The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-06

trict named will constitute the principle
source of wealth of the states included in
the area defined, in the center of which
area is situated the state of Kansas, the
commercial and live stock center of
which state is Wichita.
So important has this animal food
product become, so largely does it enter
into interstate and international COM
merce, that the general government have
deemed it wise to have a measurement
and computation made of it, through the
! census bureau, by which it shall be de-
termined Just what relation the animal
food product bears to the other wealth
producing interests Of the Nation. In
looking the field over, and in tracing the
history of the live stock interests
and meat packing centerS of the
country up, as also by refer
ring to statistics, Superintendent Porter
determined the district named to be the
greatest or most important live stock
section Of the United States. These
sources of information made it farther
evident that the packing centers had
gradually receded westward from Buff
falo and Cleveland, and from Cincinnati
and Louisville to Chicago and Kansas
City; with indications that they would
go still farther west, possibly to concen-
trate at the center of the cattle and hog
and sheep producing section of the coun-
try. At such probable center it was
found desirable to locate a superintend-
ent Of live stock census. Taking in the
whole field the choice had to be made
between Omaha on the north, Fort
Worth on the south, Kansas City on the
Missouri, Denver on the west, and
Wichita, the new packing point,
and live stock market in Kansas. The
as being the nearest the center of the live
stock country, as being the most accessi-
BILE to the entire territory for the collec-
ton of the desired information, and from
which to send out the enumeratOrs and
their instructions from time to time. For
the position of such Superintendent J.
q. Mccoy was selected, a man who was
for many years connected with the cattle
trade of Texas and the west, and who
aided in the compilation made ten years
ago The department itself conceded his
superior fitness for the place by adopting
his suggestions as to the data which
should be gathered, and as how to Sc
cure it. From all over the dis
trict named not only, but from
Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado will
these live stock census be gathered and
sent to headquarters at Wichita.
The significance, the importance to
this city of the departments recognition
of Wichita as being the most accessible
center from which to do this particular
work, which will take months to per-
L
speaks volumes for the future of this
market which in the past four months
has ranked next to Cincinnati; in the
amount of its packing business. In short
it is a concession and an official recogni-
milton of the fact that Wichita is not only
the promising great center of centers of
the live stock interests of the west but is
a center de facto and now.
But the government and its depart
ment are not the only authorities and
interests which have begun to recognize
the future of Wichita as a live stock CEN
ter. The railway magnets of the west
are trimming their sails in this direction
and the packers of other cities to study
the situation. Even but this week the
Cincinnati Price Current, an acknowl-
edged authority on live stock and pack
ing interests, editorially says:
Wichita Is making great strides as a
pork packing point, haYing exceeded the
100000 mark for the past four months. and
nearly equaling Cincinnati for this period.
And the pleasing feature is that the trade
for product is reported to be active right
along This feature, however, is but one
of the many which might be mentioned
illustrative Of the enterprise and develop
ment of industrial growth in this seeming
~ far away western city"
The action of the government in desig-
mating Wichita as the head center for its
live stock census will also.have the effect
of calling the attention of every live
stock producer, of any Importance. in all
the states comprising this district to
Wichita To her present importance and
future prospects * a central market for
their interests and products. center
equi-diStant from the Gulf and the Lakes.
. center equidistant from the Atlantic
and Pacific, equidistant from all the sea-
boards OF the continent.
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Thor, h.