Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-11-08
THE NEW ERA IN KANSAS.

tants. Kansas has entered upon new
era of growth and progress. The ten
prosperous years just passed have aid
ed in building up AIR aggregate of
wealth exceeding $7OO.00O,OC0. The
early Kansas of seif-denial, trouble
and sacrifice has passed and is a matter
of history. To-day with a million and
a quarter OF intelligent, Progressive
people, strong in their belief in the
rich valleys and prairies, surrounded
by schools, churches and every con-
venience and luxury of the time. a
new era has commenced. AT the rate
of the present increase Of 100000 new
citizens per month seeking homes and
business, Kansas will show a popula-
ton of two million in 1890.
Onceit was thought that the rich prai-
rie lands lying between the Missouri
river and the rocky mountains must
rely upon the cities along the river
for their supplies. The settlement
aud development of Kansas, however,
proves to-day that the river Is neither
barrier to building up trade centers
west of it, nor an aid worth mo-
menis consideration, In the days
hen states were settled by COnestO-
"a wagons a river was of commercial
importance States settled by the
railroads and telegraph value the riv-
ers for water powers for machinery,
or for floating logs to mil.
Missouri, with the old curse of slav-
cry mingling in her bOurbOnistic
blood, has witnessed the tide of emf
grafton sweep over her rich lands to
settle in Kansas. The hope that the
sluggish, treaherous '.old muddy"
would stop the traders and builders
of cities and railroads and make the
people of state 800 by 400 miles come
to the river to buy goods is to-day an
exploded fiction.
The new era in Kansas means the
building of Kansas towns on Kansas
soil. The old railroad system COLI
sisted of two east and west lines, with
small tributary arms gathering in the
harvests and stock for :he building of
a great city at the mouth of Kansas
river on Missouri soil. The new sys-
TEN means four east and west lines,
with lines north and south reaching
northern and southern pine lands and
coal fields, with markets opening for
the products of Kansas south through
Texas, southwest to New and Old
Mexico, north to Dakota and Mime
sofa, and cast by dozen lines to Chi
cagO and ST. Louis, without paving
to Kansas City, that stands like rob-
Der demanding tribute.
Along the north side of the state.
commencing with Atchison, which
should have tie wholesale trade now
going TO 81. Joseph, Mo-, and which
will have it in the near future, there
are dozen splendid towns rapidly
becoming the centers of trade for a
large section of country. Among
them are Hiawatha, Seneca, Bellviilc,
Concordia, Beloit, Osborne, Stockton,
Miilbrook and Phillisburg. Leaven-
worth with its railroad lines reaching
east and west, north and south, must
continue 10 develop its wholesale trade
and enlarge its present flourishin.
manufactures regardless of its proxirn-
liy 10 Kansas CiIy In cenira! west
ern Kansas we have Manhattan, juno
ton City, Minneapolis, Clay Center,
Abilene, Salina, Ellsworth and
HAYS CITY. In the southern halt
vi hah>d> " nav t@tMttu'C, loDthJ.
Emporia, Ottawa, TT. Scott, Garneif,
Parsons, Cherokee. Winfield, Wclling-
ton, Marion. Newton, Wichita.
Hutchinson. Mcpherson, and fifty
other good Towns that are the centcrs
of large aud rspidly developing
territory. These cominuniti's demand
such railroad facilities east and west.
north and south, aS will give them OPP
portuniiics to each the best markets
of the country The demand of the
people of Kansas j. clearly for the
building up of trade ccniers within
her oxn borders. In the old system
every buehcl of corn and every steer
went through Kansas City where ii
paid tribute to- Missouri To-day.
Kansas stock men. Kansas wheat aud
corn growers. and Kansas merchants
propose to reach ST Louis, Chicago
aud New York without going
to, or through. Kansas City. This
marks the new and Independent era in
Kansas The railroad lines that ter
inmate at Kansas City that have not
the sagacity TO see the change taking
place in the business growth of Kan
sas. and in the demands of the people
for new lines to reach the large mar
kets. will sooner or later discover that
while they have been quietly waiting
for such share of Kansas business as
might be rendered them at Kansas
City by the two great trunk lines,
other corporations have built into the
interior of the state and secured the
business at first hands for themselves.
With four hundred miles of rich
territory lying west of Kan
sas City. with hundreds of
miles beyond Kansas offering Il great
carving trade, the railroad companies
now hating at the Kansas City union
depot must either push westward or
give up the future and a large psrt of
the present western business. South
ern Kansas will reach St. Louis and
the south. and central and northern
Kansas people propose to reach
Chicago without going TO Kansas
City or any other Missouri town To
ask for transfer. The profits on
Kansas grain and stock will be made
to build Kansas towns, and whatever
assistance. and whatever legislation is
needed 10 bring about these results the
people of Kansas are ready 10 give
Capital.
OUR PEOPLE FAVOR 1T.
q