The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-13
THAT DEcoRA TED TRAIN.
Its Arrival in the city Last Night W itnessed by
Hundreds.

The Missouri Pacific depot yesterday
afternoon was the chief center of attrac-
ton. Hundreds, if not thousands, gather
ed there to see the decorated wheat train
which had been advertised to arrive there
at $50 p. m. When that hour arrived the
train did not. but nevertheless the people
stayed till 6:15 when somebody shouted
here she comes" and sure enough it
came steaming and putting into the yards
with all the banners and flags with which
it was decorated floating gaily in the
breeze. A shout went up and all the boys
went scampering along the cars reading
the signs and making the usual comments
thereon. The people who were older stood
still and quietly admired the decorations
and complimented the enterprise of Sill
Dixon of Argonia, the gentleman who ar
ranged and successfully planned the enter
prise. The train consisted Of twenty cars
which contained 10000 bushels of wheat
grown in Sumner and Harper counties
and which is now on its way to the port OF
New Orleans for shipment to Europe. In
addition to these twenty cars there is q
passenger car attached for the accomoda-
ton Of the nine gentlemen who are &C
companying the train to the sunny south
These gentlemen are James A. Ray, judge
of the district court OF Sum
ner county. Sill Dixon the pro-
prietor of the train, Charles
Gamorell of Wellington, receiver of the
Cherokee Strip Live Stock association,
Ret Willard, deputy treasurer of Sumner
county, George Linn, a prominent citizen
of Argonia, Alexander Gougix of Harper.
j. +. Miller of Argonia. Professor w. G.
McGee of Wellington and L. A Salter,
prominent attorney of Argonia. The Big
Six band of Wellington accompanied the
train here from Argonia and after arriving
they played till Bert Chapman knocked in
the head of the bass drum. The "Big
Six" is one of the very best bands
in the southwest and those
who were present at the depot and
heard them play passed very fattering
compliments on them. The band will not
accompany the the train any farther than
here. The decorations on the train were
very fine indeed and consisted of tiny
United States flags in great profusion. ev
ergreen trimmings and signs bearing
many suggestive characters aud explana-
tons. They were principally advertise
by whoever painted them.
When the train was made up at Argonia
yesterday it was estimated that fully
5000 people were present 1t looked more
like Fourth of July than anything else
with the flags, musicians and orators. The
orators were Judge Ray and Major
Whittinghall of Wellington. 1t was the
biggest event in the history of the enter
prising and prosperous little city of Ar
gonia.
The crowd that met the train at Conway
Springs was still bigger than the Argonia
crowd, and they cheered so Justify that
Judge Ray had to make them speech in
behalf of Mr.. Dixon.
The train will run via Kansas City, st.
Louis and Memphis to New Orleanss The
train will halt before the sun goes down
and will not move before the sun is up
again, SO that it will be an exclusive day
trip which will be very agreeable to those
who accompany it and prof
liable to the counties of Sumner
and Harper which derive great deal of
benefits from the advertising by this
means. The trip will consume probably
twelve and maybe fourteen days. Mr..
DIXON is entitled to a great deal of credit
for the enterprise he has shown in placing
the merits of his section of the country so
forcibly before the people OF the Missis-
sippi valley states by this novel aud inter-
esting means. Last year he sent SINH
lar train to Galveston. which was COM
mented on for several months by the press
of Kansas and Texas. He is gentleman
of nerve and it is to be hoped that this I'M
dectaking will be a grand financial sue