Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-31
THE RAMBLER.

Olnce my last racket, the weather. nas
been pretty tough, but there is one feature
about it that affords some slight degree of
consolation: I. is tougher somewhere else.
If these frosty nights continue much longer,
the fact that others are suffering 10 still
higher degree, won't satisfy everybody.
Sorasis-"I saw very nice society article
in the EAGLE" said man to me yesterday.
"Now. 1 would like to know Whist 'Sorasis'
mesnss"
Sorosis is the name of the Oldest woman's
club in the United States, and the we'll
known writer, whose nomme de plume ID
Jennie June was its president for many
years. 1t was not q woman's rights club,
and 1 believe during the presidency of
Jenny June it was against the rules of the
club to have the female suffrage question
discussed. About year ago, 1 think, Jenny
June was bounced, and it is now . woman's
rights club. l don't know if our local
club is that sort of a fellow. If it is l
think they are taking mean advantage Of
US poor defenceles men just on the eve OF
the city election.
Notwithstanding the age of the Sorosis
club, am told it is as sound as ever, there
fore conclude it must be made OF good
timber. am not opposed to the Sorosis
club, but am TO woman suffrage. Nearly
all my female relctions were women and
they suffered much, so don't want that sort
of thing to occur again. If woman suffrage
means death to political dishonesty, blue "a
GERS and hog cholera, I'm with it, but if It
means the indiscriminste use of arsenic and
condiments of that stripe in the husbands
coffee, excuse me. Neither an / willing
that my wife should run on tie opposite
ticket to mine. wouldn't object to women
taking hand in the coming election if they
should inaugurate some radical changes in
the operations of the city council.
"The biggest blunder 1 ever knew the
council TO commit" said P. V. Healy to me
yesterday: "Mr. Hill is furnishing the city
three or four gas lamps free. He came into
the council with a simple request for an
electric light franchise, and asked nothing
more. He did not ask that the city take
any lights. Certain members of the council
dickered and fought the measure so that it
took nearly the whole session to get the
simple privilege of putting up the poles and
wires. Now comes the Schuyler Electric
Light company, complete strangers, without
one dollars worth Of interest in this city,
and the council not only fires their ordi-
nance through like chain lightning but takes
81 600 worth Of lights, thereby giving
them an advantage over a man having large
interests here and who we know to be an
honorable, straightforward business man,
and who is now lighting the city for $500.
| think it ia perfect shame"
agree with Mr.. Healy in this matter and
l think the council has shown undue
partially. They ought TO have
just given the Schuyler company simple
franchise, and then let the two companies
compete for lighting the city, and let the
best man win. The action of the council In
this connection has simply robbed the peo-
pie of all competition, as far as lighting the
city is concerned, and in my private judg-
ment the people should enter vigorous
protest. The time for a new election is
clese at hand, and the people should assem-
bic in mass convention and endeavor to
nominate men who will guard their interests
as their first duty.
talked over this matter with several sub
stantial business men yesterday, wh" said
they had hid no time to give that matter
any Thought before. They thought compe-
tiiion would be good th!n,, and taking
that view OF the case they were satisfied with
the act f the couGcl granting tae franchise
to the new company. but for the council
contracting for Lighting the city with one
light, and shutting out sli competition in
that matter. aas quite diiicren: thing, and
defea,ed the very object for which the new
franchise Was granted. The general opinion
was that the council was either blindly or
wilfuliy negligent of their duty 10 the city.
While am in u scolding mood, there is
another small matter may as well FIRE of,
ard it is a ms.ter of great importance, and
one abou. which | havo heard strangers
make many remarks. While we are grow
ing rapidly and making fine improvements
outside the business part of the city, we are
doing nothing at all, as city in the way of
internal Improvements. Netting to give it
n Oft, have oft,
ces. The curb stones on the two principal
streets are either torn out or crumbling
away. After every rain the streets are
mud hole and the crossings are almost i'm
passabia. In continued wet spells they are so
cut up that driving is exceedingly disagree
able and the visitor sees the mud pillow Gid
ing along the street car track which has dis
appeared beneath the mud. In many places
the sidewalks are a public scandal, and the
cow-sEed-looking awnings that disgrace
certain portions of these fine streets should
be fred bodily. What chilly
impression all this makes on
people from the older states who read
of this as the metropolis of the southwest.
/ want all these old awnings torn down,
Main street and Douglas avenue mecsdam-
lied, the sidewalks put in order and things
brushed up generally. Handsome, clean,
tasty business streets mske a good impress
sion on strangers. At present there is moth
ing Gifted about this town but its size.
The real estate men all over town told me
that Col. Murdock's Rock Island dispatch
gave real estate an immense boom. Ger
tsinly, and It will continue to boom with an
immense boom and big business houses will
take the place Of all those frame shanties on
Main street and Douglas avenue.
Senn;or John Kelley was in town yester
day. l asked him what effect the late frost
would have on the country. 60" said he,
"this is all right. l have seen it freeze so
solid that the wagons wouldn't break
through the crus; when the wheat was up
four inches high, and we hsd q good crop"
"Yss," said ". T. Jeweit, and
l had several head of cattle
frozen to death the 22d of March
one yesr when the grass wss up six inches
high. and buffalees were frozen on the
prairies."
ssked il this fros: was likely TO kill the
peaches, and several who were in the crowd,
who were all farmers. said: mo; they are al