Wichita eagle., 1886-11-04

splendor Of Solomons imperial court,
though not stranger TO oriental magnifi-
cencc, coming from the grandeur Of Per
sian royalty
| Where the gorgeous east with richest hand
| Showers Oh her kings barbaric pearl and
| gold
the queen of Sheba declared not the half
had been told her Of the magnificence Of
the opulent Jewish monarch. The simple
facts about Wichita read like q romance or
fairy tale. Springing like an exhalation
| from the plains with its broad and shaded
| avenues its parks and gardens. its palaces
embowered in trees, its stately and impos-
| inc business blocks, its public buildings
| and institutions, and all created as it were.
| by conjurors mystic wand, in the short
| period of fifteen years, the magic city
stands proud as she has a right to be Of her
past buoyant, hopeful imperial in her as
pirations for the future In 1850 a Dutch
| Indian trader, born at Frankfort-on-thc-
| Main, came to this section. He remained
with the Indians IS their trader, counselor
| and friend while they remained. In 1870,
| but sixteen wears ago, he located i'll Wlch-
| ita, mere trading post without people and
| without hopes of becoming city except as
they fitted as a dream or vision through
the hard headed, matter offact and prac-
teal brain of the plegmatic Dutchman.
But he was the con juror aided by another
wizard, who in SO short a time, have
builded city of boundless ambitions and
most brilliant successes In 1888 the CEN
sus, carefully taken, gave Wichita a popu-
lation of 8 ,00j. in 1884 she had increased
to 12,474: in 1885 to 16,019 and in 1886
the census, taken with the utmost care up
to July 1, shows the actual population of
Wichita to consist of nearly u 900 souls.
There was invested in building improve
ments during the first half Of the present
wear 81, 3S6, 900 This amount was ex-
pended in the erection and improvement of
446 residences and tifty-three business
blocks. The Wichita EAGLE of July %
last says;
Thirteen threc-story business houses are
now in course Of construction on Main
street, between First and Second, a major
ity Of which are modern in all respects. the
fronts being costly and attractive, and
some imposing. Within the limits Of this
single block more fine buildings are in
course of construction and more money is
being invested than on or along al the bus
mess streets of any other town or city III
On the same street between First street and
Douglas avenue there are four three-story
business houses in the course Of construc-
ton, either of which will rank for design
and attractiveness with the costliest fronts
of the best buildings of any city west of st.
Louis. But these are not all, even, on
Main street North of Second street and
south of Central avenue, on the same street,
there are three-story business houses going
up, which in appearance, design and cost
are above the average OF the best business
houses of Kansas and Missouri towns. Then
again on South Main street, between Will
liams and English streets, two fourstory
and two thrce-story pressed brick and
iron fronts are under contract to be built
Thus it will be seen that Wichita Is build
ing, on a single business street, twenty-four
fine business houses, many OF which would
prove no discredit to the streets OF any city
in the country, and the aggregate cost of
which twenty-four buildings will not be
less than $780, 900 as shown by the esti-
mates of a competent contractor Douglas
avenue, Wichita's principal business
thoroughfare heretofore, but which in flu
ture must look to her laurels, while proba-
ably, in the number Of buildings being
erected, falls short of Main street, yet in
the amount Of money expended will not be
behind There are on Douglas avenue.
east Of the river and west of the city mills,
twelve business rooms under contract and
in course of construction, including the
Carey Palace hotel and the Biting Bros.
clothing and furnishing house. the value of
all of which buildings when completed will
add nearly quarter of a million dollars
to the grand total of capital being expended
this summer in rendering Wichita the
brightest and most attractive city in the
west. The Carey Palace hotel, five stories
high, including basement and the Bit
ting Bros. Keystone clothing house,
80 feet front by 40 feet deep, four
stories high and surmounted by clock
tower, will be unapproached by any build
ings of their respective characters yet
erected in any city in the State, and which
in all particulars will be up to the measure
of the coming greatness Of the commercial
center and metropolis of Kansas. But
Wichita has other business streets along
which other fine buildings are being erected.
Chicago avenue, on the west side, Is show
inc up some permanent brick business edl-
ficies which will some day he but an eX-
tension of West Douglas Avenue. Yet
probably third in Importance is Market
street Here on the corner of Market and
English streets is going mp a wholesale bust
ness house, which for capacity will be
equaled by few jobbing houses in the West.
The wholesale house OF Richards, Root
& Co., the foundation of which is nearly
in, is 100x140 feet. four stories high with
basement, AL of massive design, and every
floor of great strength, which will cost a
fortune. Just one block north Of the
above is the site of the government build
ing. work on which has been delayed but
which will soon go on now. Market street
can safely be put down for $3.50, 900 more.
The foregoing enumerated business houses
and public buildings, either going Up or
contracted to so up before January /, 1887,
number nearly thirty nine, the aggregate
cost of which will not be far from 500, 900.
The city has six first-class banking insti-
tutions, and churches and schools common
surate with the wonderful growth of the
wonderful town. Except the founder OF
the city, the Hon William Greiffenstein,
who has served several terms as mayor and
has been a member of the legislature. to no
other one man does the city owe 50 much
as to
COLONEL V. ". MURDOCH,
editor of the Wichita EAGLE. He is the
model town builder of the state Wichita.
in her pluck, her enthusiasm, her unity of
purpose and effort is the model after which
all other towns should copy. No town ever
stood by man 50 loyalty as has Wichita