Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-29
A WESTERN TOWN.
WHAT WICHITA Is, AND WHAT
COVINGTON MIGHT BE
Not Luck. But Pluck Makes the Town
Grow.

| from the COylngtOn, NY. COumonWestitn.
Everybody in Covington knows Dicl
Stewart, who went west several year.
ago and pitched his tent at Wichita. HI
is now at his old home, shaking hand.
with old friends and thinking upon the
differences between Covington ant
| Wichita.
Mr. Stewart has prospered in his West
ern home. The prairie winds have
touched his cheeks with healthy tinge
and his complexion Is somewhat darker
than when he left Covington.
The Commonwealth corralled him
yesterday and wanted to know all about
it without regard to where he began OF
where he left off.
| I'm 1882" said Mr.. Stewart as starter,
Gin 1882 Wichita didn't have 5000 popu-
lation, and now it has over 10000. The
| fact is that it is impossible for me to tell
you all l would like to say about the
solid thrift and energy OF Wichita. Ii
you would send out some of your solid
men to our live Kansas town they would
| feel sick when they get back to Coving-
| ton; and if they told the whole truth,
| would be unanimously voted to be fit
| for membership in the Ananias club.
| The push and enterprise employed in the
| building up of the towns out west Is
simply marvellous. Of course l think
| Wichita is the best of them all. 1t
has passed safely through the ''boom
PERIOD" and today is a solid, pushing,
energetic city, bonnd to go ahead stead
lily and rapidly In one year over 3, ZOO
elegant and costly buildings were put
up. Among them were three colleges,
costing 5000, O00, and an opera house at
$4,000.
1.-The city has contracted for eighty
five miles Of sewerage and court house
is now being built at cost Of 500, 900.
The new government building will cost
about the same amount. We have seven
first class school buildings. ami recently
voted 100000 in bonds for school pur-
poses.
Gas an instance of how western towns
encourage enterprise" continued Mr..
Stewart, ''let me cite our own case: Our
factory was recently destroyed by fire.
In two days after we had most liberal
and encouraging offers from Kansas
City, Denver and other points to locate
our plant, and each offer was accom-
panied by the most liberal offers of as
sistance in cash and property.
But Wichita wasn't behind. We
have board of trade which knows its
business and means business. This
board of trade came to the front yOiun
tarily and made all our losses good. and
the amount ran up into the thousands.
By the way" said Mr.. Stewart, ''what
has become of COvingtOn's chamber of
commerce.
Just then brick was thrown.
81 only asked for information" said
Mr.. Stewart, land didn't suppose | was
hurting anybody's feeling. But that is
the way western cities encourage people
to go west and locate with them. |
should have mentioned among our new
buildings that the Y. NJ. c. A. put up
one costing So, 900. The two packing
houses of Jacob Dold and Francis Whit
take: have over $1.000,000 invested.
Then we have the Burton car works,
representing several millions, and so on
for quantity.
1.-The crops were never known to be
better. This fact, and the opening up
of the Oklahoma country, with Wichita
as supply point, gives our city a most
promising future. l consider Wichita
today to be one of the handsomest in the
United States. We have miles and miles
of amusement.
'Our firm has been successful from
the start; and firms in CovingtOn would
feel the good effects of Wichita meth
DDS if her business men would take hold
they must be liberal. Wichita never
would have had her watch factories,
plow factories, sp ice mills, architectural
oil 9TH IL Of
dustrIes, nor would she be today the
leading manufacturing city of the west
if it had not been for the liberality of
her citizens. She has millions of dollars
invested and employs thousands of hands
i'll her factories.
1.-The Wichita stock yards of which
Mr.. W. r. Delaney is general superin
tendent, is a great success. They are
now building yards to cover twenty
acres. We have electric lights, electric
street cars, and every metropolitan inn
provement, and everybody is doing well.
Wichita offers more inducements than
any city west of the Mississippi river
beyond doubt.
Why shouldn't Covington do as Wich-
ita does:" asked Mr.. Stewart; ''otfer free
taxes, free water, and a reasonable
bonus: There wasn't any answer to
this conundrum. 50 he went on:
1.-The citizens of Wichita have in the
last three or four years given over
s. 900, 600 to induce enterprises and |
business to locate with her. If Coving- |
ton would do likewise, she would be |
likewise. | have known men in Wichita |
to give 5000 at one pull, and offer an
other 5000 if anyone would go that
much better.
"a 'Our taxes are low, and streets are
good and we haven't such thing as u
toll bridge In the state"
Just as Mr.. Stewart made that par
alyZing remark, a farmer who had got |
through several toll-gates on his way to
town, and had heard Mr.. Stewards talk, |
tainted dead away, and street car mule |
kicked the dash board off his car.
THE KANSAS CITY, LAWRENCE & |
WICHITA.
From the Emporia Republican.
The surveying corps, numbering thir- |