Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-29
WICHITA AND OKLAHOMA.
What Will Follow the Opening Of the
Indian Territory.
Wichita the Mistress OF the Situation
and Of q Magnificent Opportunity.

and Of q Magnificent Opportunity.
1t has been reserved to this generation to
witness the swiftest and most complete
stIide ever made in the settlement of q new
country; the quickest conversion Of wild
and uninhabited country to superior cul-
tivation. most rapid improvement and a
dense population, ever yet witnessed since
the history of civilizations were first writ
ten Australia and California furnished
examples in this direction, the incentive
being the precious metals, but these will
have been slow in comparison with what
will happea in the Indian Territory. A
great territory and the last, of more than
four hundred miles in length by two humid
red miles and more, of irregular shape in
width, will be transformed from wild
uncultivatcd waste, inhabited partially by
struggling tribes of Indians, into thickly
populated commonwealth and in a day
Great trunk lines of railway will traverse
the entire territory before the new civiliza-
ZION can possibly form their respective
territorial and state governments.
Two or three hundred towns and
cities will spring up as if by magic
and so quickly that the inhab-
itants Of one half will rot
even know the names Of the other half of
these cities and towns Instead Of years
e!apsing ii will be but days, and a very few
days, from the time that the general gov
ernment consents to its settlement, until
every twenty-four miles square OF the ter
ritory will have population sufficient for a
two to half dozen candidates for county
seats. Much confusion, much trouble and
excitement and some bood-shcd will in
evitably result. One million people are
now ready to enter that territory from the
western states alone, the moment Official
consent is given-a million people, with
thousand different ideas of how they shall
win-win home or fortune, or both
With the opening OF the Indian territory
will come Wichita's great opportunity
There viii be suddenly added to her field
of trade a territory larger than that
controlled by Kansas City to-day, and as
Tich in every natural resource Six rail
roads have been chartered from or through
Wichita in as many different directions
into the Territory, every one of which will
be built and majority of which
will have their termini on the line
seeking to enter even before the national
congress can take care or the Indians and
give the word go" There is the Wichita,
Verdigris Valley and Fort Smith railroad;
tie Santa Fe railroad, now on the line the
Kiowa cytention of the Fort Scott and
Wichita, which is almost down to the line;
the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific; the
Chicago, st. Joseph and Fort Worth, and
Denver and Fort Worth extension. As
viii be SEEN neither st. Louis, Kansas
City or any other jobbing city viii have
ANYTHING like the facilities for reaching this |
suddenly 70 be developed and tremendous
trade These cities can reach that territory
10y two or three lines only except they come
through Wichita. II by any possibility the |
territory should be opened this fall to settle
ment Wichita could not supply the de
mand which would be made upon her
houses. If bat the Oklahoma |
district should be opened the iobbers and !
OF Wichita would be put to |
it to keep up to the demand of that district
which lies closer by two hundred
miles to Wichita than to any other iobbing
point. That the border towns and cities
would grow and flourish is undoubtedly
true, bat then there will be border towns
On both sides of the line, and all finding
Wichita their nearest market, if she can
but maintain such a market as this tremen-
louS demand must command
Touching the rapidity with which the
Indian Territory will be finally settled
when permission is once given, and that we
IRE right in our estimation of it, we have
only to cite a fact patent 10 every observer.
md that is that there are from one hundred
o one thousand men. not counting their
antilles, in every county in Kansas who
lave made all arrangements to go into the
indian Territory-lawyers, doctors, bank
RS, town-builders, spectators, land hungry
people, and so on. and already 70 90.
What is true Of Kansas in this particular is
rue of Missouri. OF Arkansas, and of Tex
IS, and 10 q limited degree of Iowa. +
Nebraska, Illinois. Kentucky, Tennessee
md other states We think the estimate of
million people within the bounds of prob
bility. As for the time occupied in
making the settlement, or erecting a state
n single day, one has but to reflect on the
ear that the average western man has of
,ctting left in any big rush
OPENING UP OKLAHOMA