The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-12-07


complaints touching the amounts of taxes
assessed and being collected for several
townships and large number OF school
districts ia the county. 1t is a matter over
which he has no control, nor is it one which
he can by any possibility remedy. When
the tax rolls are made up the sum total cali
ed for BY the books is charged to him by
the county, and the books are turned over
for him to do the collecting. The whole
trouble is in this: An effort was made by
the commissioners and assessors to comply
with the law by returning all property at its
full valuation. This was approximately &C
complished. Afterwards in equalizing, the
entire assessment was scaled down, but the
returns in entirety aggregated much more
than in any previous year. Now the school
district officers. more especially, in many in
stances ignoring the fact that they had
nearly double the usual amonnt OF property
to base their calculations upon. went on and
made about the usual levy. The result will
be that many school districts and townships
will have full treasures. The makiag OF
these local levies is where the extra burthen
comes in. We only pay the state six thou
sand dollars more this year than we did
last, and the amount raised for county pur-
poses varies but n small per cent. from what
has been heretofore collected. Under the
circumstances such school districts and
townships as are collecting more than is
necessary for the years current expenses
will have to keep the run OF the matter and
correct the trouble by levying next year
only sum sufficient with what is left over
from this year to meet expenses.
Major Henry Shankln has been appointed
a special agent for the Pension Bureau for
a district comprising the counties known as
Southwestern Kansas. He arrived with his
wife, in our city few days since, proposing
to make this his headquarters from the fact
that Wichita is the most accessible TO his
district as a whole. Besides Sedgwick
county leads all other counties in this Sec
ton of the state in the number of honorably
discharged soldiers as shown by the records
at Washington. Every application together
with the proofs will be looked into and cer-
titled by Major Shanklin, such course be-
ing found the only feasible one in ascertain
ing the truth and TO prevent frauds. Major
Shankln is no new man TO this section. He
lived here before there was any town of
Wichita, he being for the years 1866 and 1867
the agent for the Wichita tribe OF Indians,
then located near the mouth Of the Little
River in the upper portion Of the present
town cite. Major 5. says during the spring
Of '67 large number Of Indians died of
small poX, which disease committed fearful
ravages in their ranks, and that he expects
when cellars are dug-if ever-in the upper
town many skeletons Of departed braves
will come TO light. During the years he
was stationed here James X. Mead ran an
Quitting store and ranch over on The White
Water, and VIM. Greiffenstein was an In
dian trader, both of whom he often met,
and for both OF whom he entertains feelings
of great respect.
Judge Hill, of the Fort Scott Il Wichita
railway, arrived in the city last Saturday
evening, since which time he has been tax
ing invoice of the city and county. He said
to us that he expected to see here the best
town in the state south and west OF Topeka,
but what really confronted him was SO far
beyond his expectations that he hadn't got
fairly up to 4 realization of the actual facts
as they exist yet. That Wichita is destined
to be the great inland city Of the state, he
thinks no competent judge who win come
and look the surroundings over, can doubt.
But six miles of grading remains unfinished
beyond Eldorado, and the rails and ties are
all on the ground and the road will be fin
ished TO Eldorado by the first of January.
There is strong pull to get the road in
other directions, but Mr.. Hill says with fair
encouragement in the way of aid, he and
his company are decidedly in favor Of COM
ing straight to Wichita, which he thinks can
be reached by July LIST, and the west side OF
the county by mex, fall some time. A meet
ing of the board OF trade has been called for
the purpose OF comforting with Mr.. Hill, and
we feel confident that some equitable under
standing can be arrived at whereby the road
can be built clear through the county.
1t seems that the water works enterprise
has been settled as between the private cor
poration heading it and the city authorities.
In a mild way we protested in the start, up
on the grounds that we thought the city not
yet equal to the expense of such luxury,
and that neither the public or family rates
were equitable. We would not be consid-
cred captious, but on returning home, we
found that wooden mains had been substi-
tuted for iron ones. That is another mis-
take, especially as no concession for lower
"rates" were guaranteed. Another thing.
the location OF the supply well is not prop
er one. IT should not have been sunk with
in few yards of a body of standing, or
nearly standing, water. The railroads and
mills have long since demonstrated that
wells sunk any place between Chisholm and
the Big River are inexhaustable. The prop
er place for the well would have been north
of town 4 mile at least. There is but one
feature about the enterprise which we like,
and that is some of our own business men
have invested their money in it, and will
therefore have 4 voice in its future manage
ment.
We regret to learn that Col. John Russell,
tho raDresantatiye alacf from tho yya.,arn