Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-17
CONFESSIONS OF A SMART ALECK

To the Editor Of the Eagle
This city of Wichita is the boomingist
city that have ever seen from any stand
point you view her. And / have seen
Houston, San Antonio, Ell Paso Los An
geles. Portland, Oregon, and Omaha.
t saw all these towns at their best In none
of them were there such constant throngs
of human beings on the move for SO many
hours every day as we have here on Main
street and Douglas avenue from carly
morn till late at night
Two years and six months ago on any
day except Saturday, one could stand in a
wagon on Douglas avenue or Main street
and count every soul ON both sides of the
street for one block with ease in one or two
minutes. All US old fogies then
thought that the town was badly overdone.
Everyone, l except none that | saw then.
thought then was the time TO sell our lots
| recollect that | "dOwned" fellow about
then for 81 900. l made $500. For this
was sort of looked up to. That fellow sold
that property in two years for 81. 500. l
laid another greeney out for upwards of
$1,000, and made about 81 200 ON it. |
met the knowing smarties, of whom | used
to be one. Some said l was second
Rothschild; others, who knew me better,
said a fool for luck and Niger for gourds
| You made a note then of these great big
transactions. Well, l have lately sneaked
around to that man that | downed so badly
and just whined to him to take $l2, 900 for
the littlest end of that property.
But he met me with cold,
calm, mo" He is worth hundred thou
sand or SO outside of Kansas l used to
own SO feet of our 'via Ell Dorado" I
parted with it for about enough money to
have bought one block of the street three
years ago. | now mourn for that $25, 900
worth of property as only could the whang
doodle for its young. Lo am banished
from Douglas avenue for ever! | downed
some of these eastern greenes handsomely, |
on other of our worthless Overblamed |
property. l used to think that my track
in this city was strewn with the wreck of
the blighted hopes of fresh spectators. |
used then to congratulate myself on being
a very smart aleck. | am now singing
very low, like Maud Muller, alas, it
might have been"-a quarter of million
if had had sense enough to catch on to
the difference between inflated cities
on a superficial boom and
mighty commercial giant just moving
majestically along fooling the old settlers,
the smarties; aud just making rich men
out of the poor devils who could not get
sold out like a nimble fellow could, and so
were overtaking blind fortune because no
one would swap places with them
Well, the time that all us fellows, who
knew it all, predicted for the crash TO come
is passed now. 1t did crash, though,
crashed right through our prophecies. |
took long look today, in the cold wind,
up and down Douglas and Man-tramp,
tramp, tramp, hum, hum. um, um um,-
q ceaseless stream of humanity | could
not count them as they passed by ne A
thousand strange faces passed Inc 10y be-
fore was even recognized by Il bill col
lector 100000 dollars transfers IF real
estate every day and night here at the
end of the year. And you of the EAGLE
are said to be overzealous in this n,atter.
But you do not get all the transfers. |
hink your reporters have overlooked
500, 900 this summer and fall [ had
So, 600 sale few weeks back and YOU
never published it in the transfer. | am
lot near as much disappointed at Your
omission as that sold that property al all
There are two individuals that | am now
moving, l. e., the fool kiler and a greeney
rom the east who wants what little prop
,rty have left. l will admit that We are
III going to bust On this boom; that we will
De downed 10y every malisn influence this
ide of sheol, but want to Just keep
it'll, property TO see if | can't Catch up
partially with a streak of lightning that
truck near me. | dedicate This to the
prophets whom l consorted with to my
OrrOW-lf they art. alive II