Wichita eagle., 1889-07-07
OUR ST. LOUIS VISITORS.
WHAT THEY SAW, SAID AND DID.
The City. It's Interests and Institutions,
the Country, Its Crops and Con-
Germs Thoroughly InveSti-
gated and Strongly
Commended


mercial combination of twenty-five hun
dred business men, known as the st. Louis
| Merchants Exchange, which body trans
acts its business in building which cost
homes on their special car by the Missouri
Pacific, yesterday afternoon. For a day
and half and the better portion of two
nights every moment was taken up by
these men. under the conduct OF some of
Wichita s best posted citizens, in examin-
ing into the affairs of this city and its sur
roundings. The time seemed, and was, all
too short for an investigation of
one half of the fourishing enterprises, SOL
id interests, and successful institutions, of
which we are so proud, but many Of the
leading industries were faithfully survey
ed with the practical eyes Of the shrewd
and successful business men who
were our guests. They being commission
ed by the organization which they repre-
sented to get facts, there was little room
for romancing or buncombe of any char
Wichita's business houses were noted, the
class and style of her resident streets
scanned, her packing houses, stock yards,
mills, factories, banks, etc, closely esti-
mated, as the speeches made by Judge
Vastine, Thomas Booth and L. D. Damer-
on on Friday evening so clearly showed,
as also how thorough and business like
had been the work of the first day. Judge
Vastine, in happy manner, in his address
not only summed up the observations and
the conclusions and convictions of the
party as whole, but in a wonderful man
ner marshalled the facts and forces which
are combining to make Wichita the great
central city between the Rivers and the
Mountains.
1t is great thing to have "a friend at
court" Mr.. John Whitaker, who is not
only a prominent member of the
Merchant Exchange, but who is
the head of one of st. Louis biggest
houses, the successful business of which
house dates back to 164s, is not only a
friend of Wichita but he has great in
terests here such as are second to no indi-
vidual holding in the entire state of Kan
sas- He was of the party and the party's
inspiration. There is not a man of the
two thousand and odd members OF the
Merchants Exchange who does not know
John Whitaker and who does not respect
his Judgment, His business integrity is
the boast Of every st. Louisan with whom
we have talked, his signature as good as
gold at all her banks. When John Whita-
ker, in seconding our Board of Trades in
vitation, told the Exchange that il would
pay them to send a big committee of cap
italists TO Wichita they stopped to make
no farther inquiries but sent them, and he
became their chaporon and guide.
The city having been pretty thoroughly
studied, through the courtesy of Super
intendent Harding a short excursion
eyer the Eagle Line, the Wichita s. Color
ado railway, was taken Friday afternoon
up northwest through the towns of Maise,
COlwich, Andale and Mt. Hope to Haven
and back. And again on Saturday morn
ing, by the courtesy Of Superintendent
Rhodes. who accompanied the party, a
ride was taken west oyer the Wichita s.
Western through Goddard and Garden
Plain to Cheney and back. It is needless
TO tell our own people of what intermin-
able fields Of tassling corn were waving in
the gentle breeze that ever fans the open
prairie, of what great pyramids of golden
wheat which studded the expanse from
horison to horison, of what ranks upon
ranks of aureolin oats and creamy-linted
rye that were falling in the dazzling sun
shine meath the serated sickles of the
merrily humming machines as they swept
the fields. Thousands upon thous-
ands of acres of emerald corn with
its nodding plumes and tassIes,
thousands upon thousands of
acres Of golden shocks-like tented helds-
of wheat, thousands upon thousands of
acres of oats white unto the harvest"
breaking down with the weight and the
very abundance of their heads. Truly,
outside of these four or five counties, on
the lower Arkansas, and within a radius
of fifty miles of this city, we verify believe
that no such multifold and immeasur-
able dowry and Opulence is ever offered by
soil and climate to any people.
As we said, our guests departed by their
special over the Missouri Pacific yesterday
after dinner. Before leaving, however
the entire party honored the EAGLE sane
rum with cali. If we could give all or
half OF the complimentary things said by
these gentlemen as body, and severally, |
Of our city, Of our valley, and Of our peo-
pie, our readers would conclude that St. |
Louis was going to lose some OF her most |
citizens, nolens volens. They !
not only praised the life of our streets, the |
great Carey hotel. the magnitude of our |
business houses, the character and number |
Of our schools and more important iusti- !
buttons Of learning, but unreservedly an /
1ounced it SIS their united conviction that /
.he Peerless Princess was the coming /
great city between the Missouri river and |
he Rocky mountains; that the Magical /
Mascot would be the next great packing /
,enter and grain market was unquestioua-
ply settled, settled without doubt, and /
without reference 10 any or all opposing
orces, whatever their character. They
declared that no ether young city OF which i
hey had any knowledge. possessed SO
many advantages, nor any city, great or