Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-20
A NINE OF WEALTH.
THAT GRAIN WAREHOUSE AND
ELEVATOR.
How The Corn, Oats, Wheat and Rye
Are Rolling Into Our
Markets.


cal market yesterday. At one time there
were eleven wagons standing on one corner
loaded with shelled corn, noticed yester-
day AS soon as the enterprises now in
hand are cared for the board of trade must
take up the elevator and grain storage in
terests. Wichita has some elevators own
ed and operated by individuals, but great
central concern, with immense storage ca
pacity and with corporation back of it
with money sufficient not only to take ev-
erything that Is offered, but capacity to
store all that is offered, and to issue ware
house receipts" for the same which re-
ceipts viii be as good as bonds to mer-
chants, to bankers and others as collateral
or for that matter, as the cash itself. No
better opening for eastern capital and en-
terprise now exists in any western city
than right at Wichita in the one indicated.
There is no possible chance of a failure if
in the hands of competent and experience
ed men, An old farm man said to US the
other day that if his hands were not tied
up he would rather put fifty or hun
bred thousand dollars into the
than into any business enterprise which
and oats are of the principal products of
this great valley and section, and no other
city i'll Kansas is in a position or has the
necessary lines OF transportation to so
completely control these principal prod
ucts as the city of Wichita and the time is
ripe, the demand urgent that she provide
tn ways and means or secure the men of
experience and capital to do it. Some
time since notice was given by the rail
roads that from and after the first day of
January special rates would be gwen on
grain to Colorado and New Mexico points
The result was that very large shipments
were made to these points before the first
day of January. The result of all this is,
that while the markets are temporarily
supplied there is no elevator room nor
sufficient capital employed in the business
to take care of the corn and oats that
naturally belongs to this city. In conse-
quence of this condition of thing the grain
is being forced to other less remunerative
markets; and some time in the near fu-
ture when there is demand made upon
this market our shippers viii be unable to
supply that demand, simply because the
grain that should have been held here has
been forced away from US. These condi-
tiODs should not be allowed to exist.
Wichita men must take care of the trade
that belongs to this city. In August and
September of last year thousands and mil
lions of bushels of wheat were shipped out
of the country that is naturally tributary
to Wichita and sent to other markets
This wheat was sold at from 60 to Is cents
per bushel and our millers have since that
time bought wheat at prices ranging from
80 cents to $1.0l per bushel.
This is not the only instance
that might be sted where grain might
have been profitably held here The same
thing happens every year. This PROPOSE
ton to erect elevators sufficient to supply
the grain trade here is no movement in
the interest of charity. 1t is a mine of
wealth to the men that viii invest their
capital in it. Farmers in every direction |
around Wichita report that no such pros
pect ever before was seen for an immense !
crop Of wheat next summer as
we now have. just as soon as |
this crop is harvested grain men will have |
their agents in this section of the country !
making every effort to get our wheat to
their markets. That will be their gain |
and our loss. Capitalists in other places
will get the profits from storing and hold
ing this golden harvest; and Wichita |
will have failed to make money
that was easily within their reach. Let |
US not lag in the matter OF erecting these
elevators, but push them forward to an
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