The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-31
A RAILROAD FROM WICHITA
THROUGH MEDICINE LODGE TO
THE CHEROKEE STRIP.
To the Editor of the Eagle.

To the Editor Of the Eagle.
Wichita is destined to be the largest
city, both in population and commercial
enterprise, between Kansas City and
Denver. 1t is now the largest railroad
center in the state. Its growth thus far
surrounding it that is destined to make
its growth continue about as rapidly in
the future as it has been in the past.
Medicine Lodge, the county seat Of
Barber county, is located at the junction
Of Elm creek and the Medicine river.
Barber county is considered one of the
best counties for stock there is in the
state Of Kansas. Along the valleys Of
the streams there are rich bottom lands,
extending back for some d istance, and
the whole country is covered with rich
growth of buffalo, bunch and blue grass,
making the very richest feed in the state
for fattening cattle. Much of the soil is
also admirably adapted to wheat, corn,
rye, oats, sorghum, alfalfa, and other
farm crops. There were wheat fields in
Barber county that last year yielded
tifty-siX bushels to the acre. The aver
age yield of the county was nearly TWEEN
tyfve bushels to the acre in 1889.
Medicine Lodge has the largest and
most successful sugar factory there is in
the state. Last year it made over $50, 900
pounds of sugar from sorghum and
about 10000 pounds from sugar
beets. The Medicine Lodge Sugar COM
pany has contracted for 1890 acres of
sorghum cane, and $50 acres of sugar
beetS for this season, enough to keep the
mill employed for 100 days at an average
OF 230 per day. In addition to this, there
Is a creamery and factory for the man
ufactory of cement and plaster of Paris.
a new grist mill has Just been contracted
for, and they have an extensive system
of water works. 1t is one Of the most
fiOuri5hing towns in southwestern Kan
sas, only about eighty miles from Wich-
tia. What Wichita and Medicine Lodge
need IS direct railroad communication,
extending into the Cherokee strip. This
would open a region of country that IS
not now supplied with railroad facilities.
The present railroad communication from
Wichita to Medicine Lodge is around
through Wellington, distance of nearly
100 miles, when, by direct line the dis
lance is only about eighty miles. The
present road forms a direct cOmmunica-
ton with Kansas City; so that under
present arrangements nearly all the pro-
ducts of Barber county find their way to
Kansas City instead of Wichita.
Undoubtedly the Cherokee strip will
be opened for settlement this fall. There
is large portion of the western part of
the Cherokee strip that will have no rail
road. A railroad from Wichita through
Medicine Lodge would reach this part of
the country, and it is known as one of
the best cattle growing regions there is
in the United States.
Wichita has extensive packing houses
for cattle and hogs and it should capture
all the trade of Barber county and of the
western portion of the Cherokee strip.
This would add greatly to the prosperity
of Wichita as well as to the region of
country through which the road passes.
If a company could be organized think
the towns through which the railroad
would pass would subscribe literally for
the stock and bonds to start the road.
Such a road iSneeded both for the adj
vancement of Wichita and of Medicine
Lodge also. That Barber county is in
Furnishing condition will be seen from
the fact that the register of deeds of that
county recently stated in one of the local
papers that from January - to May 10
the real estate mortgages released in
Barber county amounted to 10l, an ag-
gregate of S56. lie" In addition to this,
Perry Carson, special census agent, calls
the attention of parties living in that
county to the fact that many mortgages
have been paid off but have not been
cancelled, as the recorders books show;
and that since January /, 1890, up to
date, cancelled mortgages exceeded
those placed on file by several thousand
dollars"
A contract has just been closed with
the city of Medicine Lodge and the
Case Manufacturing company of Column
bus. Ohio, for a turbine water wheel
twenty inches in diameter with a guar
anteed seventy-five horse power and for
tv-five feet head of water, to be placed
in the new -four mill about to be erected
there.
With a sugar factory, a creamery,
a Touring mill, immediate prospect of
paint mill, fire and clay brick
works, salt works, marble works, and
wholesale ice house, and canning estab-
Iishments soon to be put in operation, the
of direct communication with
Wichita by a railroad is apparent to
every one. E. 7. MILLER.
s&sSzsSsz11zzzzEssz.-..as5..
AN EOTTC TTONTAT CAMPAIGN