Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-18
GREAT YOUNG WICHITA.
The Garden Of the Big and Little
Arkansas
Cornstalks II 1-2 Feet High-Subur-
ban Farms Worth $96.OOO-Busi-
ness Building Lots at $4,000
$50 Houses Erected
Last Year.
From the Mansfield ohio Daily Herald.

claimed. 1t is situated at the confluence
of the Big and Little Arkaneas rivers, in
the center of vast agricultural tract OF
great fertility AS showing what an Ar
kansas bottom can do in dry weather, q hill
of corn has been standing for two weeks
on Douglas avenue sidewalk seventeen and
one-half feet high and the ears over ten
feet from the roots. Situated PIP miles
from Kansas City. Wichita is beyond her
Oyershadowing influence, and is to her the
great southwest commercial center Al
ready you can take cars in seven different
directions and new roads are making haste
to come in
The Burlington and Rock Island are
both coming through, the former via
Beatrice and the latter from Omaha direct.
The ST. Joe, and the Fl. Worth make this
point The Denver, Memphis & Atlanta
already runs cars to Conway Springs. The
Eagle line will push out to the northwest
and thus Wichita viii draw in trade from
every direction This aggregation of rail
WAYS has caused one of the most remark
able booms of modern times. Cow pas
lures of five months ago are rooted in to-
day Outlying farms have jumped from
| S., 900 quarter to $40, 900 and 500, 600,
and one man who does not know what
enough is, has just refused 500, 900 for his
quarter, over the river but within the city
| limits. Every other door is a land office,
and prices of lots are on the boom. At the
center of business they sell a 81 900 per foot
| front while 1900 feet away, on Main, a man
paid $1S, 600 for 80 feet front, since
came, and has already laid the foundations
for a brick business house.
! From January LIST to July 1st, 532 houses
were erected and as many more will crown
| the year, besides IS business houses. some
of which are very large and ornate for
wholesale purposes Two hotels are going
up, one at a cost of 800, 900, it is claimed
will be the best west of st. Louis.
The city plat already covers a space OF
four by six miles and all parts being rap
idly connected by street railways.
Two systems of electric arc lighting in
competition make the city bright and cheer
full at night, the lights being furnished at
Sc a month for an all night light.
The water works are furnished by a well
sunk fifty feet from the Little Arkansas
into which the water from both rivers filters,
and furnishes an ample supply. A stand
pipe $50 feet high secures such pressure on
the mains that at fire on Saturday morn
ing, the stream tore up shingles and knocked
bricks loose from the wall. The waters of
the rivers underie the whole valley, owing
to the porous nature of the soil, and wells
can be had anywhere by driving II to u
feet. The water marks 60 and 81 farhen
heit during the hottest weather.
The rains Of the past week have elated
the farmers by ensuring good crops, but
prior to this a threatening drought had
la III inh
~ in the shade day after day-a fair offset
to the 15o below zero last winter when hun
dreds and thousands of cattle in the south
west persisted.
Education is the strong point among the
Kansans, and Wichita is laying in a supply
of colleges early. The Presbyterian, Ger
man Reformed, and Catholic churches are
establishing colleges here, while the build
auspices of the Disciples are under way
This is expected to be a national affair,
many states contributing stones with suita-
bic Inscriptions for the building,
There is TO be a government building
here, and one is badly needed, as well as Il
letter delivery. When | took my place on
the %" on the sidewalk fifty feet from the
pos;oilice door and followed the procession,
it was twenty-eight minutes by the watch
before reached the general delivery win
dow inside. where two clerks were handing
out the letters And when | got out the
90 was as long rs ever
The streets of Wichita are denSelv shaded
with cottonwoods and box elder, and eX-
cept in the business center look like forest
lanes with no houses visible except at your
elbow
The papers Of the city are first class.
The EAGLE has just taken on the eight
page form 1t is the size Of the Cleveland
Leader but more neatly gotten up. Il is
printed on Il Cranston press and is folded,
pasted and trimmed It is spirited, brini
full Of news and the pride of the city.
Tie Beacon is the afternoon paper, ably
edited and trains in the Democratic ranks.
Ii is folio 2SX44
Besides these are the Resident, q small
local evening paper for home news alone,
and there are several wecklieS, both En-
glish and German.
While standing at the corner Of Main
and Second streets few days ago Mr. L.
Conkling. formerly Of Cleveland Ohio, ap-
preached and said he was tempted TO speak
to me because | resembled bis cousin los-
coe Conkling Roscoe should feel compli-
mentel) He said ne came here number
of years ago, rot quarter of land and last
year sold it for SSo00, and removed q little
south, never dreaming of the rapid advance
in land and now his old farm has just been
sold for s20 eco. So he has come back 10
invest in lots and make M what he had
lost.
Just then Mr. NJ L. Carver. who mar
ried kase Emminger, daughter OF the late
Jacob Emminger, introduced himself to
me. OF course | was glad to 60 around to
their very pleasant home where met both
Mrs Carver and her mother, Mrs Jacob
Emminger Though years since | had
seen them, neither have materially changed
though little older grown. The rise in
real estate should give them wealth as 1t
doubtless will They were enthusiastic in
their praise Of Wichita
Mr. James Allison, of McVay & Allison.
is here and says about forty Mansfield PEG
pie are here or hereabouts Among them
are Henry Newlons sons. Ir; and Joseph.
with their families. VIM Newlons sons
and family. George Shull. with two sons
and families. Misses Johnston Taylor.
Wooley and Harvey f. Day, brother Of the
late a G.. Day. and others
Ny landlady IS u grand niece q Uncle
Billy BurneS, Of the B. & @. depot. 50
Eany years. NJ. DAY