Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-26

Tremendous and massive arch OF white mar
bic. And in spite Of the fact that the houss
Is hardly opened and has but little trade Is
Yet, the clerks will put guests On the top
floor with the same inflexible equanimity
which you have probably noticed in older
and more crowded communities The ruling
passion Is strong even in new hotels. There
Is not the slightest probability that the vast
hotel will pay its own expenses for ten years
to come. The cost Of running it is going to
be immense. When the millionaire who
started tina scheme had 1t well under way he
died and left it TO his nephew, who already
Owned one LoteL Young Mr. West does not
appear u lie particularly pleased with the
gift Of his uncle, and hs is freely declaring
that unless the citizens subscribe q hand
come amount to enable him to carry it on
the house he viii closs it up. He is not likely
70 be counting without his host, because tbs
Minneapolis people will never consent to be
sneered at by the st Paul populace as hay
ing made q failure.
l am thus free III the description Of the
hotel because il illustrates the common feel
ing between the two cities. 1t would never
do for St Paul 10 let itself fall behind
Minneapolis in the matter Of hotels and thus
it came about that a millionaire OF hi. place
uprose and girded up his loins and went out
to do the other rnoney-king mortal battle The
ST Paul mans name is Ryan, and his barrel
Is apparently very deep and very well loaded
with cash. The city agreed to make him a
present OF large plot OF land, and he pro-
ceeded 70 build his hotel Il is not We,
finished; but the building is enormous l
believe 1t is much bigger than the Minneapolis
establishment, and the contracts provide that
1t shall cost several hundred thousand dollars
more than the West house in the other city.
II is TO bear the name OF It's builder, and will
lie big enough to do the entire hotel business
Of the city in which it stands They do not
expect to open the building for the reception
Of guests until the Fourth Of July
But" observes the enthusiastic St Paul
lie, IF those Minneapolis folks think they
are going 10 down Us, they arc very much
mistaken"
guess they are This spirit goes through
the whole life up here. 1t is productive Of
magnificent business blocks, two theatres
which are not equaled for beauty and COM
fort IN any other city out of New York, and
general alertness and springiness of com
mercial sentiment which keeps everything
going at lively gait There appear to be
reasons why both these big cities should exist
just here. st. Paul is at the top OF the navi-
gable current Of the Mississippi, and there
fore has position which is important TO her
shipping interests. Minneapolis possesses
magnificent water power, and is thu.
the natural point into which the
TREMENDOUS grain products of the north
west must flow. An old citizen
that is to say, comparatively Old citizen
said 10 me the other day: in fourteen
years | have seen St Paul grow from IS. 900
people 10 n population beyond 10, 900. and
Minnenpoli. has kept right alongside all the
time" In this country Of rapid develop
ment this is presume, the brightest exam
pie Of such things, because the growth OF
both cities tas been healthy and lasting, and
there Is No relapse. In place like Denver,
which came up with a rush To ill the post of
outfitter TO Leadvillc and other spots Of hec-
TIC growth, there Is no such permanency OF
prosperity a. exists IN connection with these
twin cities of the north. They are sur
rounded 10y extensive fields Of the creates.
richness which DO not wear ihem.elves out,
but keep on producing In larger aud larger
measure There is much wealth in this city,
unless have been going through the process
known as being stuffed. y st. Paul man
told mo that the capital Of ii single tank
here overtoIs by 800, 900 all the other money
similarly invested in the whole state