Wichita eagle., 1889-06-27
KANSAS CITY WINES.
A Few Reflections for the Benefit Of the
Many.

Wichita's traffic amounts to ten pc
cent of the entire tonnage of the state O.
Kansas. If that be true all the more
sound becomes the reason for the reduc
ton. The Times whines about "Kansas
trade centers" and sneeringly observe:
that Kansas is trying to lift herself ovel
the fence by her boot straps. Having
lifted Kansas City over the same barrier
by the slack Of her breeches a much les;
dainty and sure hold, we shouldn't be
surprised if the state proved successful
with her boot-strap scheme. Wichita
may be a mere artificial commercial me-
tropolis, as the Times suggests. but she
is, nevertheless, in no artificial manner
worrying Kansas City. AS for the
Times threat Of raising the through
rates, that is all right. Such proceed
ing will hit Kansas City just as hard as
it can hit Wichita.
But why will not the Times listen to a
little common sense, based on the logic
of the situation. 1t has been very few
years since Kansas City was no greater
nor more important than is Wichita to-
day. Wichita is full days run to the
westward Of Kansas City and Wichita
will not hurt Kansas City any more than
Kansas City hurt st. Louis, and only and
exactly in the same way. Why try to
belittle Wichita, when the Times must
know that Wichita's invested capital is
bound to take care of Wichita for that
capitals sake? That which has sustained
Kansas City and saved her from
disaster two or three times with
in twenty years was the capt.
tai which had been invested in
her from the outside. Twenty million
dollars on the assessors rolls, which
means sixty or seventy millions of dol
lars of actual value, and hundred mill
ions as held and estimated by Wichita
property holders, is a sum, and is a
power, which means not only self-pro-
lection for Wichita, but which means
that no other town or city in this section
will be permitted to depreciate such val
ues by any rivalry business. Logic is
logic; nor Wichita's prestige nor her
situation can now be materially affected,
and those who spend their time and
money to beat these are but the greater
fools, just as much SO as those who would
down Kansas City by bolstering up any
other town or city within fifty or hun
bred miles of the mouth of the Kaw. 1t
is illogical for the Times to whine or to
say that the same territory which
has built Kansas City can't sustain
and develop Wichita into just as great
or greater city. The Chicago railway
interests for years Disseminated in favor
of Kansas City as against st. Louis, yet
with all of Kansas City's development
st. Louis is more prosperous to-day than
at any time in her history. So also.
stand relatively, Wichita and Kansas
City. Wichita is just as sure to to be
great city, a rich and powerful trade
center, a livestock aud grain market, as
Kansas City was to be such center
dozen years ago. Kansas City may have
worried over the efforts, ambitions and
threatened rivalries of Leavenw orth, st.
Joseph and Lawrence, for a score of
years, but the power and prestage of
capital once invested, even with the
logic Of location against her, which
logic was with Wyandotte rather than
with with Westport Landing, the pre-
eminence of Kansas City was never in
reality threatened. There are half
dozen good towns in southwest Kan
sas, all rivals q of Wichita, yet 30 COM
petent disinterested judge doubts either
the present or future prominence of this
city any more than the respective inn
portance of Omaha, Minneapolis, Denver
Or Kansas City can or could be gain
sayed. The kick Of Kansas City against
the freight rates accorded to Wichita is
just the former kick of st. Louis against
Kansas City, and just as impotent Kan
sas City had such a rival in the age,
prestige and wealth of st. Joe as Wich-
ita can never have within her field, for
no town is older and no town in our
district is half as great or one-fourth as
powerful in wealth, to say nothing of
the prestige or the trade already estab-
lished. The criticisms of Wichita's
freight rates by Kansas City hurts Wich-
ita just as much as st. Louis criti-
cisms hurt Kansas City, and no more.
1t is, III fact, distinction, therefore an
enjoyment. The various aud many
lines of railway constructed out from
the near towns which claimed to rival
Kansas City, never hurt that city be-
cause she simply intersected and utilized
them all with her own lines. So the
lines which have been built all around
Wichita will but help Wichita and for
the same reason. If Wichita could
have been killed by railroad opposition
and freight rate determinations she
would have been too dead to skin years
ago; but, the fact remains that she is the
only city in Kansas that Kansas City
would not like to help and encourage.
And whN2 The Times knows WHY and