Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-30
OUR GRAIN TRADE.
WICHITA MUST TAKE CARE OF
GRAIN AS WELL AS STOCK.
Arrangements Being Made to Handle the
Millions Of Bushels Of Grain Tribu-
tary to this Oity-What Some
Of Our Business Men
Think of It.

trade have seen that an elevator of much
larger storage capacity than any now here
is necessity The trade with the states
west and south Of us is not only of i'm
mense proportions now but it is constantly
increasing. 1t IS this trade and the lack
of facilities for handling the grain to
supply it that last summer caused some Of
our grain men to move in the matter of
securing greater storage facilities here.
Arrangements were at one time nearly
completed for the erection of an elevator
of half million capacity, but after delib-
Grafton it was considered inadequate
for the purposes intended and it was de-
termined to erect the first elevator build
ing of sufficient capacity for the storage
OF at least one million bushels of grain.
The very fact that millions of bushels of
grain-wheat, oats and corn-have been
raised in this valley and shipped by our
grain merchants direct to the consumers
in the directions named, has constantly
suggested to these men the advantageous
position Of Wichita for becoming the
great distributing center for the grain in
terests Of southern Kansas. Believing
that in the near future work will be COM
menced on the elvators, an EAGLE reporter
yerterday called on some of the
parties interested in the grain
trade to ascertain what they think of the
arrangement.
Hiram Imboden, of the City Mills, said:
II have heard of the arrangements to build
an elevator. Ten years ago Wichita re-
ceived on wagons more wheat than any
other city in the world. The building of
dc hY,f in
raised on much larger territory than that
from which we received this wheat be-
longs to Wichita today if we are equal to
the task of handling it. hope we will go
right along with this elevator business
and have it completed before another har-
vest. / am in favor of it,"
Ben Deffenbaugh, of the Hydraulic
mills, said: at is grand scheme. l have
favored this thing from the first.
1t will not only make money
for the men who build the
elevator, but will be great convenience
to millers: will be delighted when the
time comes that l can go on the Wichita
board of trade and buy 10000 to 10000
bushels of wheat or corn whenever | need
it. What Wichita men want to do is not
TO talk of real estate booms, but take care
of the business that belongs to them.
Yes, want tie see this elevator go up. We
need it.
Mr.. Hawn, of J. W. Hawn g. Co., grain
shippers-''I hope there will not be any de-
lay In the building Of this elevator. An
elevator of LOCO, 900 bushels caDacity is not
only necessity, but it will be paying in
vestment. can not see why some of our
capitalists have not gone into this before
this time Thousands of bushels of grain
are forced from here to Kansas City, st.
Louis, Chicago and Toledo every year
that would be proftably held here and
shipped direct to consumers. We use the
cars of the roads here for storage to
shameful extent, and whenever there is a
heavy movement of grain we are compelled
to let it run on east. Then, when there is
a slack in receipts. we can not near bill our
orders from the numerous points that pre-
fer to get their grain here. We are now
sending corn and oats to Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, Louis
lana, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.
We have also, in the last few weeks, made
shipments to interior towns in Maine and
New York. There are some Of our people
who do not realize the Importance to
Wichita of taxing care of this grain trade.
Now, suppose you think it strange that
people in the east come past Chicago, and
people in the southern states come
past St. Louis to southern Kansas to buy
wheat, corn and oats. 1t is because our
climate natures these cereals more per-
fectly than many more of the northern and
eastern states Any ordinary season our
corn will grade on the Chicago, Toledo or
ST. Louis markets in October. Kansas
City has always made frost-bitten corn
from Nebraska grade by mixing it with
Kansas corn. This is good for Nebraska.
[ tell you, when we get elevators here and
establish grades our grain will bring good
prices. Wichita corn and oats in particu-
lar would soon become famous Iowa is a
great state for oats, but I shipped five car
loads of oats to Iowa last week The firm
to whom l shipped make favorite brand
of oat meal and they wanted good oats.
Of course we need the elevator 1t will be
money to all southwestern Kansas as well
as to Wichita"
A. W. Oliver, president of the board of
trade-"We want an elevator of about one
half million bushels capacity. l am in
when we once get started there will be
other elevators erected. | do not see any
thing in the way to prevent success in this
business. This talk that the railroads are
against us is all bosh The railroads are
all right and are friends of Wichita. l
hope this elevator will be erected right
away. We want grain market here gov
erned by rules made by the board of trade.
We will then be able TO establish values.
1t is to our interest to have these elevators
managed honestly so that any one buying
grain at Wichita on grades will know just
what they are getting"
NJ W. Levy, president Wichita National
Bank-"Yes, We ought to have large ele-
yator and more than one. Il is just what
we need here. There is no reason
that l know of why all the
surplus grain in southwestern Kansas
should not be handled here. II we have
large elevators here, honestly managed in
the matter of grades and storage, every
bushel OF grain in them will have fixed
and sure value. Every thing in connection
with the business could then be governed
by strictly business principles. There is
no trouble about plenty of money here for
all legitimate purposes such as this You
NAV say that am in favor of the ele-
vator"
H. W. Lewis, president Kansas National
bank-"I think the building Of this pro-
posed elevator will be good thing for
this city. 1t will in all probability be
better thing for the city than for the
] am heartily in favor of
the elevator"
VIM. Mathewson, president Wichita Saw
ings bank-'sI have given this matter some