The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-17
NOT THAT KIND OF A BOOM.

| 1887 is often referred to as a boom,
which, owing to the manner fictitious
booms in other parts of the country have
been worked up, is misleading term.
There have been SO many booms
worked up in the land in the last five
or six years that the word has become
obnoxious, hence a fair comprehension
of Wichita's growth require an explana-
| ton.
There has never been at any stage OF
Wichita's growth and prosperity any
organized effort hacked by large capital,
influential names and rainbow hued
prospectus to unload Wichita property
onto the lambs" of speculation.
In many of the boom towns of the
country such methods have been elab-
Grated into what might be fairly termed
conspiracy against the contemplated
victims. But here there has never been
large companies, formed in cold blood,
buying large tracts of land on infintesimal
margins for the purpose of booming the
town and selling out under excitement
created by the conspirators and
leaving the innocents to hold the bag
while the boomers seek new fields and
possibly new victims. Wichita never
had an organized representation IN
Europe with utopian or other schemes;
had no strikers or heelers at Castle Gar
den or elsewhere; no continuous imml-
grant rates from the large centers or
elsewhere to bolster up her attractions,
and unduly influence the minds of the
people. And it will be seen that she did
not and does not need any of these mis-
leading and unsatisfactory agencies to
aid her.
Outside of the newspapers the conf
dence that induced countless thousands
of enterprising people to invest untold
millions in real estate was the almost
spontaneous acts of the investors them
selves, whose judgment was made up by
what they could readily see must sooner
or later make large city at this point;
a climate such as would make Wichita
world noted health and pleasure resort
were we not surrounded on all sides for
hundreds of miles by equally delightful
and energizing atmosphere; soil that
for equal area in one body has no peer in
this country; a geographical location, a
Typographical conformation which posi-
lively convinces the thoughtful mind
that right here will be the largest city of
the plains.
The men of Wichita were convinced of
all this in 1886, when so much material
aid was given to secure so many and
SUCH important new railroad lines, and
to us it did not and does not seem
strange that all these advan-
tages were appreciated by the
many thousands who, unsolicited,
focked in during the winter of 1867.
1t seemed natural to us that they were
able to see readily that which was to US
so apparent, and that they should invest
in our property. Right here is suffi-
cient proof of our own faith in our city
and in ourselves, for we used the money
the boom provided to improve the city,
put in an extensive sewer system, pave
our streets, secure electric light and
treet car plants, erect public and
private buildings that are today the
pride of the state, and in every legiti-
mate way have spent our money, time
and energy, proving our faith and by
our whole course since the boom, justify
ing the favorable opinion of the outside
investor.
and it is the best safe guard of the city
today that her own best citizens stand
by her, believe in her, and are willing to
work, and if need be sacrifice for her.
1t is the best evidence of the certainty
of her great destiny that the investors in
the so-called great boom did SO on their
own Judgment, and were the least in
fuenced by unworthy methods of any
investors in any city in America.
In this fact lies great encouragement to
our own people, for as they well know,
the boom was the simple result of many
thousands of persons seeking this point
uninhuenced except by their own I'M
biased judgment, which fact of itself
will inevitably build up city anywhere.
Since the concerted action of sufficient
number is all that is necessary to build
city. In these facts there is enough
reason for the courage of our people, and
because of these facts our unfaltering
faith will soon be justified, and the
Wichita of our fondest hopes will soon
be proved evidence that we builded
not in vain.