The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-11-29
cLEMENr INrERvIEwED
His Late Trip North ana East and What the
People Saying of Wichita.

| CLemenU. VINO mas Deen making quite an
extended trip, in communicative mood
yesterday morning, seeming even glad to
detail many of his observations and facts
touching the status of Wichita among
the business men of some of the more i'm
Dortant cities of the west, He commenced
by observing:
MY journey was not for pleasure, but
for inspection and investigation, as well
as for imparting some reliable informa-
ton in regard to our own city. I am
forced to admit that Chicago is bigger
than Wichita, though the fact is not at all
disparaging TO Wichita. Chicago is the
wonder of the world and her sky-scraping
buildings paralyze the beholders from all
parts of the earth. No other city since
the days of Babel has attempted to push
structures of steel and stone so far to-
ward the heavens Nothing can stop her
onward march to the head of the column
of great American cities. Her business is
nearly beyond computation and to get
any realization of it, one must be upon
her streets and witness the headlong rush
of the vast multitudes of people, and go
about her wharves and railroads and
avenues of commerce, and behold the
trade that comes from all the ends of the
earth, and likewise extends thereto. One
would think that Chicago had all the
people that could possibly live there, but
there is still room for men of brains and
energy. We met a good many former
| Wichita men there, and all are DING well
w. h. Payne is getting a good start in
law. Judge Martin is the confidential at
torney of large real estate firm. Bunuie
Mead has good position with an old real
estate firm. o. O. Oliver, formerly with
the EAGLE, il with the Inter-Ocean, and
the managing editor told me that if we
had any more young men like he and
Washburn to spare, to send them to Chi
cago. l assured him that Wichita
had plenty of that kind of
material and had been using it
for several years to build the best city in
Kansas. The fact that Wichita is the
best city in Kansas is admitted by the
business men of Chicago who are familiar
with the fact. One prominent man, who
has large interests in many cities. and es-
pecially in the state of Washington, said
to me that he and his brother, had come to
the conclusion that Wichita is today the
best city in the country in which to in
vest in real estate. He said we need not
be surprised to see Chicago capital in
Wichita for investment before spring.
The sentiment of Chicago AID of the
country generally is voiced in lead. &
editorial on "Kansas Farm Mortgages"
published in the Inter Ocean. The facts
are so clearly and honestly put that they
should be read by all wishing to
know the truth. The great tidal
wave of 'calumny and calamity"
that swept over Kansas has
reached the shores of oblivion and dis
appeared in the sand of forgetfulness.
The wonderful crop of Kansas the past
season has confirmed the belief of the peo-
pie in her unbounded resources. The
complete rout and utter defeat of the
Calamity howlers" has reafirmed the
confidence of capital in the honesty and
integrity of our people. No one can fully
comprehend the benefit Kansas has de-
rived from the results of the late election
until they go east and talk with business
men. They tell US that we must do one
thing more, and that is wipe out prohibit
tion," and then "Kansas will take up the
line of march on the highway of unparal-
leled prosperity"
In Chicago we heard so many good
things said of the zenith city of
the unsalted seas' that we took
up our journey to Duluth to see for our
selves, and found to be true all that its
most jealous friends have claimed. Duluth !
really means all at the head of the lake, |
though West Superior is city across the |
bay in another state OF some 20, 900 people. |
1t has made a wonderful growth the past |
three years. and in businss way should /
be part of Duluth These cities do an |
immense business in grain, lumber, iron,
coal and manufactures. Duluth will |
handle more wheat this year than Chicago. |
She received one day last week 1,60S car
loads of wheat On another day vessel |
entered the harbor and in three hours
loaded and left with $4,000 bushels of
wheat. Duluth has the same rates of
freight from the east that Chicago has,
and Chicago Wholesale men admit that
they must yield part of their trade in
the northwest to Duluth.
Duluth, land l mean to include
West Superior) is already engaged
largely in manufactures, and her indus
tries will rapidly increase for she has all
needed materials cheap. Her location at
the head of the lakes gives
her prestige that can never
be taken from her. Duluth will be big
city. From Duluth went to Cleveland,
Ohio. This city has made a wonderful
growth in the past five years, and will
soon be the largest city in the state. l
first saw the city in 1859 when she had less
than 5000 people, Now, she has not less
than z75,0 G0 Her manufacturing inter-
asts are immense, and increasing every
lay. Business is good and money plenty.
The'oldest savings bank has over $50, 0O0, 900
deposits, largely from the laporing class.
Akron is one of Ohio's rapidly growing
manufacturing cities. where business is
good and money plenty. She sends large
amount of farm machinery to Kansas, re-
oces in Kansas prosperity, aud has IN
bounded faith in the integrity of our
people. Everywhere I found a very
iifferent feeling toward Kansas than ex-
sted q year ago.
And especially towards Wichita has the
ceiling changed. Everybody knows that
Wichita five years ago had the widest
'eal estate boom that ever possessed any
.ity-that the boom Collapsed. They
ooked for dead city. They did not ind it.
Business men of the east now admit that
" ichita has wonderful recuperative pow
RS. They believe that ''she has touched ;
aud her cause must now be
onward and upward" Real estate in all
titles l visited is high. Rents are very
high. Monied men OF the east are now
anyasSing the merits Of Wichita and
outhern Kansas. and many assured me
hat they would soon be in our city. l am
sked il SAW any better city TO 90 to than
Nichita. l answer for professional