north, tapping the great pineries and
lumber districts from which the people Of
the West must draw their supplies. To the
east, with six competing lines, over which
the products of the Western farmers and
grazers must seek an Eastern or European
market. And from the great manufacturing
centers upon the Atlantic must DO returned
their staples and industrial products. The
twelve trunk lines having terminal points AT
Kansas City have erected one among the
most magnificent depot buildings in the
country, Mt n cost Of $3.50 600.
These roads arc offering better facilities for
transportation TO the four points of the COM
pass than is presented ut any other CONNER
cial center upon our continent, being more
centrally located. The rapid settling up of
Northern Texas has necessarily diminished
the area of pasturage, in consequence of
which large number of the stock raisers
have availed themselves Of the wonderful
rich pasturage in the western district Of the
State known as the Pan Handle, to which we
will refer hereafter. The Kansas City, Law
renee & Southern railroad company make a
direct connection at Kansas City with all
roads leading east or north, and have south
ern terminus at Wellington, in Southern
Kansas, within twenty miles of the Indian
Territory, and are now extending it to tap
the boundary line at Mer en- Creek within n
few weeks The rich grazing from the Pan
Handle district to Meriden Creek through
the Indian Territory, tapping the Kansas
City, Lawrence " Southern road at this
point, will enable shippers to reach Kansas
City in less time than from any terminal road
in Texas, thus giving to this
route passing through the richest agricultural
and grazing districts of Kansas, an immense
shipping trade from Texas.
We learn that notwithstanding its being
the only available route, the company have
agreed to ship from their terminus ut Me-
ridden Creek to Kansas City, for thirty-eight
dollars per carload.
This road, with its branches, are now OPP
Grating 52l miles, and is one among the finest
equipped roads in the West.
The cattle driven through the Indian Ter
ritorv, in order to reach this road, on account
of the rich asturage and abundance of pure
water in this part of the Territory, are in
much better condition upon their arrival at
Meriden Greek, than when starting from the
Pan Handle, consequently no shrinkage, and
having shorter run to Kansas City than
by any other route, will necessarily be in bet
ter condition upon reaching the Kansas City
stock yards, than any shipped by other roads.
The country around Meriden reek for
eight or ten miles is recognized as being the
finest grazing section in the world, hence Of
fering very superior inducements tor resting
and recuperating the stock before loading on
the cars.
George II. Nettleton, esq, the General
Manager of this road, has had along expert
ence in operating railroads, and the sagacity
to foresee the advantages that would result
in extending this road ut the earliest day
possible to the line of the Indian Nation, to
offer facilities for this immense cattle trade
that will seek the nearest market from the
Panhandle district of Texas
T. +. Cakes, General Superintendent
(acting in concert with Mr.. Nettleton), from
his long experience and acquaintance with
the shippers of Southern Kansas and Texas
requires no comment from US, except VIZ
might add that he was the first man to dem
onstrate TO the stock rsisers of Texas, a. fsl
back as 1866, the advantages they woulc
realize by seeking northern and eastern
market.
JIM. Watkins, General Freight Agent, anC
J. L. Lockwood, General Ticket Agent, hav,
contributed largely in popularizing this road
not only with shippers, but the travelling pub