Wichita eagle., 1889-08-22
ST. LOUIS AND WICHITA.
A MOVEMENT TO ENLARGE THE
COMMERCIAL FIELD OF
THIS CITY.
A Representative Delegation from Wich-
tia Confers With ST. Louis Mer-
chants - Growth OF Southern
Kansas and It's Advant-
ages to This City-A
Bright Prospect for
the Future.
Post-Dispatch 10Th inst.

rived in the city yesterday, and was IN
conference with a number Of leading
wholesale dealers and members Of the
merchants exchange, expressed its COM
plete satisfaction at the progress made. A
member Of the delegation, when ques-
toned concerning the present condition
and future prospects OF Wichita, said:
There never was so bright future be-
fore Wichita as at the present moment.
Many people in the east and even in the
west, where they ought TO know better,
have been in the habit of regarding Wich-
ita as simply booming town, with all
the qualifications and attractions which
the use of that adjective generally neces-
states.
A NOTICEABLE ALTERATION.
'Tn days gone by there seemed to be
much to justify the opinion that Wich-
tia was one of those towns, by no
means rare in some sections Of the
country, which sprang from moth
ing, was talked and written up tremend-
ously. and after uniformed capitalists
had been misled into investing by the we'll
simulated enthusiasm and confidence OF
the inhabitants. sank back to its proper
position of insigniticance. When Wichita
first began its phenomenal growth, it was
not strange that many believed it to be
one of those cities on paper. But today,
while more business Is done than ever be-
fore, and the city is growing at tremend-
Gus rate we can no longer be classed as a
booming town, as we have too much to
show in the way of accomplished fact to
permit of doubts as to our future. Wich-
a lG n Sta iS h.
lished as New York
GENERAL IGNORANCE CONCERNING KANSAS.
'No one familiar with Kansas can have
failed to have had his attention called to
the singular ignorance which prevails in
the east concerning the development and
capabilities OF our state The fasteners
know the acreage of Kansas, and the fact
that it produces large quantities of wheat
and corn, but to this their knowledge Is
generally limited. have had this called
most disagreeably to my attention on
many occasions. When you tell New
Yorker that there are more miles of rail-
roads in Kansas than in his own state, he
looks at you with plying smile. When
the statistics are presented this changes to
stare of establishment. Not only has
Kansas more miles of railroad than New
York, but its mileage exceeds that of any
state in the union. This is a fact not gen
orally recognized, simply because few peo-
pie have taken the trouble to keep up with
the wonderful march of railroad building
in Kansas. To the best of my knowledge
and belief it cannot be exampled in the
history of the world Not only are there
two great transcontinental lines passing
through the state, but there are more than
a dozen lines lying principally within our
own borders, while we are extending to-
ward the Gulf of Mexico at several points.
Those who knew Kansas ten years ago
have no idea of the state as it at present
exists. Its whole surface is gridironed
with rails, and no point is far distant
from transportation facilities.
ST. LOUIS AND SOUTHERN KANSAS.
"Great as has been the growth of the
entire state, southern Kansas is easily
first in the race. 1t is in this quarter that
three-fourths of the improvement has
taken place. In districts where farmers
urnt their corn for fuel, because it cost
too much to haul it to market, we have
now large and flourlshing cities. Coal has
been discovered in a great number
of localities and in practically I'M
limited quantities Manufactures have
sprung up on every side, our sorghum in
dustry is causing the Louisiana sugar
planters much uneasiness, and our agri-
cultural products 90 all over the world.
There can be no question that Wichita
now is, and must remain, the metropolis
of southern Kansas, As it is the great rail-
road center, has rich and largely undevel-
oped back country, and it is obliged to
control the trade of an immense district to
the south that is rapidly coming to the
front. All this is due to the enterprise of
the railroads Instead of waiting until
the country had been settled, the Kansas
lines boldly pushed out into what was
practically a wilderness and trusted to
American readiness to seize opportunities
To attract enough population to sustain
the lines. The condition of southern Kan
sas today is an uncontrovertible proof Of
the wisdom of this policy.
kansas is scarcely more interested in
its own development than St. Louis should
be. and from our experience here we have
no doubt that the citizens are alive to this
tact The experience of Wichita is but a
sample of that of other cities At first it
W lS GttSN tIOuS1 " supply al AiCCA-S AAOAIA
Kansas City, and rs that was the nearest
distributing point we naturally dealt
there To the rapid growth of Kansas the
increase in the business Of Kansas City
is principally due.
\ RICH FIELD.
but many Of us find that our require
ments have so increased as to necessitate a
point of supply in q city Of the first class.
Kansas City was all we'll enough year or
two ago, but now we want TO be brought
into direct relations with the larger and
more varied markets OF St. Louis. Kan
sas is largely an agricultural state, and
one which employs a disproportionate
amount of farming implements. 1t is nat
ural that one should wish to deal directly
/ with the city which leads our country as
a depot in this line. Machinery for our
rapidly increasing manufactures is needed
and this, too. can best be obtained in St.
/ Louis Other branches of business feel
/ the same need of being in close communi-
cation with a large market. and If proper
/ facilities. freight and otherwise. are given,
/ the city will control the trade of southern
! Kansas and OF the immense and as yet
/ only partially developed tributary terri
/ tory. We find that we are cordially CO