Wichita eagle., 1889-07-14
A GREAT CITY.
A Country Of Wealth and hmm easurabl
Possibilities Backing Wichita.

the half has not been told.
Wichita is situated in the midst of one
of the most fertile agricultural valleys II
the state of Kansas, possessing immense
capacities for growth and development
such as but few countries offer. 1t is
well worth trip to this magnificent
country to see the extensive fields OF
corn, wheat, and other grains growing
tributary to this city. Too much can
not be said of this beautiful country.
The wealth of this section is beyond
computation, and it is safe to say that
no western city can show such a mag
nifcent agricultural country surround
ing it as this The future of the city is
beyond question. Strangers predict it
will have 900 inhabitants inside OF
five years, at the present time having
over $4,000.
l find here as enterprising and hospit-
able class of citizens as can be found
anywhere in the west, a city with mag
nifcent blocks of brick, iron and stone
from two to five stories in height; ele-
CANT residences with beautiful lawns,
shaded avenues, and the most perfect of
natural streets; more than eighty miles
of horse, steam and electric street rail-
ways; perfect system of gas, arc and
incandescent street lighting. Here you
will find city supplied with the purest
of water through the Holly system of
water works; a city with a perfectly Or
ganized police force and a fire depart
ment which would be a credit to any
city.
The educational facilities here are first
class in every particular. The more
prominent institutions of learning are
the Garfield and Wichita universities,
Lewis academy and Business college.
The city schools are all crowded and the
board of education are now negotiating
for the erection of four more school
buildings at cost of 100000.
The city has excellent hotels, and by
reason of their great number and the
numerous conventions held here is term
ed the Convention City,"
Nearly every religious denomination Is
represented. The Young Mems Chris
tan association has one of the finest
buildings in the country.
Good, desirable residences are in de-
mand and difficult to rent. Last year
653 buildings were erected, and 1889
will show equally as large number, if
not more.
find the government building on the
corner of Market and Williams street,
and the Sedgwick county court house, in
court house square, nearly completed.
Estimated to cost over 100000
The city council at their last meeting
selected the corner of Douglas and En-
poria avenues for their city building, to
cost 100000. Paving has been ordered
for two of the principal streets.
Wichita is the largest wholesale, man.
ufacturing and distributing city in
Southern Kansas. The wholesale houses
are all doing a good business and other
wholesale houses are coming in. There
is grand opening here for wholesale
grocers, dry goods, drugs, hardware,
hats and caps, queensware, notions, and
also in many other lines of business.
Manufacturing is carried on quite ex
tensively, and there is great field open
here to those who have the capital and
understand the manufacturing business.
The manufacturing establishments al
ready here show orders on their books
from Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, New
Mexico, and west to the Pacific coast.
The car works are doing good bust
ness. Today they are building one hun
dred of the Palace horse ears on a special
order
The packing houses which are located
here are immense institutions and yerit-
able palaces compared with those in
Chicago. In them can be found the
latest improvements, which reduce the
handling of cattle end hogs to mini
mum. The packing industry Is no ex-
pertinent here, but an established fact,
one firm having slaughtered over 10000
hogs alone since last December. The
supply of hogs is inexhaustible.
Wichita, being in the center of the
great corn belt of southern Kansas and
a country naturally adapted to the rails
ing of hogs, is destined to be a great
packing point. Not only this, but the
immense amount Of grain raised directly
tributary to the city is sure to make this
prominent grain center, and all that is
needed to establish it is several large
elevators. They are badly needed
here at the present time to handle this
years crop, not only for shipment but
storing for home consumption. 1t is
calculated that the railroads will be
crowded to furnish cars enough to move
the crop. 1t is estimated that over
100000 bushels of wheat alone will be
harvested in the big four counties and
80. 900, 900 bushels of corn, wheat, and
oats tributary to this city.
With the present trunk lines of rail-
way radlating and the new lines in con-
temptation, combined with the amount
of capital invested in this city, there is
no point between the Missouri river and
the mountains which can offer so many
inducements for capital to invest and be
assured of large returns as does the city
of Wichita.
Real estate is comparatively low, and
the Wichitan, like the Chicagoan, shows
his steadfast faith by investing in his
own city, believing that the city will
get there all the same regardless of
all obstacles or opposition. The conf
dence the citizens of Wichita have in the
future of their city is simply wonderful,
and is best shown in the improvements
they haye made and are still making.
There Is spirit of Iiberahty shown
here which is certainly commendable
and which some eastern cities would do
well to copy after.
One of the most important things
which can be said in favor of this city is
that the taxation has been kept TO very
low pOint-in fact, much lower than any
! other city of the same size within my
knowledge. To the eastern capitalist
who is looking for investments in real
estrte or the business man contemplate
ing location In the west in new and