Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-13
THE ROCK ISLAND VISITORS.
A Glance at W. hita and Some Opinions Con-
corning the Wonderful City-The East
ern Agents Surprised Especially.

tween 10 and II o'clock yesterdays morl-
ing, it was $40 in the evening when the
train pulled in at the Douglas avenue de-
pot. The delay, while to some extent,
keeping a number Of the leading business
men in suspense, was not at all fatal in
reducing the number who were in waiting
city. Owing to number of the board of
trade directory and leading business men
of the city being to Omaha and elsewhere,
as it happened, looking after the interests
of Kansas and Wichita, there were not as
many at the depot as there might have
been. But there was one Wichita man for
each visitor and that was probably as
many ascould be desired.
Open top carriages were in waiting and
within a few minutes all were comfort
ably seated and paired off for the process
sion down Douglas to Main street.
1t being so late it was impossible to make
an extensive round in the city, aud in Or
der to get as much of Wichita as possible,
taking forceful lesson of Wichita with
its commercial Importance, it WAS decided
best to stop at the board Of trade rooms.
The appearance On Douglas avenue and
Main street, while below tie average, from
a business standpoint as shown by the
daily traffic, was such, however, as to sur
prise most of the visitors, and in fact all
who had known Wichita by any other
means than through personal investiga-
ton. They were prepared, all OF them to
admit that the business streets OF Wichita
presented much more lively appearance
than they had ever estimated. On reach
ing the board of trade they spent ten MN
utes looking over the exhibits and sizing
up the quarters where the business men Of
the city consult daily for the best interests
and commercial advancement of the city.
By this time the visitors were prepared to
ask questions which led to finding out
something of city. The reception COM
mittee was equal to the occasion
and not one of them would
fail to give the figures on
an assessed valuation, recall the fact that
taxes were lower in Wichita than in any
other city in the west; the number of miles
of street railway and electric lines; the
public buildings and business blocks in
which is being doEe business summed
up weekly in clearing house reports
showing gains over former years; figures
twenty years AS soon as the visitors had
reached the point where they wanted to
find some one to give them some informa-
ton on Wichita they found some one able
to give it to them. As it was getting late
it was suggested th t the best idea could
be gained of the city by going to the top OF
the board of trade building and taking
view. The suggestion made, and the cor
pulent fellows took the elevator while the
others, who would rather walk than wait
a couple o. minutes, were soon ascending
the stairway. Reaching the top of
the building 1t WAS quite smoky
and very little could be seen OF
the packing houses, while the car works
were completely beyond the reach of the
eye. But the smoke of city did not OBJ
scure everything for it was quite a city
the visitors were able to see. BY this
time one could hear more emphatic than
ever, the expressions of surprise. The
steeples of college and university build
ings of churches, school houses, and the
immense private block for retail ana
wholesale, and factories and manufacto-
ries could be seen in part, and enough
could be seen to give the visitors far
more correct idea of the magnitude and
Importance of the city.
1t was the universal opinion that Wich-
tia, aside from Kansas City and Omaha,
was the leading City of the southwest and
that in Kansas no other city showed the
life and metropolitan make up in any way
suggestive of Wichita. The Boston and
New York agents said they had
decided as soon as they heard of
the trip that they would insist
on a stop at Wichita, for they wanted to
see the city concerning which so much had
been said. They were now prepared to
tell their friends that Wichita in fact is
the wonder of the wonderful west, and
no other city on investigation can cast
shadow over the title to the claim. In the
language of Mr.. Farnsworth, the New
York agent, Indeed we are locking over
the Peerless Princess of the Plains" Mr..
Pratt-"This reminds me of my own town,
I had no idea of finding
anything like it down in this
or anywhere else, IN fact" MIR.
of Boston-"No power can pre-
vent this from becoming the supply point
for all this great southwestern country.
1t is simply wonderful; this great city
built in so few years This is simply the
showing the growth of this
entire southwestern country. The city as
we see it is but the natural re-
suit of demand for a CONNER
cial center" NJ. Rhoades, of Chicago
to friend in the party: This is the
brightest city on the entire Rock Island
system
The above is simply a fair sample OF the
opinions given of Wichita. and it would
be difficult, indeed. to give an idea OF how
the members of the party were surprised
and pleased at Wichita, even when seen at
a disadvantage. They were not in hurry
to leave the roof of the board
of trade building for they
were greatly interested After look
ing and discussing at length they left
the building for the carriages. a few
minutes were spent by some in going up
Main to the new county building
and in driving around and twilight
was the first and only suggestion
for returning TO the train.
On reaching the train few minutes were
spent in discussing the great west, Kansas
and Wichita, when it was "all ABOARD,
and after many thanks" on the part OF
the visitors aud the reception committee
the train pulled out for Omaha,
Mr. c. A. Rutherford, city ticket agent
of the Rock Island, spent the day with the
party and kept the reception committee
informed of the whereabouts of the
train. He was quite business with
friends aud looking after the best interests
of all.
The train left Kansas City with new
engine, and on reaching the territory the
fiues became impaired and it WAS replaced
- .uo,har No opa had "rot left" or had