Wichita eagle., 1888-02-12
WINNING WICHITA.
"What Shall This City's Harvest Be?"

The following response to the toast
'sWinning Wichita" was delivered at the
Burns festival by Kos Harris. ESQ.,:
Fellow Citizens:-We,,t the citizens of
no mean city, have a work before us.
We cannot all serve our city in the same
way but each human can do his duty
according as God has endowed him.
The eyes of envy are fixed upon us: if
we but do our duty, the emigration that
has come to us sis but the first low wash
of waves where soon shall roll human
sea. Censure and criticism is the tax
paid for fame, prosperity or success.
The carrion birds of spite, envy and NAL
evidence are watching us like their pro-
totypes over wounded lion, hoping
we are in the agonies of death.
The monument that kisses the clouds,
draws more lightning than the humble
tombstone nesting in butter cups and
daisies. We are the load-stone and we
are drawing fire from east to west, from
north to south, and though the poisoned
darts sting we must have courage and
patience, industry and hope.
Fame is desired by great and small,
'Tis better to be damned than not men,
toned at all"
We are nearing crisis. The year
1888 is our ruin or prosperity, our tri-
umph or desolation. This Is the hour of
our travail, and right now Wichita de-
mands more unity of purpose, concert of
action and harmonious, well directed
thought than at any time since we learned
unity is strength, discord destruction.
We must have an eye as keen, an arm
as long, brain as clear as the foe we
have to grapple with. We must ward
off and turn aside the shots and darts of
malice that are falling thick around Jus.
We should suffer no impeachment, no
love of ease, no avocation whatever to
chilli our ardor-or divert our attention
or break the continuity, or stay the COM
pletion of the great design of the foun-
ders and builders of our city.
1t has been said of us that we were in
the poets mind when he said But thou
art fair and at thy birth, nature and
fortune joined to make thee great.
Let us prove the truth of the oracle.
When our triumph comes 1t will be
greater by all our reyerses. And 1T Will
come if we will it. Now Is the time.
Let us hold up the hands OF our chief
tains. Let us press forward to the goal
all hands together; every shoulder to
the wheel: no laggards-a long pull.
strong pull. pull all together. The vic
tory is ours. He that dailies Is bastard.
He that doubts is damned. Put the
old guard on picket tonight. We have
the advantage: lets Use 1t. Governor
Kirkwood once said that the best manure
farmer could use was bra1ns. Cannot
we say that the best capital to
build city with Is brains, and Wichita
has this capital in stock! The highest
compliment paid Us is the dissatisfaction
expressed by visitors OF their own home
towns That if they had our men they
could beat us. outstrip us-down us. is
it not true that we can muster more
generous. public-spirited, industrious,
endowed with courage and brains, than
the balance OF the state.
Legislatures make capitals and make
towns, God Almighty makes men. and
men build cities and create legislatures.
We have not been favored by pubilc pat
ronage. but we. from the primal elements.
sand, wind and water. bu,tded a cits
How well do l remember when sur
rounding towns were rivals-wiien Eoi-
poria hooted at our census when Aichi-
son. Scott and L.eavenworth indulgsd oar
whims and yagaris-s as il was called by
them. We entered the lists against
power and wealth and our competitors,
all but Topeka. have cried enough
Topeka ilas enough bat don't know IT.
One more census and then. As Qneen OF
the Valley. we shall receive the hSnlage
due from conquered subjects
Let US base patiencs. An: who can