Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-25
OMAHA AND WICHITA.

cept that the latter city stood in 1870 in
population where Wichita stands now. In
that year Omaha had come to the end OF
her prosperous period; reaching from her
birth to the fifties, through her career as
frontier trading post; territorial capital and
overland stage base; to the end of the COM
pletion of our first world waking railroad
enterprise i. e., the Union Pacific railway
to Corrine; which great enterprise, starting
from Omaha as base, had carried her for
ward to great prosperity and greater expec-
tations.
The finishing of the Union Pacific hav-
ing turned loose several thousand trained
railroad builders, their engines were largely
concentrated in building up the then rap
idly developing system of Kansas. And
in the Santa Fe enterprise was born to civ
iization this grand part Of the state with
Wichita as the child of a magical destiny
in particular So, in the year that Omaha
met her first reverse, was founded q village
destined not alone to equal but to eclipse
her
The year of the birth of Wichita found
Omaha deprived of the state capitol and
her frontier trade. The railroad and the
steamboats, were carrying the wealth that
once poured through her Golfers past her
doors. Grave were the prophecies Of de-
cline and calamity INDUCED in by the
knowing and experienced ones of the city.
The situation was indeed grave one.
Her coal came to her over unfriendly roads
$50 miles east in Iowa. Council Bluffs
was her bitter rival across the river. The
Missouri river navigation was SO uncertain
and treacherOus as to be nearly worthless.
The b. & NJ. in Nebraska, and other great
roads were her enemies Her coal and tim
Der from the west came hundreds of miles
away from Wyoming after paying heavy
tribute to costly railroad. Her neighbor
ing prairies produced abundance of corn
and spring wheat. Under such conditions
it was worth next to nothing. Such was
Omaha. He former props had been
knocked from under her. She had no re-
sources but good brick clay and energetic
leading men who had, like our own, made
all their wealth from her real estate.
These men did not dispair. They orga-
njzed the Omaha & Southwestern and
Omaha s. Northwestern railways and act
ually began their construction. In those
days there were frequent projects and
-counsellings for the good of the city. The
Omaha Silver Smelling and Refining
works were started in 1870. This work
had to depend on crude ore brought from
the Rocky mountains by rail distance of
several hundred miles Loud were the
predictions of failure. Said the wise and If
resolute. To bring coal and crude ore
both to this middle ground from great dis
tances to refine it was foolish. But it was
a success. The works produced besides
the precious metals great quantities of
lead From this sprang white lead
works to consume the pig lead; and from
this in turn came great prepared paint |
works, whose brands are well known |
works, foundries and mills have also |
come. Omaha has several packing houses, |
which dresses thousands of hogs and |
beeves of not only Nebraska but Northern
Kansas. All these industries springing |
from determined people have made |
Omaha rich and growing city. She
claims $4,000 people today. Sixstory
bulldogs are now being suppIanted by |
those of eight.
Horsecar railways and cable lines offer
facilities for travel Fine schools adorn |
and instruct in her unity Omaha is a
conspicuous monument to the energy and |
pluck of her citizens
Omaha in those days had stretches of adj
ditions that equaled. if, indeed, they did |
not exceed, ours. Some of them lying out |
four miles from her center then, sells read
idly now for $50 per foot front And the
plucky ones who held on have made great /
fortunes
Wichita stands in magnificent middle
ground that will readily feed millions; and
thus produces great abundance of raw ma
terial for food supplies. To the south,
within 300 miles are abundance of cotton,
wool hides, fine weeds and lumber. also |
coal, zinc, lead, iron and grind and whet |
stones. 400 miles further south we have |
sugar and rice. At New Orleans we meet |
the commerce of the world, and the coffee |
and other products of the tropics To the
west we have the minerals of the Rocky |
Mountain region within easy reach. These
raw products may be brought right here
and manufactured as well as elsewhere. and
better than in many places. One of the
greatest conditions for great manufactur-
ing center is where the soil and topography
OF country will furnish
the greatest abundance of cheap
food. rapid transit, and comfortable and
healthy homes for an intelligent class of
laboring experts We have all these CON
ditions. Another great condition is the
distribution of the raw material on every
hand so that the means of transportation
from the central mart may go full handed
as ii travels in every direction The order
has been heretofore to carry the food for
millions of people to the vicinity of the
raw material and there do the manufactur
ing. This order is now being reversed by
the more economic one of bringing the