Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-29
MORE ABOUT GRAIN ELEVATORS.


have devoted much thought and atten-
ton to the subject of the establishing of
the necessary facilities in our city for the
proper handling and storage of the large
quantity of grain that should be handled
at Wichita by our people, ana desire to eX-
press myself in your columns In as few
words as possible, in hopes that L may
create some interest in the elevator and
grain storage talk. | understand from
parties who have lived here longer than
myself that in years past it was nothing
uncommon to see farm wagons loaded with
corn, oats and wheat blocking up Douglas
avenue and many other OF our principal
streets from one end to the other; and that
in those days Wichita was a grain market
in the fullest sense of the word. | do not
find it to be the case now, and the reason
WHY we have no grain trade from our city
is that we are not prepared to handle 1t.
The cost of securing the necessary storage
and elevator capacity would be very small
in comparison to the manifold benefits we
would derive from the outlay. We have
our large packing houses, and
deem the next most important pos
session would be that of large transfer
and storage elevator. Let's do something
TO help our farmer friends out OF the grass
The coming season promises well for the
farmer, and if the prospects are realized
there will be one of the largest crops
raised, ever seen in this section, and with
out some preparation to handle 1T near
home the benefits that should come TO all,
from a successful crop year, will have
been but half realized. | am In hopes
that the board of trade will make a mOYe,
and take up the elevator and grain stor-
age interests.
AS hard as money matters are said TO be
| believe that stock company with a
CAPITAL of S250, 900 could be raised among
a. ~ na Iron dc n
ers. Divide the shares into 500 each,
and it viii not take many subscribers to
raise the amount. The benefits to be de-
rived from making this a grain center are
quite plain, it seems to me. Nothing
has helped Kansas City, to build up as
fast as it has, more than the grain trade.
Nothing helps to secure good freighG rates
into or out of city more than the grain
traffic Let's establish Wichita as the grain
center of Kansas. We have the necessary
number OF railroads centerlng here, and /
know from personal experience that
at least three of the great lines are friends
of our city and would help to make the
movement a success. We have market
close at hand for the farmers of Sedgwick
and adjoining counties, and If Wichita
will bestir herself she can concentrate and
control fully 20 per cent of the grain that
is now carried to Kansas City, ST. Louis
and other points without so much as ever
stopping here.
II we are to do anything this year no
time should be lost. Kansas City now
takes the grain right from nnder our
noses. She is favored by the railroads TO
this extent: The through local rates are
allowed to remain as they are now from all
points in the west TO the Mississippi river
and Chicago. The grain Is TO be shipped
to Kansas City on local rates, then when 1t
is moved eastward from Kansas City 1t is
to take the through rates and the shippers
will receive rebate, amounting to the dif-
ference between the through and local rate
already paid in shipping to Kansas City.
The working of the above plan is carried
out by the cooperation of the roads with
the Kansas City exchange by appointing
commissioners to see to the shipping out
of the grain, say what roads 1t shall go
over. pay rebates and manage all the de
tails of the business.
This plan is in force at Topeka, st Paul,
Minneapolis and other points; why not at
Wichitay Plenty of money can be brought
here TO handle the crop. We can have a
grain market much nearer home than
Kansas City, aud the farmers Will not be
forced TO ship TO the above named markets
and have their No l and No. Z wheat
classed as No. and be robbed of thirty to
sixty bushels per car. We have market
nearer than Kansas City has, yet at exist
ing rates we are barred from entering it as
all north Kansas and Kansas City have
better rates than Wichita. ! refer TO the
Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana trade.
There is a mime of wealth. as you say.
both to the stock holders aud to the city, in
the operation of large elevator in Wich-
tia. A CANNON.