The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-31
WILL BE A GREAT CITY.
WIDE-AWAKE WICHITA OF THE
WONDERFUL WEST.
The Opinions and Conclusions Of Traveller
Who Had Been Looking the Country
Over From Pennsylvania
to California.

out of his way on his return trip to Sc
Wichita OF his impressions aud opinions
he writes the following to the Daily
Greensburg (Pa.) Tribune
Eastward still we comet Now side
trip from Kansas City to Wichita. Hear
a word. This is a city far famed. First,
as Ole OF The most remarkably doomed
cities Of the west; fortunes made and for
tunes lost; millions of dollars in the up
rising scale and then millions in the de-
scending scale And then, second, in real
merit OF worth and situation. This is my
first seeing the place, personally. On
reaching the suburbs or outer limit, it
takes considerable time TO reach the cent-e
where is the place of my alighting from
the train. They presumed 20 have city
OF million population or more, and for a
year or two they made rapid strides to-
ward it. One year $500 buildings, and
some OF them very elegant, went up, but
unfortunately before their ideas fully ma
terialized, the booming cloud burst and
proved a veritable cyclone in this beauti-
tut spot in the valley of the plains, aud so
ere hope realized frultion large blocks OF
acres and fields, were left unoccupied and
here and there elegant built houSes-in
some instances mansions, and then others
which the ordinary mortal would be quite
satisfied TO occupy, and then two subsJan-
tial rooms for prospective business and
the manufacturing purposes. AS climax
very much country was and Is found in
the city and not few of these outer from
the centre, buildings expected 10 serve a
paying purpose, are now unoccupled. So
now the first approach and entering the
city is quite from pleasing. This Is the
first impression. But when into the city,
meet friends, renew old acquaintanceS,
mingle with the people, none more SO
ciable aud hospital, hear the pros and cons,
take in the situation, and the surrounding
country, aud get at the real merits of the
place, then the cloud of ones disappolnt-
ment flies away as fly magic. Though the
place is yet in the trough of depression,
with these untoward EN- blems, referred to
the city will without doubt emerge from
Its troubles and DC Il city OF real worth and
hrst-cIass Importance as 1t claimed and
still Claims. With its situations and sur
roundingA, | cannot see how lt can be other
wise First it is at the confluence OF the
Arkansas and the Little Arkansas rivers,
and in the midst of an agricultural coun-
try unsurpassed in extent and worth by
any place in the west. Hereabouts in this
valley, with a soil from three to ten feet,
any and everything can be produced III
abundance; the apple, pear, peach and
smaller fruits come to producing IN re-
markably short time and are annual in
their production, with great quantities,
and vegetables are marvels. We've all
heard of them in Kansas. and the wheat,
twenty to forty-five and fifty bushels 10
the acre. Wheat is great crop all over
Kansas this year, and the oats are very
fine, and the corn hereabouts is the first [
have seen thus far In my extensive travels
six TO eight feet high, strong healthy
stock, and two or more ears setting TO the
stock; one or TWO more rains like they
have experienced the last thirty-six hours,
and the hearts OF these Kansas farmers
Will know no bounds to their joy, for they
say they will then have the greatest cora
crop in all their history. No doubt they
will reap harvest OF wealth in this re-
spect, while large parts of Iowa. Illinois,
and Missouri will have very short crops
account OF the floods in the spring aud
ateness OF planting. This is somewhat
IF depression from the city of Wichita,
but l speak in this manner to show the
very lap in which this city is located
Then, as a centre OF trade Dds miles from
Kansas City 400 miles from Omaha, 500
miles from Denver, 400 miles from Dallas,
Tex, and with its ten railroads in and out
Of the city it is the natural doorway and
centre of trade in every direction. And
hen the city is already fixed on such basis
and with kind of population as 60 insure
and future enlargement. The
;ity is we'll laid out, (iu foot too laid out,
put is now undergoing contraction in a
peculiar way, i. e.-houses built at the
outposts and costing 3 500 or more dollars
ire being for $500 and $500, and moved
nto town on lots more nearly the centre.
Two hundred dollars pays for bringing in
md 50 fine house Is gotten in the city
proper at a low cost streets so and 100 feet
wide, and with points to the compass;
and electric street car lines III all dIrec-
ions, aggregating 6hirty-tive miles in eX-
emit \ number of these streets are paw
ID. some with asphalt and some with YER
lifted brick and all are in a paSsable condi-
ion, with sidewalks of brick and asphalt
md boards; the city is well lighted, both on
IS business and resident streets with the
irc system; and in addition, the Wichita
las company has two large gas tanks with
> miles of mains and over 600 meters in
Use the system of sewerageis quite complete
With u miles of lateralS with au addition
# miles of storm sewerage for heavy falls
# rain. And their water supply is very
inc and pure. The water is pumped from
II four inch drive wells 81 feet deep, To-
ated on an island in the big Arkansas
liver, and have p miles of mains through
he city. They have a fire department
consisting of IS men and 10 horses, with
and steamers, chemical engine,
look and ladder, aud, hose and other
accoutrements. Here, too, we
ind a fne court house costing SD, OOO,
United States custom house and postottice
osting 500, 600; a new city building cost
nd Y. ". c. A, building costing
100, 600 and banking building aud capital
nd surplus of 5000, 600 or more. Then,
s moral ana intellectual forces
the city in its power and worth
re ali denominations of Christians, with
hir.y churches and educational advant-
ges. In addition to the common schools,
he Garfield university, under control OF
he Christian church, Il fine building cost
ng $3.50, 600; the Wichita university, under
ontrol OF the Reformed church; the Lewis
under the Presbyterians; and the
southwestern Business college. And then
ide by side with these essential factors,
zone the less moulding. viz, three daily
newspapers and n number or weehlies- The
morning Wichita EAGLE Is worthy Of
pecial nOtice-a Republican paper newsy
nj ably edited, and recognized and quoted
$ authority in the great west So does
he city look upon its editor. Mr.. Murdoch,
S leading fellow citizen, and one in
whose judgment they put great reliance.
lie is very popular with his own people,
nd la fact throughout his state. Nor
oes the city lack other men
f character and force. Here l
net the Rev. j. w. Love, formerly
iastor of the Second Reformed church OF
ireensburg. As an associate IL moral and
christian work | knew him IN We=tmore-
and, aud by his kindness l have been en-
blrd to see much OF this city and come in
outact with leading citizens. Mr.. Love
las been quite successful in furthering
he interest OF his church. From little
handful OF six or ten members and no
hurch building, five years ago, he Is the
lllstor of over 100 ana a nOurIsAinc Sunday
chool, and very nice and comfortable
hurch buiiding-wortt $4,000, and prac-
icaIly free Of debt. SO has he furthered
nd brought 10 its present status the
EDUCATIONAL features OF his enurch-the