Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-25
OPINIONS OF WICHITA
By One Who Has Searched in Vain for
Its EQual.8
SALT LAKE, CITY. March

SALT LAKE CITY, March 90, 1888.
To the Editor of the Eagle.
1t is long time since reported to the
old EAGLE. l have indeed been a
rambler since 1 left Wichita, but will
not write Rambler" article this time.
Since my last report have been every
where worth visiting On the Pacific coast
except in Oregon and Washington Ter
ritory, and have been two weeks in the
city OF Latter Day Saints they seem
to me more like the liberated sinners
but have failed utterly to find the Eden l
have been looking for. Local
boomers everywhere tell the tender
foot of peculiar combination
of conditions that make their town just
perfect. Nothing is lacking for mans
happiness, but l have failed to find a
better place, all things considered, than
our own Wichita. / have met dozens of
Wichita people in my rambles but have
not yet found one who has deserted the
town for good, unless some one of doubt
full stripe. All look back with longing
eyes to the place where they made all
they are worth, and all say that one or
two good crops in southern Kansas will
make Wichita still the best city on the
continent. | have read in the EAGLE
and other papers correspondence from
people who have been in California, con-
tanning unjust structures on the towns
out there. All these towns have merit
and all have drawbacks. 1t does not
help Wichita to paint other cities in dis
NAL colors. Wichita had to fight against
unjust attacks herself, and her people
should remember this. Every town in
California is fairly prosperous, but no
gold grows upon the trees there. The
chief trouble with California is that the
spectators want to sell it all in town
lots. The staple products are boOms,
real estate agents, brass bands, magnlti-
cent stretches of climate and auction
sales. Some fellow gets hold of piece
of land that is useless for anything but
a town; he plats it, tacks high-sound-
ing Spanish name to it, gets an auctioneer
and brass band and off she
goes. That country, however, is on the
eve of emancipation and will come out
all right yet, but Wichita's future is as
promising as any and her business men
are made of the right stuff. She occu-
pies grand central position with good
country on all sides. 1t is no one sided
place.
Salt Lake City is in the throes of
speculative boom. | say speculative,
because it is all speculation SO far.
Nobody is coming here to settle
and there is no building boom. Owing
to the preponderance of Mormonism, the
Gentle business man is at disadvantage
here and will be for years. The town
has many elements of commercial
strength, but like everywhere else. there
are drawbacks. | know of but few who
have left Wichita and run after strange
gods who would not have made
money by remaining at home. A
few shrewd spectators who struck
the rising side of the booms, of course
made money, but they are the exception.
I have held my own fairly well but [
sigh for my old associations and my
friends need not think it is my ghost if
they spy something in my shape stroll
ing down Douglas avenue some fine day.
/ am now enroute to Washington terri
tory, and if that does not suit me, good
by to the golden west.
w TT CpkTr,N