Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-15
WICHITA AND DENVER.
The Present Commercial Status Of the
Two Cities and the Advantages Of
the Former Over the Latter.

| llit ESTABLISHMENTS, OF GIe OfueT anu
| diversity of the stocks carried and of the
stamp of patrons frequenting them: Of
the character of the street traffic, its ar
ray and variety: the air, muster and dress
of the people, and, Of many other things.
The construction and number of even
the drays, carts, express wagons and
other street vehicles, never fail Of afford
ing true index of the business of any
town or city, Of its relative magnitude
and importance. There are many other
features which can never be wrongly
! interpreted or misunderstood by the
travelled or experienced man of affairs.
Measured by these things, by these
features and appearances, which conSti-
tute an undoubted standard, Wichita is
the greatest commercial city in the state
! of Kansas, if not, in fact, the only city
within the borders of the commonwealth
worth the recognition that such a term
! implies. We will even venture further
and say that some of the older recog-
nized commercial towns Of the west,
with greater populations, do not rival
this city in the distinctive features
which bespeak commercial prosperity
and Importance. Denver, to go away
/ beyond the range of odious comparisons
| Denver is cited continually as being
wonderfully prosperous commercial city,
whose population is double that Of Wich-
tia, as is also its ago, town
whose trade covers the entire state of
Colorado; yet, after spending several
| days investigating the matter, lately we
unqualifiedly assert that the commercial
life Of Wichita is relatively one hundred
! per cent. stronger and more firm than
that Of the metropolis Of Colorado.
Eliminate Denver's two hundred or more
saloons, the most of them OF q low
character, and her little but wonderfully
numerous cigar and fruit stands, whose
multiplied existence is made possible by
great floating population and streams
of tourists ever going and coming to and
from the Rockies, and which streams
also keep up her hotel life, and Denver
would show less activity and stir
than is shown by Wichita,
the commercial metropolis Of Kansas.
Even denying that Denver is boom
bubble blown bursting full, it is undeni-
able that she has more than one-third
of the population Of the state from which
she draws her support, which last fact
! proves stronger than can any argument
that she has grown away beyond the de-
mands of her supporting surroundings
that she is feeding upon herself and
drawing upon her future for present life.
Wichita, upon the other hand, has no
cheap doggeries to fill up her streets. is
incumbered by no unseemly number of
cigar and peanut stands, and has
ten to fifteen times her own
population occupying her immedi-
ate commercial field. With a single
exception Wichita has greater dry goods
establishments than Denver, stocked
with finer, costlier, and later styled
fabrics; has a greater number of book
and stationery stores, with finer stocks,
has as great a number of retail grocery
stores and of much more select stocks;
more hardware and drug establishments;
bigger and more extensive clothing
houses; and greater number national
banks, etc, etc. In three or four in
stances Denver can show, probably,
more costly business blocks, and in two
instances more costly churches, but
IN the general character and
cost of private homes Wichi-
tas resident streets far sur
pass those of the much pulled mistress
OF the foothills. In short, in all the lines
which come Of and constitute CONNER
cial life, and which make for per-
manency and solidity Wichita is not only
relatively, but absolutely, greater
commercial city today than is Denver,
is greater in every way save in popula-
ton. In the line of other Industries,
Wichita has no smelters, but what is of
vastly more importance she has a live
stock market and packing houses and
elevators TO which those of Denver in
comparison are nothing. In the interest
of present and future traffic every road
that terminates at D5nyer-and ali
her roads practically terminate there
have done their utmost to forward
her fortunes The adverse is true of
Wichita, 50 far as any great direct i'm
provements are concerned or efforts
made by her roads to make her a COM
mercial center Denver mas her water
supply, her gas and electric plants. her
sewer system and her street railway
lines. SO has II ichita. Denver is UNI
paved and poorly supplied with side
walks. Wichita has hundreds of miles
of sidewalks and some paving contracts
let. The territory and interests from
which Denver must draw her future sup
port are susceptible of only the slowest
possible costEest and precarious develop
ment, those of mines and irrigated farm
ing. Wichita's supporting territory has
not only population of ten TO one
as compared to Denvers, but
Wichita's territory is not only daily ex-
panding but is susceptible of swift and
infinite development and Improvement
We have drawn the foregoing parallel
between Wichita and Denver, first. for
the reason that all odious comparisons
between Wichita and the larger and
more pretentious towns of our own state
are thus avoided and second, because
Denver is claimed by interested railroads
to be the greatest city between the Mis-
souri, river and the Pacific coast. Our
comparisons and parallels would hold
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