Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-25
THE REFORMATORY INSTITU-

From the Fit. Scott Monitor.
A matter of business took us to
Wichita on Thursday of last week.
Willie there we met the commission TO
locate the rcformatory institute, pro-
vided for by an act of the last legisla-
turc. These commissioner. are Hon.
Ell. Smith of Linn, Mr.. Bonebrake,
Abilene. and Col. John Severance, of
Marshall cnunty. All three are men
OF leve! heads and practical experience.
The personnel and qualifications of
the commi -siou for 50 important "A
work could not be surpassed by any
three men in the state. There are ten
or twelve towns in Kansas asking Ter
the institution. and we would be glad
to see every one OF them receive 1t.
But "a only one cah, the commission
have a delicate work on their hands, in
making selection. We are very de-
cidelv of the opinion that II should
be located. however, south of the haw
river, for two reasons If no more: be-
cause il can be located more centrally
and accessibly 10 all the state, and be-
cause the center of population is there.
As il must be located at some point
west of the sixth principal meridian,
there are but four towns in that part
of the state Indicated that become for
midable rivals for it. These are New
ton, Hutchinson. Wichita and yelling
ton. After coming into possession of
KNOWLEDGE of the character and eX-
tent of this institution and of the re-
quireInruIs necessary 10 an institution
of this character. we do not, for
moment, hesitate TO reccdc from
crudelv formed ideas about it, and
say from personal knowledge Of the
country that Wichita i, the place for
this institution.
Ii is expected that in less than five
wears from Is opening to contain from
800 TO 900 inmates. aud manufactur-
ing will he very largely the occupa-
ton of them. An immense amount
of pure wafer easily obtained ana
perfect sewerage are absolutely in
liSpen> able IIo9>head- of water and
sewerage must be carried oil every
da,. No ordinary well or wells, or
creek that nearly runs dry in the sum
mcr, can be thought of for a moment
to supply such an institution with
water, and a large. steady-ilOwing
stream j. an absolute necessity for a
receptacle for the sewerage.
There are also several other con-id-
rraiion,: II wants To be located near
"A large town--near a railroad-at a
point reasonably accessible by railroad
fram all parts of the STATE. aud Access
sible io fuel
Wichita combines all THESE require
ments more perfectly than any Town
we know af. either in Western Kan
s:i> or the state. for that matter.
Wichita i upon the banks of the
Great aud Li.tlc Arkansas rivers. The
soil i a sandy loan, upon Il bed of
sand under,aii with Il bed of gravel,
and well sunk twenty feet and often
less. il filled at once with clear, pure
water, that Il steam pump throw ing
an cight-inch stream will make no
Impression upon This wc say by the
card, for il has been tried. and the
amount of water thus "btai, able.
ready filtered 10y the very est means
provided lay natnge-an immense bed
of gravel, tar from the river through
which the water pcrcolatcS. is simply
ineXhausiible. I he third largest
river in the United Siate~-thc Arkan-
sas-flows past the city with a mighty,
rolling current. At 49, rate OF seven
miles an hour; and "a supplies the
best receptacle that "a Toe had. and
one absolutely nee .ry Tor the sew
eragc.
Wichita is accessible. ha, ing now
four railroads, and others in prospcc-
tive that III ill he built.
Ii is the fourth city IT, size in the
state. having a population now 10y
actual count of over 1000. Ii i los
miles west from the coal fields of Fort |
Scott. Crawford and Cherokee couu-
ties. with two railroads direct ia them |
the Frisco and Sunflowcr roads |
At'the eastern end of the Suntlower |
road Is Fort Scott. with her coal, and /
between them lies the richest and most |
beautiful agricultural country that /
God ever created. This is rapidly be- !
the center OF population of
this state. Around Sedgwick county
are Butler, kingman. Cowley. Sum
ner, Harper and Harvey. that scarcely .
las forty acres in them upon which /
m average family could not make q
,ving
Va aAAN II w AlGA iANAA
and within one 10 four miles of the
.ity, are several hundred acres OF
and. A. rich and beautiful rs the exc
ever bchcld, living At an elevation of
from fifteen tn twenty feet above the I
river. Ia view of these facts. obtained
rom a personal inspection of the sur
we believe the purpose of
the law-ihe interests of the whole
interests of the greatest
number. aud the best interests of the
will be but sub>erved by
Is location on the west bank of the
Arkansas. about two miles from the
ity of Wichita, and location that an
overwhelming majority of the people
# Kansas, who pay for it. will cor
iially inaorsr
DERBY
nEREY. Has. June -. 1885
. 4 r-a,.. ~.