Wichita eagle., 1886-12-14
WICHITA A GRAND STATION
On the Future Line of Travel and Commerce
TO the Editor OF the Eagle.

very incipiency, has to present eyes the al
pearance of the marvellous, while in realit
it is but the beginning of the natural deve
opement of the resources Of a vastly ric
country by the application of advance
modern methods possessing the new power
of science.
In contemplating such development on
is not to Judge by past precedent and stand
ard. because we have all standards from
which TO which to form its character 1t i
enough to say that no great city of half
million people has been built by free com
merce away from navigable waterway il
the mast But it is too much to say that on,
cannot or will not be built under the changed
conditions of the future with even million
souls away from navigable water.
IF we begin with history which bears I'D
IN the constr uction, existence and fall OF
CITIES we shall see that arbitrary power
with purposes of defense and aggrandise-
ment in view, have built and maintained
many But the main cause Of all
rities coming into existence has been the
centers OF population in the great lines of
emigration from one country to another. In
the past, in the absence of steam and cleo
trical appliances, the highways Travelled by
the horse, camel and other domestic animals
used in the carrier trade, were the principal
makers and promoters of cities. Waterways
have long been valuable highways, but with
the exception of very large bodies capable Of
navigation by both wind and steam, and
here their volume is fixed and intervenes
against the certainty and speed Of rails and
steam. Our great inland rivers will soon be
greater adjuncts to our system Of foolish
supply than to commerce.
SO long as the slow old methods of the
beast of burden and the clumsy cart plodded
over parched desert, steep hills and muddy
roads, subject on every hand to the whims of
crude and unheped nature, civilization and
its cities were the creatures of peri
odically driven sands and SHOWS: of
passes, river fOrds and portages,
TO say nothing of contiguous rollers and bar
barians. Like influences, too, confined the
birth of the leading civilization to the favora-
bic zone between latitude 80 degrees and 40
river. But at this point the ancient meth
DDS are changed by the introduction of steam
md electricity accompanied by the gathering
powers of a higher intelligence more widely
spread.
With the present scientific appliances and
vastly grown and growing wants of grand
n civilization than has hitherto been seen
IN history, applied, too, in one of the richest
IF the undeveloped continents of earth by
people sprung like Minerva, from the brains
Jupiter from the brains of all the earth the
questions asked are not governed by what
has been, hut 10y careful adjustment of the
means at had to the forces intervening be-
ween the desired objects to be connected.
The prime principles are the most economi
al application OF the most rapid methods in
commercial and social intercourse These |
principles exerted in all our arts are causing
'easeless revolutions. 1t is thus that the I'M |
Who are too busy to see other than the effect |
nd never the cause. The aphorism of Bishop |
}erksley, westward the star of empire
vends it way" is becoming modified by the
ocatiOn Of the object of that star. whether
be north or west
Wichita comes happily within the scope of
he newest conditions required for upbuild-
ng OF the most modern OF cities 1t is stu
ted upon that magnificent table land
along the eastern base of the
"A to, and continuous with, the elevated
lateau of Anahuac to the City of Mexico.
IN the extreme of this great future hive of
umanlty in the south the wealth of the
AIMED Indies are eclipsed in the half hidden
osom of prolific nature. Here the cotton
liant stands bearing seven years before re-
ianting: so likewise the sugar cane. count
SIS millions of sheep goats and other ami
lals furnish valuable skins for all kinds of
ather. In the vegetable productions use
ii TO man nature has fairly outdone herself.
he fame of Mexico for her precious metals
| the past fails far short of what it will be
| the future for the more material ones.
he table land of Auahuac is the natural
,adbed FOR all the international trunk lines
lterinS Mexico from the United StaseS
4 the north. FL Pa>o is the gate city
trough which grand commerce will flow
} the north through & chain of cities stretch
y 70 British America. Along this great
highway are 10 be exchanged
le varied products of civilization as com
ete As can exist between the extremes of
'rthly productions. The past exactions of
innate from people fixed in her tyranical
asp viii he unknown save to the masses.
T the Intelligence and energy of the people
Ill exchange places, Ideas and customs so
silly and constantly that every degree of
utude Will modify it, reighbor.
In the very middle Of the great valley a
this future highway of civil
ton. half way between the shores of the l
'anteSt river OF the continent. where ua-
Re needs only TO be ticklei by science and I
t to Guido Ceres of old, to the store laden 7
oeky mountains. sits our city, the future
'"en and royal dispenser of the blessings of |
mmerce 10 a territory of at least 10000
Uare mil. :. with an unlimited field for her '
efIaIties She has her contemporics but I
rivals, and can never have.
THE BAZAAR.
II,