Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-13
THE RAILWAY CENTER OF KANSAS
Wichita in the Number Of Her Railways
and in Her Tonnage the CONNER
cial Center of the State.

Wichita is the railway center of Kan
sas, estimated not only by the number of
railway lines which reach her, but by
their connections and by the area
and the importance of the territory dl-
rectIy reached by them, and by the sum
total of the city's freight and passenger
traffic. Nothing shows this more con-
clusively than the official map of the
state board of railway commissioners,
just issued. Ten lines OF road radiate
from this city in every direction. Three
of these carry seven through passenger
trains daily to Kansas City: two OF them
carry four through passenger trains daily
to Chicago; two OF them carry three
solid through passenger trains to St.Louls
daily; two of them carry four through
trains to the Pacific coast daily, and two
of them carry passengers through to
Galveston daily. Three OF these roads
cross the Indian Territory, one across the
eastern half, one through Oklahoma
and the center, and one through the
western half into the Pan Handle OF
Texas. Two of these roads connect with
the Union Pacific system west OF the
Sixth principal meridian, and two OF
them connect with that system at a
point east of that meridian. All of the
cities and towns and counties Of central,
eastern southern and southwestern KAN
sas taken all together, are connected di-
rectly, and more directly, with Wichita
than with any other city in or out OF the
state. All Kansas, taken as whole, can
reach Wichita by rail more directly than
can all Kansas reach any other city IN or
out of the state This constitutes her
the state railway center, and the map re-
ferred to at one and the same time
demonstrates the fact and warrants the
claim.
Wichita, then, from being the natural
center of Southern Kansas and subse
quently its commercial center, has come
to be the railway center Of the entire
state. These facts no well informed
persons will attempt to deny. Such
denial would be either insincere or fool
ish, or both. The freight receipts OF
Wichita are four times greater than
those of any other city in Kansas, her
passenger receipts nearly twice as great
as those of any other city, the entire
traffic, both freight and passenger, being
more than any three others of her largest
cities. Maps nor diagrams, official or
otherwise, prove this last Proposition, but
the figures and the actual money which
the figures represent, as shown by the
books of the railway companies do.
In reality Wichita needs no more
railways at present, if we except few
branches and extensions of those which
we already have; to supply the entire
country tributary to her with certainty
and celebrity as well as to be
from tho. great lake and sea
ports by bulk traffic. The principle and
most desired, thing, now, in this direc-
ton, is an adequate service, and at rates
with her Importance
These are rapidly being met and sup
piled. New trains are continually being
added and new time tables arranged
closer connections are made
with the interesting lines that traverse
the territory tributary to this city. With
the growth and spread of our trade these
will be perfected until the
railway service of the entire country
tributary will be arranged with refer
ence to Wichita as the principal initial
noint