Wichita eagle., 1888-12-09
A NEW ERA.
ONE OF UNEXCELLED PROSPERITY
DAWNING UPON WICHITA.
Indisputable Evidences not Only
That Such a Time has Already
Arrived but That it Will
Continue.
The Transition From an Embryo City to
One of Metropolitan Affairs. Causes
Which Made Other Cities VIII
Also Make Wichita

! That there is another new era of re-
| markable prosperity dawning for Wichita
is not only true, but this fact is realized
| by every person who is close observer Of
| her career and the histories of other cities
| This feeling is unanimous with al
! strangers who has within the past few
months visited Wichita. 1t Is already be-
| Ginning 30 be the first topic of conversation
| when Nichitans meet. The presentment
| Of such result is everywhere discernible
! For all of this there is a cause--a substan-
! tlal reason. Never for months past has
/ there been such constant and rapid i'm
/ provement in'the general business tone OF
| this city. Activity and energy are dis
| played upon every hand That conse-
! quence which always follows the lead OF
industrial activity, i. e., activity in realty, is
even now assuming quite portentions pro-
! portions.
There are number Of causes, which act
ing as whole, effect the -sults indicated
| These causes are the same. which consti-
tuted the moving forces in the initial
| stages of every other recently developed
| city. That there should be a material
transformation in, or Il marked impetus
given to the life, the energy, the business
heart and the entire bOdy-politic of com
merciaI Wichita, is most natural. The
characteristics of her subsistence, the diet
upon which as business center, she feeds
and from which she draws her sustenance,
is just now being transformed or is under
going change, by having added to it
elements which, while they are different,
are also more nutritious. In other words,
Wichita is at the present time undergoing
the transition from an embryo city, de-
pendent purely upon business brought her
by reason of her facilities as a shopping
and trading center to the more substantial,
lasting, uniform and increased business of a
city in fact, which, with its increased
wholesaling business, the concentration of
the packing interests here for vast ter
ritOry, and the steady output of money in
the form OF wages by our increasing and
hourishing manufacturing establishments,
makes her prosperity certain.
Added to these causes for growing and
more regular state of commercial prosper
ity, is the expenditure of money for pur-
poses for which Wichita would never have
had need had she not outgrown her IN
aided Importance as 4 good business point
and taken on the greater and more sub
stantlal position she now occupies as the
greatest commercial, the greatest railroad,
the greatest educational, the greate>t
packing and the greatest manufacturing
center in the great and growing south
west. Wichita is just now beginning to
feel the permanent and lasting benefits of
such transition as she is experiencing.
Metropolitan growth brings with it
prosperity. Wichita has already crossed
the very threshold upon which Chicago
and Kansas City and Omaha stepped
when they each began steady march to
quickly acquired fame and uninterrupted
prosperity. Now, that Wichita has in full
operation, the DOld packing house and her
splendid stock yards, with the Whitaker
packing house commenced, her pre-emi
hence as a packing center for the great
southwest is established
OTHER IMMEDIATE CAUSES.
While these general causes have all
strongly augmented the present noticeable
increased activity in Wichita's general
tone there are several other elements
which are aiding and will continue to aid
such a result, until they are in turn sup
plemented by still other features of the
development of a city which will increase,
rather tina merely prolong this naturally
increased prosperity.
The great fundamental industries con-
centrating here have brought to Wichita a
great volume of money, but there are
other forces at work locally to the same
common end. 4 considerable amount of
money comes in to six of our splendid col
leges. which are in full operation, the
Garfield university, the Wichita univer-
sity, Lewis academy, the two Catholic
colleges and the Southwestern Business
college. a vast amount of money has
been expended upon the Garfield and
Paramount colleges.
EVIDENCES OF GROWTH.
That Wichita grows with regularity and
precision is seen in a drive over the city.
Hundreds of residences and scores of bust