Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-28
WICHITA READY FOR THEM ALL.

board Of state railway commissioners
giving Wichita terminal rates, based
upon diversity of classes and a mini
mum tonnage. Wichita knew that she
would have the railroads to fight, or at
least majority of them. She knew also
that certain towns in southwest Kansas,
which can't show one-fourth of the ton
age nor diversity, would make a kick
against Wichita unless they were grant
ed the same rates. We knew that these
towns would join the railroads
in their fight, in which railroad
agents are helping them, as against
| Wichita, but we hardly thought that
towns on the Missouri river already en-
| joying exactly the same schedule award
ed to Wichita. would enter the fight
against this city. However, such is the
case: The Kansas City Gazette, in the
most unblushing way, and in the plain
est language, says that Wichita must be
crushed, not only, but calls upon Leav-
enworth and Atchison to join in the
suicidal war. And has it come to this:
Read what the Kansas City Gazette says:
1.-The Wichita rate difficulty indicates
that st. Louis and Chicago merchants
have succeeded in persuading the Kan
sas board of railroad commissioners to
favor that city in the matter Of differ
entail freight tariff, which is very inim
ical to Leavenworth, Atchison and Kan
sas City trade. 1t seems proper that the
Missouri river cities named should CO.
operate, as the trade of each is alike af
fected. The commissioners in favoring
given locality in this way has opened
the question to every aspiring hamlet,
and if the matter was presented
by representatives of these cities
they may rescind their ruling. This is a
matter OF great Importance to the pres
ent trade marts Of the state, and should
be very carefully and earnestly looked
after at as early date as possible. The
future jobbing trade depends largely
upon what freight rates are to be from
the east TO intervening points in the
state compared to present rate to our
city. We anticipate shortly move |
ment of wholesale business into Kansas
City, Kansas, so that we are not without |
interest in this matter on this side of the |
state line"s
Well, as Wichita is the only city in the
state which has been developed to the
largest wholesaling point in the state in
spite of discrimination, made by the |
roads which she helped to build, she is
ready for any fight which may be forced |
upon her. We are intimately conversant
with the traffic history and railway
of the Kansas railroads, as
we may have occasion farther along to
show, and we know that Wichita has
been less favored and more continuous
ly Disseminated against than any city
in the west, while today her tonnage is
vastly greater than any other city in
Kansas and the papers which are assert
ing that their towns equal that of Wichi
ia in this respect, simply lie, either de-
or through ignorance. 1t is a
lie that everybody who knows anything
Of the state knows to be lie.
So far as our assertion that the rail
roads of Kansas have never shown any
interest in the developing of Wichita we
know whereof we speak, but for the
Of the average disinterested
!
into the facts further than the single
statement that of the ten lines running
in and out Of this city, all OF which the
eity helped to build, being six independ- I
mt lines and distinctive corporations, !
md which own and maintain twelve I
stations and depots, eleven Of them are {
mere old frame shanties, suitable for
owns Of five or six hundred people. AS
or the single exception our citizens paid
for the ground upon which that one
stands sum twice as great, cash down,
Is the station cost. /;
AS for the article from the Gazette, {
which we quote above, it is too narrow /
% answer. The writer knew, if he knew &;
about it, that Chicago nor st.
4ouis mad nothing to do with Wichita'S
memorial. He knows too, that the
didn't favor Wichita.
Wichita got just what Kansas City,
has already. When that
writer speaks of trade marts of the state. :
he don't know that Wichita is the /
biggest trade center in the state he had ,
letter quit writing for an intelligent /
'ublic. His aspiring hamlet" 4;
ak is peurlle. He says
hat Kansas City, Kansas, is soon
xpectinga wholesale movement. Wich- 7
Ia had two wholesale houses back as far 5
s 1872, and has never been without |
Wholesale houses since. {
Wichita is on deck, gentlemen, and on /
eek to stay. Wichita knows what she :
; entitled to, and she is not going to ask Z
Gissouri river towns, nor interior towns, =
OF any privilege TO be heard. She has
cen heard and decision has been +
lade, and the hearing and decision will c
9th stand n
he ONLY WHOLESALE POINT IN o