Wichita eagle., 1886-08-31
4 wonder CITY II = Wonder
Land.
Wichita, the New Chicago Of the West,
and its Fertile and Beautiful
Surroundings.

Indiana, who lately visited Kansas, writes
a letter of his impressions to the Apostolic
Guide, the organ of the Christian church,
published at Louisville, Kentucky His
conceptions and appreciation of Kansas as
a whole and 0; the beauties and possibilities
OF Southern Kansas in particular. are Won
derfully correct and comprehensive. while,
like every observant man who visits US, he
sees in Wichita the great city OF the future,
whose educational influences AID business
grasp will be more than state wide.
After explaining the minor details Of his
trip the writer proceeds:
To a person living in the Ohio valley
| and used to the recent floods of that historic
stream, the first thought thst enters his
mind - he gazes upon the swift rolling
river with it, low-lying banks is, that the
whole country would be liable to annual
overflovs. But l am told that this is not
the case, ana the reason assigned is this:
the country abutting on either side has
| what is termed sub-irrig&tiOl That is, the
water percolates through the ground few
| feet beneath the surface for a great distance
| Z
is great volume OF water to be carried Off
it underflows instead Of oyerflows and so no
harm is done.
! On my trip stopped off 1T the cities Of
Topeka, EmpOria, Newton, Wichita, Wei
lington. and Winfield Topeka, the CAPT
tai, has about $4,000 population; Wichita
has about %, coo; Emporia about 10000;
Wellington and Winfield about 5000 each;
and Newton about 5000.
| To give an idea OF the thrift and progress
of these towns, it is only necessary to state
| that all Of them, unless it Is Newton, have
street railways, water works and gas works,
and Topeka and Wichita have the electric
lights,
Wichita is the geographical as well as
| railroad center O; what I have designated
as the garden spot OF Kansas It is won
der city in wonder land 1t is situated at
the confluence Of tho Arkansa, and Little
Arkansas Rivers. 1t has in active
operation Ave railroads and three others
heading toward it. It's population has
doubled in the last two years 1t is said
and from What haze seen have 10 rea-
| son to doubt it. that se7en hundred new
houses have been built here this summer
| The city has already become considerable
| wholesale center, and many largo eastern
| firms are establishing branch houses there
Three and four story business houses are
going up on several Of the principal streets,
and dwelling houses are going up in all
all parts of the city The government has
appropriated $3.50, OG0 for the erection OF a
| custom house Altogether the city pre-
sents scene Of hustle and activity such IS
l have never seen, except in Chicago.
Tho pif- DrnYps.s-x alSo "a he literary
well as a business center. The Presbyteri-
ans are just completing fine college, the
Catholics have located q See at this point
and viii begin bishops residence and
school buildings this fall, and our brethren,
not behind, have marked cut and are laying
the foundation Of university that they
hope to make the leading university of the
west. The building which is admirably
situated, is just little over mile from the
exact business center of the city TIE give
YOU an idea of the scope and magnitude of
this undertaking, | will briefly describe the
building now ir process Of erection It is
to present front two hundred and thirty
three feet and four inches The
main front will bo four stories high
The basement STORY will be twelve feet
and two inches clear and will show ten feet
above grade It viii be built Of stone laid
in cement and will cost something over
S2S, 900. The other stories will be built Of
brick heavily trimmed with stone, the en-
tire structure to cost 500 COO There will
be about sixty rooms in the building dlyi-
ded into recitation rooms, lecture rooms,
offices, library with capacity of so, 900 vol
uueS, museums Of the same dimensions,
chapel with seating capacity Of 5000 with
I gallery that will seat !, 800. Twelve ad
mirably equipped society rooms, three semi
circular fire escapes which are absolutely
fire proof, an elevator, seven places OF
egress from every floor above the basement.
That the building will be solid and perina-
nent may be gathered from the fact that the
foundation walls Of the tower that
looms up in front Of the building are twelve
feet thick. The university which has been
named the Garfield university, will have
four colleges, one of science and art. in
Guiding classics, college of law, college of
medicine and surgery and bible college
Special attention viii be given the fine arts
and modern languages, also = distinctive
system OF education in view OF American
institutions and political economy
The design of the projectors and pro- |
motors of this institution is on {; plane with
this great and growing country in which it |
Is situated, and that it will be carried out in |
letter and in spirit have no doubt The cor (
poration of which Bro w E. He:i,lryx our
minister 1T Wichita. is president, has been |
fortunate IN securing one hundred and sixty t
acres OF ground Just across the river from I
The main part of the city in what is known /
as West Wichita. This ground is high and I
sloping, giving it excellent drainage The |
college building is situated in the western /
part OF 1t, 50 that the greatest portion lies +
between the college building and the city. /
\ part of this has been plated streets and I
avenues laid out and graded, and BY TIE .
time this reaches you it viii probably be
placed upon the market in limited way,
as it is the purpose Of the University only |
to sell off a portion of their beautiful lots
and to hold the remainder for the advance
in value that is sure to follow the
growth of the college building and |
the growth Of the city Street cars are TO
come up alongside of the college grounds.
the directors Of the University not being
willing that they should go through the |.
grounds. OF all the beautiful places for
homes that saw IN and around Wichita.
| University Place is the most attractive.
and were going there to locate ! should
want my home TO be under the shade Of
the noble institution that have impertectlv
described. Should any one desire to
address any business communications
with respect to University Place
property, they will receive prompt
answers 10y writing to " b. Hendrix. i
president: Judge w p. Campbell. secre-
tary, or Or. J. T. oldham, director of
the University.
In combustion a. my latter no. .,.o;,,o1