The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-01-05
OUR CITY

We devote good deal Of space to-
day to pictures Of our leading buildings
because they show better than anything
else the character of our improve ments.
Many of these do not fairly represent
the buildings. The new Fifth avenue
hotel for instance. Is really fine look
ing building, fronting about 90 feet on
Fiflh and nearly 50 feet on Merchants.
Some OF the residences, also, are better
looking, q good deal. than their pic
lures. Bat the leading buildings. as
will be readily seen, would be credit
to any western city.
We also publish full and accurate
list of the improvements made for the
year, which will no doubt prove inter-
esting to our readers.
For three years our city has made
rapid strides, the improvements in that
time amounting to about $500, COO
Those made in the past two years. par
ticularly, are of a character which we
may we'll be proud of, and they give rs
an appearance of permanency not here
tofore attained. We are supplied with
a system of water works which adds
greatly to our desirability as
place of residence or business.
There are about twelve miles of pipes,
forty-three hydrants, and all parts of the
town are protected from fire and sup
piled with water for domestic uses.
There are now 225 patrons of the
works, and the number is constantly in
creasing, SO that before many years it is
expected that the water works will be
selfsustaining. The cost of this i'm
proVement was in the neighborhood of
sos, 900. In few weeks our city will
be furnished with gas, the works being
nearly completed and the pipes having
been put in through many Of the streets.
The substantial character of such i'm
provements as these and the new hotels,
churches, and our commOdious and ele-
giant new opera house, together with our
fine business houses and our Normal and
new high school buildings, cannot but
impress strangers with the conviction
that EnpOrIa is to be an important city.
1t was our intention to have some fig
ures which would show something of
the extent of the business of the city,
but we found such figures impracticable,
but what seems to us q reasonable esti-
mate would fix the trade of the town at
not far from three millions of dollars.
We have the trade of nearly $4,000
people.
Our city has grown to be prominent
monied center. We have two national
banks, q savings bank, three well organ
lied prosperous loan companies, and two
mutual loan associations. All are pros
pering. 1t is q notable fact that for a
comparatively new town because It has
grown up since the war; there is an un
usual amount of wealth here, and 1t is
largely in the hands of enterprising men
who are willing 10 invest IN all that
promises to benefit the city. Not less
than 100000 have been subscribed here
in the last two years for public buildings
All recognize our leading need now
to be COED manufacturing establish
menIs. The central location of the
town, its superior railroad facilities and
consequent means Of reaching the mar.
kets in all directions, offer splendid in
ducements for the location of such In
situations. We are doing something in
the way of manufacturing furniture,
soap, cigars, clothing, wagons and car.
riages, woodwork, etc., and probably
have 125 to $50 men engaged in these
various occupations, but there is strong
need and strong inducements for larger
operations in other lines of manufacture.
We now have three railroads, and no
doubt it will be matter of surprise to
our people to learn that 800 men are in
the employ of the roads here or
make Emporia their headquarters, aud
that $4,000 per month are dis
bursed here. Yet we find
such to be the fact. Railroads are a
pretty good thing for town, and we are
glad OF prospect for two more. the EN-
poria s. Kansas City, which Will put us
twenty miles by rail nearer that west.
ern metropolis, and the st. Louis 6 EN-
poria, which will give US a bee line to
the east and put US in close proximity
to the richest and most extensive coal
mines of the west.
Our population at the census of 1880,
a year and six months ago, was, includ-
ing the suburbs, (Which are not in the
corporation, but which are to all intents
a part of the city, 5000. The number
of residences erected since, as we'll as the
registry of voters, shows that we have
increased 1000 since then, so that oul
population is now fully 1000.
Altogether, with the future exercise Of
good judgment and with unity of action
the outlook for Emporla is certainly
very encouraging.