Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-01
WONDERFUL WICHITA.
The Elements Of Great Growth al
Here.

Editorial Correspondence of the Salem co. News.
WICHITA. Kan, Nov. 8. Arriving in
Wichita this morning about o'clock we
felt slightly blue owing to the storm. II
had rained steadily all day before and al
dark it turned to snow, lasting for sew.
eral hours, and the drizzle of rain and
the dripping of snow kept up all night
Consequently the streets were supremacy
muddy. The town is built on the Arkan-
sas river bottom and the streets are not
paved. Consequently the mud was deep
black and thin as thin mush. A ride Of
nearly two miles from the Frisco depot on
a street car brought US to the Occidental
House, where we waited for daylight and
breakfast. We were there to see and start
ed as early as possible. The only former
Salem man we found was Chas. E. Curtis,
cashier of the Wichita Savings bank His
brother Frank has left Wichita and is in
st. Joseph, Mo. Jesse Ask is running a
hotel at Cheney. John Thomas is in
business there, but we did not find him.
The packing business is a notable indus
try of the city. There are two establish
ments of the kind-quite extensive-one
owned by Dold & Son and the other by
the Whitakers. Both parties are con-
nected with similar establishments in
Chicago and st. Louis. TO get the first
the town contributed literally. We
visited the aforementioned, and found
the work of Strengthening both cattle and
hogs going on with startling dispatch.
We overcame our scruples sufficiently
to witness the Strengthening of one hog.
The handling Of the animals is done by
steam power. lifting them by the gam
brels from the upper end of the
chute that leads from the stock
yards to the third floor to the
slaughter department. Two men tend to
they. The animal thus stretched head
downward slides forward on an iron rail,
to which it is attached by hooks, to the
man who uses the knife with great ex-
pertness. The carcass then passes to the
man who detaches it, after bleeding, and
it drops into a vat of hot water capable
| of holding ten or twelve. From this
they are again lifted, stripped of bristles
and passed on a continuous rail from
man to man until dressing is COM
plete, when they are passed to the cary
ing room and then taken to the cooling
and curing department. These concerns
make Wichita a stock market for west
ern and central Kansas, also for the ter
ritories south and even for parts of
Texas, which seems to be taking advant-
age of it, although the packing business
is in its infancy here, one of the
houses not having been running over
a year and the other just commence
ing operations. With Chicago and
ST. Louis far away and Kan
sas City the nearest stock market, over
200 miles east, Wichita as stock mar
ket is bound to grow in favor among
western meat raisers. 1t already assumes
great proportions, its growth having
been as phenomenal as the growth of the
city because it is in the midst of great
cattle range and hog country.
Ten years ago Wichita had but about
5000 population. the buildings being of
an inferior order strung along the Ar
kansas river. Its railroad facilities were
poor and no one thought much of the
place. The men of enterprise and pluck
saw the situation. They took hold and
by united efforts turned the tide of COM
merce for a large section to that point.
They secured new railroads and railroad
shops. Other industries necessary for
town sprang up. The city increased
in population in a few years to fully
"a, 600. Its boom. although phenom-
email, had q substantial cause. First,
the enterprising men made them
selves felt They began to do something
out of the usual way for the place ana
soon found more railroads reaching for
it, 1t now has eleven. Two more are
projected. NJ. NJ. Murdoch, of the daily
EAGLE. who was one of the projectors of
the prosperous era of the city, pointed
out their course to us on the railway
map Of the state, and said that he had
Just received letter from Mr.. Gould
assuring him that the road connecting
with the Gould system traversing unoc-
cupied territory and connecting with the
city more directly, would be built very
soon.
The town has reached a point where
it commands such enterprises, all of
which for many miles on every
side seem to favor the town,
especially the new roads extending
into southern territory. 1t has many
fine buildings. The city limits compass
sufficient territory for city with
million people. A magnificent new
court house is being finished. 1t is solid
rock. A government building, also
stone, is approaching completion. The
city voted TO bond for 800, 900 the other
day TO build city hall. 1t is shaping
its finances to pave The principal streets
in the most substantial manner, and
work has commenced on one street.
They claim fifty miles of street railway.
One-third of it is probable electric. using
the Thompson-Houston and the Sprague
systems. both of which have the prefer
ence over the horse and mule roads.
These will soon be changed to an electric
system, it is thought. The town
seems TO be halfway between an
over-grown village and an adult
city. 1t throngs with coun-
try people from roundabout the country,
this state. from the Indian territory, New
Mexico and from Texas. Its inhabitants
put on city airs. As we rode down one
of the best residence streets, the friend
who was seeing us around, said that in
1874 he was there, snd that ii was a
Mexican camp. 1t has had a boom. aud
there was an explosion. but there is
something solid left. That il will grow
more substantial, the best business peo-
pie feel confident. and hope with reason
for prosperous future. The push and
vigor that has characterized its leading
citizens for few years, combined with
what it is now. and the growing oppor-
tunities for which il Is reaching, the
elements Of growth are there.