Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-07
THE TUNNELS MOUTH


An Old Railroad Man Gives Wichita Some
soun Advice.
The statements and conclusions of the fol-
lowing letter are so lucid and convincing
that We give in entire save the residence and
writer's name:
To the Editor Of the Eagle.
DEAR SIR:-In your article in the Sunday
edition, July 2sth. entitled "Wichita
wa1es." you fully outlined railroad policy
which il faithfully followed will place Wich-
ita safe FOR her future position as the largest
and most important city west Of the Missouri
river.
There is q time in the history Of all towns
when the wagon road must be abandoned
AS source Of support and the town that is
growing city-ward must stretch its brawny
young arms miles and miles away across the
iron road in search of the stronger and
greater nourishment that IFS larger growth
demands. The farm house must be ex-
changed IN trade for villages and towns, the
individual for the community of customers
and the acre Of country that supports The
"county seat" must fade and stretch away
into the limi,less territory that supports the
''trade centre"
There is a "dsngcr line" in the progress
cityward where Il is death to halt, and that
line is reached when the embryo city has
obtained but two or even three lines Of rail-
way and psuses, this builds up only irritat-
ing trading points sap the support you for
merly received and give but little in return,
and this is the complaint that most of the
aspiring cities Of Kansas are suffering from
now. too much Of too little.
There is another point in your article, that
these three new lines of road would give,
that you have spoken of so often that it
seems almost idle TO repeat it, and that is the
individual standing Of Wichita, when rail-
road management seeks TO so operate its lines
as to turn all its traffic into some distant
large town such as Kansas City or ST. Joe;
when seeks to make every town and city on
its lines pay tribute to it or them un-
der the plea of "long haul" or any
other selfish reason, when it deliberately
ignores wide extent of territory whose re-
cent wonderful development demands new
base of supply, it is time for the people of
Wichita to look to other routes for means
Of obtaining the legitimate trade, and the
people of that territory to demand that they
be placed nearer q trade center.
The time has come when Wichita must
place herself abreast Of Kansas City, Omaha,
ST. Paul, Denver and the great trade cent?
that this new west is so rapidly building
up, and to do this she must boldly grapple
the rival nearest her and by hard CONNER.
cial knocks force the recog .ition she de-
mands, she must form trade alliances with
distant cities that will place her in as favor
able position as her nearest rival may be in
TO pay prices for produce and obtain low
rates for transportation, for just as long as
she remains a tail to the Kansas
City kite just so long the
will be used to fly that kite.
The three routes you have marked out will
gil al Of these demands. They will place
Wichita at the confluence of great funnel,
with Omaha and Denver at the top and the
rich country lying between will pour i,s
wealth Of produce into Wichita from where
it viii be started on its trip 70 the hungry
mouths of the south and to tide water on its
journey to Europe. 1t will cut of Kansas
City tolls and give you short cut to the
Mississippi 1t will do for Wichita as much
US the Memphis branch Of the Gulf railroad
did for Kansas City, and while it may hurt
Kansas City as much rs that route hurt St
Louis, vet Kansas City remarked two years
ago. This a game in which every town
must look after its own interests"
Get these roads. not one, but all three of
them. They are necessary to each other, to
Wichita, and TO the crying needs of the
Arkansas Valley. Leave the contests for
sectarian colleges, reform schools and bob
tailed railroads to the little towns that need
such things. but get first these three rail-
roads and "all things viii be added unto
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