Wichita eagle., 1890-02-06
WICHITA AND SEDGWICK COUNTY.
Impressions Made Upon a Visitor by What
He Saw.
WHITEWATER, Kan, Feb.


To the Editor OF the Eagle.
Quite recently we were visiting with
friends in Wichita. In company with our
affable and genial host, Mr. William Gray,
we were taken on a drive through the city
north of Douglas avenue, across the Little
river to the city water works, where we
saw the ponderous engines industriously
at work pumping from scores of wells and
forcing into hidden mains the sustaining
beverage of all animal life. Thence we re-
crossed the river to inspect the mammoth
establishment of the Dolds, found it TO be
an off day and failed to see the process OF
manipulation at work in preparing pork
and beef for the astronomical functions
of man; thence we continued meanderlng
through the avenues and cross streets. 1t
would be supertiuous to mention il detail
the number of magnificent residences.
Sufflce 1t to say the NUMBER
IS legion. 1t was not only surprise
but sense of wonder to our
idealistic mind that SO many large and
spacious dwellings of almost every imagin-
ary architectural design beautiful in pro-
portions impartlng q pleasing aspect to
the eyes Of the most fastidious, that so
much could be accomplished within very
few years is indeed marvellous; an indis-
putable evidence of large wealth and
permanent stability of the present and
future greatness of the queen city of the
southwest The residence of Mr.. Lawrence
IN West Wichita is an imposing structure,
massive in external appearance it some
what resembles castle OF the feudal ages;
the interior apartments, all spacious and
airy, are elaborately finished in white oak
architrayes of very rich design, the closely
fitted ioipt9 and eytraOrdinarV smooth
surface to all the mouldings, not dent OF
the hammer to be seen on the wood work
Is positive evidence of the superior artistic
skill of Wichita mechanics. The soft
golden tinted color peculiar to white oak
renders a fascinating charm OF ease and
contentment throughout all the apart
ments. Mr.. Lawrence should be congrat-
ulated in his prosperity as a pioneer of
Sedgwick county and enjoy in full meas
ure the avails of his financial success.
Wichita may have jealous rivals that
would eagerly pluck the prestige of her
supremacy, in this, however, the DEGREES OF
fate are against them. in position and loca-
tion she holds the vantage gronnd. The
effect of the late boom has worked tempor-
ary injury. the lesson learned will prove to
be salutary one Things had taken to
whirling entirely too fast equilibrium in
values were lost. Now that the balances
are being properly adjusted to normal con-
ditions Wichita will in the near future
start out on a career more prosperous and
enduring than she has ever hitherto ex
perienced. We observed also most COM
mendable feature on the part of the people
in the planting of shade trees along the
streets and shrubbery and ornamental
trees about their premises, in this way be
seen an exhibition of good taste and re-
tinement
81 had occasion to make a trip to ex-
a,sff IL o. Sc tnrr lac.
south of town, and here we were again
taken by surprise, not with the mill
proper, that being a very plain, inexpen-
Sive structure, but with the arrangement
OF the site as nature formed it. we candidly
admit it to be the best natural water power
we ever saw Niagara excepted). The
stream makes a circuit of one-half or
three-fourths of mile and cuts back to
within about forty feet of its own channel
On this narrow neck the mill stands. a
head race is cut in the bank in which the
tioom is built: on the opposite side of the
mill the creek channel constitutes the tail
race, and about forty feet below the tioom
Oh the upper bank dam is built at small
expense.
fragrant one, and it might be presumed
that it originated from a bacchaDalian
source. Be that as it may, l would
suggest that the citizens of Sedg-
wick county call convention
at an early day for the
purpose of changing the name from Cow
skin to something else more palatable.
Messrs Hayes and Carson certainly are
very fortunate in the possession of so
grand a power, with larger and more
building located as it is in the
finest farming section of country in Kan
sBs, we cannot see why it should fail to be
a mine of profitable and perpetual income
on the investment, also being within a
few rods of the Rock Island road it might
be considered a bonanza to the
lucky propretors | could say much more
IN behalf of Wichita but fear of the waste
basket prompts me to halt.
d. w. BROCKWAY.