Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-12-20
WICHITA.
Amid the Rolling Plains of
Kansas.
Her Industries and the En.erprising CT:
liens Who Run Them.

| liens Who Run Them.
From the Chicago Inter-Ocesn of Deem
| Der 10th, containing between four ard five
solid columns of a write up of this city, we
make brief extracts, which are Of q more
general nature, not having room for the
hundred or more individual and firm no.
tees; also the nention Of many crganiza-
lions, societies and enterprises are necessarily
omitted for want of space. The writer says:
| The eastern man who leaves his metropol-
itan home and migrates west the whole
country west of the Missouri river opens
his eyes with its magnitude and richness,
| but there is not state west of the muddy
Missouri that excites more wonder 10 him
| than Kansas.
Only few short years, comparatively
speaking, and one remembers Kansas as Il
vast and rolling prairie inhabited BY the
cattle of the plains, the palnt-debaubed and
| warlike savages, and the gay and festive
cowboys, but now what wondrous change.
Large cities-flled with enterprising citizens
| whose industry and capital have placed
Kansas in an enviabIe condition-hsve been
| built over the indian settlements, and beau
tiful cultivated farm abound where the cow
boy once reigned in ali his glory.
OF all the cities in the ttate Of Kansas
Wichita is certainly the most enterprising,
and is destined TO become the largest, as 1t
is now the best in Kansas. The history Of
Wichita is as romantic as it is wonderful.
THE ARKANSAS VALLEY
of Southern Kansas is located at the foot of
the grand slope reaching westward to the
summit of the Rocky mountains. Down
this decline for unknown ages have gravita-
ted the rich alluvial deposits, which, lodg-
ing in the great valley, have formed deep,
black prairie loan uneoualed in native fer
tility anywhere upon the globe. In the
heart of this valley, on the banks of the Ar
kansas river, at the mouth of the Little Ar
Kansas, is the city of Wichita, embOwered
in its perfect forest of shade trees. Wichita
has had its ups and downs, as every city in
Kansas has, but is now on the high road 10
wealth and fame. Grasshoppers and prai-
rie fires for time threatened to destroy er-
cry chance Wichita had to become what
-hs is, but since 1874 the climate has
changed, and the festive hopper has moved,
while the grasses of the prairie no
longer burn, and the arid winds have
ceased. Wichita was named after a
band of Indians called Wichitas, who came
TO the Arkansas Valley in 1864 and settled
along the Little Arkansas river between the
junction and the old fair grounds, owned by
the Osages A chartered company WAS
formed in 1868 at Topeka, and II survey
and plat of the original town made by Mr..
Finn. In 1866 and 1861 cholera broke out
among the Indians and created sad havoc
among the ssvages, sending many of them
10 the hsppy hunting grounds. In those
Jays All inciden; occurred which created
much amusement among the people, and is
related now by many of the old settlers who
have lived to see the wonderful progress
made by Wichita
In 1872 bridge was built at the west end
of Douglas avenue across the Arkansas ut a
cost of $27 900. In the same year Wichits
became the headquarters in Kansas of the
Texas cattle business, and over S2,000,O00
changed hands in the cattle traffic that
year.
At this time Wichita was the liveliest
town in the country. The streets resounded
with the Ching of the spurs of the Texas
cowboys, and the Mexicans with their gay
suits and sombreros presenteda
QUEER SIGHT TO THE TENDER FOOT.
The early history of Wichita is not of
much interest to the reader other thsn
romantic, but its progress and present status |
fully presented must be of value to every |
man, east, west, north or south who is SEEK |
ing home. Men are here to-day that came |
to Wichita few years ago with limited
capital who are now worth their hundreds |
Of thousands of dollars. The rich farming |
lends which abound in Sedgwick county |
and surround Wichita, form n financial wall |
which cannot be broken and which will ever |
stand by the Queen City Of the Arkansas
valley.
THE COUNTY OF sEDGwICS
has population of 37,472 and had an as
sessed valuation in 1885 of SS,l3S552. 1t |
has i2,767 horses and mules, 50.059 cattle,
1870 hog and 22,717 sheep. Ii raised in |
1884 1,135,6i6 bushels of wheat, 4,92S, S65 |
bushels of corn, OBS, 900 bushels OF oats,
the aggregate for all the crops for the wear
1884 being. as shown by the state agricul-
tural report, S2,66S,102. 1t will thus lee
seen that Wichita has a brilliant and pros
porous future before il, and its $4,000 III
hnbitants will undoubtedly live to see her
become q city of $4,000 people ere many
years have rolled over the beautiful state of
Kansas. Eastern capitalists are locking in
here daily. seeking and profitable invest
ment for their money, and they have no
trouble in finding places for it.
The wonderful progress made by Wichita
in reality commenced in 1881, at which time
she only boasted of 1000 inhabitants, but in
the last four years her population has al
most trebled. In the year of 1888 i73
buildings were erected, and in 1884 this
number was vastly increased, while the
present year has been gala one in the his
tory of Wichita, for it has witnessed the
erection of several elegant and substantial
brick blocks, such as would grace any met
city.
As regards public buildings Wichita can
hold her head up with pride. Her school
buildings are models of architecture,
and their actual worth will aggregate $780,
900.
BEAUTIFUL AND COSTLY CHURCHES
adorn the avenues, and be he Baptist, Pres
byterian, Methodist or any other. man
can find his own church here. The court
house is splendid structure, but Wichita
wants the best and arrangements have been
about contaminated 10 erect a new and cost
ly one in the near future. Its opera house
is commodious one, and as Wichita people
are born thester goers If is Literally patron
lied.
An elegant three-s.ory brick structure has
just been completed by the &. A. L. post,
and is an ornament TO the city.
Every well-regulsted city has q street
:.
Wichita is well supplied, having street
railway track comprising a territory ofseven
miles; the street cars are perfect gems of
neainess and comfort.
The electrict light has not vet she'd its
effulgent rsys over the city, but she is well
supplied with gas, having nearly eleven
miles of gas mains. The streets sre we'll
lighted, and the belated wanderer has no
trouble in reaching his home. Protected in
Wichita is doubly so against
fire, her water works system being of the
best, consisting of eleven miles of mains.
The evil-doer has poor show 10 practice
his calling here, for a well-trsined police
force, consisting of fifteen men, guards well
the peace of the city. The educational IA
cilIties of Wichita are of the best, and the
public schools, which are presided over by
Campbell, are the pride of
Sedgwick county. The average
DAILY ATTENDANCE AT THE SCHOOLS
is 1000. The corps of teachers consists of
some of the best educated ladies in the state
and the young idea is taught well how TO
shoot Enlightened and scholarly ministers
I'll the respective pulpts Of the churches
and all draw large audiences on the day Of
: n ct