Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-06-28
POSSIBILITIES FOR DODGE

| L nave WrlCten seYeTal arGlcleS IOT
the press during the time of my resi-
dence here that had for their object
the planting and growth of moral, in
telIectual and religious influences.
now desire to express my belief on the
possibilities of the material prosperity
of the city.
While | do not belong to the money
ed circles Of the city, yet it has been
my privilege to observe the conditions
upon which are usually based the per-
manent financial success and the ac-
emulation of large fortunes. Yet l
guard you against the mistakes so Oft
en- made of attaching too much import
ance to the opinions may offer or to
the opinions of any one on matters in
which they are not professional stu
dents. You may regard highly the
opinion Of a specialist within the sphere
of his speciality, and place very low
estimate on the opinion of the same
man on questions with which which he
is not specially familiar. am frank
to say that make no special study Of
financial questions. l have usually
said that had no opinion on these
matters that l considered worthy of an
nouncement. But [ now make the
dangerous experiment by which so
many have made themselves appear
ludicrous, and | write upon subject
about which confess in the beginning
| know but little
The possible railroad and farming
interests of the city and surrounding
country have been fully set forth with
flaming eloquence. will not attempt
to add anything to this phrase of the
subject.
But [ desire to call attention to the
possibilities inviting us to become a
great manufacturing center. This is
practicable on account of the water
brought to our city by the irrigating
canal and held in large quantities by
lakes already formed, and by the slight
expense of which many others can be
formed have looked over the ground
and know whereof speak. If any
should consider this mere phantacy
refer you to Arkansas City, Kansas,
where under less favorable clrcumstan-
ces they have proved by actual expert
ment what can be done. Two years
ago that city was less than the present
size of Dodge City. 1t was situated in
a malarious district, in the midst of
sand hills, was not county seat and
had but one railroad with but little
prospect of another in any reasonable
time. But man by the name of Hill,
an English capitalist, came to the city
looking for place to make investment.
He discovered that the Arkansas and
Walnut rivers were at that point only
about one mile apart, and that the bed
of the Arkansas was twenty feet higher
than the Walnut. Mr.. Hill being a
practical miller saw at once that a ditch
could be constructed carrying the water
from the Arkansas to the Walnut, and
thereby furnish water power sufficient
to turn any reasonable amount of machin-
cry. He at once made large investments,
organized ditch company, constructed
ditch about the size of the Eureka can
al, and erected mill that with one tenth
of the water floating in the ditch will
turn out three hundred barrels of flour
per day. Since that time there have
been erected two other mills, mattress
factory, chair factory, wind mill fac
tory, gass factory and an electric light
plant. Now it is worthy of notice that
the same water that turns the first mill
that was erected turns all the others. In
other words water looses none of it's pow
er by having once been used. So that
only one-tenth of the capacity of the
ditch is required to run all these factor
les. From the date of Mr., Hills invest
ment began boom for Arkansas City
that has continued through all these
hard times until now Arkansas City has
a population of eight thousand peo-
pie, having doubled in two years.
AT Dodge City the Arkansas river and
the Eureka canal are about one and one
half miles apart, The bed of the canal
is approximately 100 feet higher than the
bed of the river. This gives us an adj
vantage in the fall of water over Arkan-
sas City, of near 100 feet.
The cost of the water at Arkansas
City is only one-tenth the cost of coal for
running the same machinery. The cost
to us could not reasonably be greater, nor
even as great, for they at Arkansas City
damned the river four miles above the
city. and constructed ditch five miles
long, and use it for no purpose except
that of manufacturing. While in our
case the dam is made for another purpose
and the ditch also, and while reasonable