Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-10
LIBERAL, KANSAS.
THE FUTURE GREAT CITY OF THE
SOUTHWEST
An Inexhaustible Supply Of Good Water
Water Works and Street Railway
-Unequaled Crop Prospects

any other city of the southwest. But, like
all Furnishing and prosperous cities she
has been made (even at this early day. the
victim of great amount of wholly u1mer-
tied abuse at the hands of would-be rivals,
who see that the superior position and
other advantages possessed by Liberal
make her destined to be great distribut-
ing point. She is 215 miles from Wichita,
and Wichita is 22S miles from Kansas City,
just the regulation distance for another
young Wichita, and this she will be.
A great hue and cry was raised a few
weeks ago, that no water could be found at
Liberal This was wholly without founda-
ton, and originated in the i'm
proper driving of pipe well, wherein the
water was ceased off" The croakers and
fault finders Immediately started the re-
port that there was no water, notwith-
standing the fact that some four or five
dug wells had for month supplied the 800
TO 1000 residents Of the place. The utterly
foolish righteousness of such a report is
demonstrated in the fact that there has
since been dug by hand at the very
same spot well of excellent water which
is actually inexhaustible. Some three
other new public wells have also been re-
Gently dug and, although used without
cessation for watering hundreds of local
teams and freighters' outfits, they are
| each furnishing as much water as on the
day they were completed. As many more
are now about done. But to crown the
water question and which but shows its
! faith and interest in the town, the great
| Rock Island railroad, which never does
| anything by HALVES, has announced its de-
! termination, to Immediately construct
| complete water works system for the city
| at cost of from $50 900 to $780, 900. In the
meantime, however, there is as much
water and even more than the people re-
| quire Two street sprinklers are to be
started the early part of next week, the
necessary amount having been subscribed
by the citizens. Another metropolitan
Innovation is street railroad to run from
the north end of Kansas avenue through
the town TO the neutral strip, or Gas it has
by a characteristic westernism been
named) the natural stripe" which is a
place where the prohibition laws run not
TO the contrary, the same being mo Mans
Land" This line, which will pay from
the start, is to be constructed as soon as
the necessary preliminary proceedings
can be accomplished. Still another enter
prise, and one which is already in sue
cessful operation, is brick yard,
operated by Mr.. Amos Aspey, for
merly of Wichita. The brick are of
a most excellent color and quality.
AS further indication of the railway COM
pany's confidence in the town, it may be
stated, that in addition TO the water works
system they propose inauguratng, they
have now almost completed a large $4,000
depot building and a six stall brick round
house, Liberal being the terminus of their
line and division headquarters. The
foundation for the railroad companys
S30, 900 three-story stone bank building is
completed There are over forty buildings
business houses and residences, now
in course of erection. and the demand
for more cannot be supplied. A noticeable
feature is that a larger number of resi-
dences is being built and occupied by their
owners, betokening an influx of men with
their families who have come to stay.
Society even has begun to assume defn-
tie shape. and on last Monday evening one
of the most enjoyable events to be had
anywhere occurred at the formal opening
of the Arcade hotel, the lead
ing hotel of the town, which
is very ably conducted by Mr.. f. r. Davis,
formerly of Mcpherson The hotel is
beautifully located away from the noisy
part of the town, and has free carriage
making twenty minute trips for the bene-
fit of guests. BY the way, the hotel be-
longs to Wichita man, Mr.. w. S. Rogers
A board OF trade has been organized for
the purpose of advancing the interests OF
the town and looking after enterprises
seeking locations here. Only desirable
ones with straight business in view need
apply.
Religion is not being neglected The
MethOdists have erected temporary
church on the ground donated by the town
company. Nearly all other leading de |
nominations have received donations of |
sites and will proceed to build as soon as |
possible. A good school building is to be |
erected is soon as the town can he incor- |
porated. There is a temporary one now in |
use. Rev. Mr.. Coates, known. as the |
Rocky Mountain Evangelist" is making |
things warm for the urconverted He |
breaches occasional forcible sermons in the |
saloons in the natural stripe,' and |
also delivers lectures in town. to
which by dodgers he cordially invites all |
sporting men TO come" He was pretty
forlorn case himself he says, but is now
happy on the way"
The town is not noisy and bostarous. as
might be supposed, but is a remarkably
genteel and quiet place, in . police sense.
Law and order reign supreme and any
wanton offender gets the butt end of the
law, with the bark on it,
The real estate market. which for a week
or two began to look a little unpromising.
is now that the water scare. the cause of
that phase of the market. has been COM
pletely settled for all time to GOMEZ look
ing decidedly improved. and new inquiries
for and purchases Of real estate are becon-
ing lately much more frequent 4 piece
of property east of town, known as the
Meyers addition, has been laid out. and a
number of acres sold readily at 500 per
acre. \ month ago SO per acre was paid
for this land. The Rogers addition, west
of town, has been laid out in lots-eight to
an acre-and is selling az $50 per lot
This property cost less than $40 per acre
SIX weeks ago. Like advances are noted
IN other properties OF either business or
residence character.
Taken altogether. Liberals future as n
good city is assured. She holds the kew 70
the southwest and is already doing More
wholesaling and iohbing to No Mans
Land, southwestern Kansas and the Texas
Panhandle, than any other city of the
southwest, although of more than three
times her size. Trains of freighters outfits
come to Liberal distances Of from sixty RI
100 miles and go back loaded with sunnlies
The country l. rSpldly filling nm vitb ao- /