Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-21
THE PROPHETIC CITY.
The Elements That Have Conspired to
Make The Princes The Peerless.

of civilization. When men semi bar
barious lived by hunting wild game or
subsisted mostly on their fiocks and
herds it was not possible for them to
build more than villages. 1t is COM
merce that not only distinguishes civil
cation and makes it possible for men to
build great cities, but her immutable
laws establish the highways of trade and
dictate the location of her granaries and
great store houses and other dwelling
places of her princes. AS man advances
in civilization his ability to produce
wealth increases; his necessities increase
correspondingly with his ability to pro-
duce. This infallibie law sends men
forth in all lands and chimes to ex-
change their products for that
Of their fellowmen. 1t is
| commerce. 1t is commerce that makes
great cities Then to say that the great
cities, the centers Of trade in this Rupub-
lie, will not continue to grow is to pro-
claim that our civilization will recede or
stand 1t is possible for it to recede,
!
either goes forward or backward. 1t
will not go backward in this new west.
! Hence, our cities will continue to grow,
and other cities will arise and become
great as the resources of this grand
country become developed.
1t was the hidden resources of
this great Arkansas valley, indicat ted
by her boundless prairies, covered
by luxuriant grasses, by her sparkling
streams and sunny skies, that caused
| the travellers who first beheld this pro-
ductive region to prophesy of the grand
eur Of the coming city at the junction OF
the Great and Little Arkansas rivers.
| The travellers who came here to barter
with the Indians in an early day, in
spired by the magnificence of the great
valley, said there will be great city
here when this valley is understood and
her resources developed. The Texas
cattlemen, with their immense herds
winding across the valley like great SER
penis, seeking a northern market, halted
under the Speeding forest trees on the
rivers bank. and inspired by
the scenery and the gentle breeze
that cooled their brows, said
great city will be built here. The thou
sands of settlers who came in the seven
ties and laid the foundation for their
homes on the rich surrounding prairies,
caught the inspiration and agreed city
would be built here. These expectations
were founded on the belief that this val
ley was capable of producing vast wealth,
and that these products would neceSsi-
tate new commercial channels, and a
great distributing center
Experience has demonstrated that
these hopes and beliefs were well
founded. First, the cattle interest was
developed, and then it was demonstrated
that wheat would mature and yield
handsomely Whole train loads of wheat
were loaded into cars here in the latter
part of the seventies from wagons, and
the happy valley became famous for its
wheat.
Then came the corn and hogs in such
quantity and numbers as to surprise
even those who had prophesied bril-
liant future for this new southwest. In
fact it may he truthfully said that the
history of this valley since its settlement
has been a succession of surprises. For
eighteen years our people have gone for
ward demonstrating the productive capa-
bilities of the soil. And during these
years Wichita has gone forward with
elastic bounds-fve, ten, twenty, thirty,
forty thousand people-stopping at each
bound to gather energy, but never going
back. Just as surely as that the devel-
opment of the farms and manufacturing
industries in this valley has caused
this rapid growth of Wichita, just
as surely will she continue in her onward
course as that the territory tributary to
her will continue to develop.
The railroad commissioners of this
state decided that Wichita is entitled to
such rates over the various roads leading
from this city as is enjoyed by other great
distributing points. They based this
decision upon the fact that Wichita, To-
Gated in the center of vast productive
region, the great possibilities of which it
is difficult to comprehend.
1t is conceded that last years crops in
this valley, as compared to former years,
was a failure, but the state board of ag-
riculture gives as the product in Sedg-
wick county and those Immediately ad-
jacent-Sumner, Butler, Harvey, Cow
ley, Reno, kingman and Harper-of
wheat, 2,789, 734 bushels.
The same counties last year raised
%. 374 ,604 bushels of corn and 1882, 1913
bushels Of wheat.
They had 314, 967 head of cattle.
The assessors returns taken for March, |
1888, when the farmers have, as a rule, |
sold their fat hogs and only have on
hand breeding stock-pigs under six
months old not being enumerated
showed for the same counties 224, 568
hogs.
When it is taken into consideration
that the great counties in this state lying
west of those named are comparatively !
undeveloped. and Immediately south of
those same counties in the Indian terri +
tory, and between here and Oklahoma /
is section of country much larger than |
the counties named, and equal in rich |
ness of soil and in the near future !
will be thrown open to settlement. |
it does not take a stretch of the i'm /
agination to see that this new territory I
will add immensely TO the forces that |
have made Wichita.
Yesterday when we looked from the !