The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-05
ESSAY ON WICHITA.
A Thousand Good Words fo~ the World.

The United States Investor lately Of
ferred a thousand dollars in prizes for the
best thousand words for any town in
America, to be decided by three eminent
men, five hundred dollars TO 90 as the first
prize Nothing but facts were to be en-
ployed with no other conditions. Fou
hundred articles have been received and
the contest declared closed The idea
struck ex-Mayor Clement that he could
work ia thousand words for Wichita,
maybe. His contribution was accepted
and published by the Investor as No. 2.
He didn't write it with any expectation Of
the prize, but for the chance Of getting 1t
published. Here it is and it IS worth
reading:
Probably no one will read this article
who has not heard of Wichita and knows
1t Is located in the central state of the
union, and very near the geographical cen
ter of the United States. Scarcely an
American city has been so extensively ad-
VertIsed the past six years. and certainly
none so adversely, and none SO uDJustly
criticised. Where less than twenty years
ago the Indian built his wigwain and
"woOed his dusky bride, " there now stands
a magnificent city, metropolitan in all
ways and appointments, truly one OF the
wonders in American city building.
Wichita is a splendid monument 10 the
pluck, energy, push and lndomltable per-
severance Of the American citizen. Ii Is
located in the gently sloping Arkansas
river valley, at the confluence of the big
and Little Arkansas rivers. The soil is
porous and the drainage is perfect. 1t Is
1925 feet above sea level, with an atmoS-
Dhere dry bracing, lG constant motion.
and free from all miasmatic influences.
There is no healthier city in the country
the annual death rate being seven to
one thousand The climate gives
great relief TO throat and lung dis
eases, and in most cases a permanent
cure, as many residents can testify. Com
petent medical authority has said: south
ern Kansas has IA health-glving climate
possessed by no other region on EARTH"
The population of Wichita 10y United
States census was, in 1870 fifty persons;
in 1880, 49lI; in 1890, %, $50. In 1887 the
population was more than 5000. The
opening to settlement of the Oklahoma
country drew fully 10000 people from the
city. The business interests of the city
We're fully compensated for the loss OF
people by an immense increase in the
wholesale trade coming from the newly
settled country, rs this was their nearest
and most natural point Of supply.
The population of Wichita today APP
proaches very nearly to 30 900. The enum-
Grafton of school children and the lately
published city directory indicate this to be
true. In 1856 aud the early part of
1886 the city had a boom" or real
estate craze" almost without a par
allel in the history of American cities.
Prices Of real estate reached a height IN
warranted by anything present or pros
pective. Additions were laid out and
houses built up on them far beyond the
i Nfr
in the early spring of 1887, the boom" col
lapsed, and the professional boomer"
packed his grip and silently stole away"
seeking other fields for his enterprise, and
other lambs to shear" The city de-
rived one benefit from this boom. It re-
ceived an amount OF advertising that lt
could not have received in SO short time
in any other way, When the day Of spec
ulation had passed away, the people at
once turned their attention to the build
ing of city Of solid and permanent founda-
tionS. From that date TO the present the
growth has been of a most substantial
character. No city of its size can show so
many fine brick and stone business
blocks, from two to five stories IN
height. The public buildings are
especially imposing. The United
States postof!ice is massive
structure of solid stone, costing 100000.
The Sedgwick county court house Is OF
solid stone, fire proof, and the finest
building of the kind in the state, costing
$3.50 000 The new city hall is a beautiful
structure of stone, costing 100000 The
Young Mems Christian association build
ing is stone and cost SO, 600. II has all the
and appointments found any
where in such buildings There are quite
a number of private residences built OF
stone-manSions that would adOrn the
fine residence streets of the older cities of
the east. Wichita Is truly a city of beau
tiful homes" exhibiting all the modern
ideas of architecture The streets are well
shaded and are quite like New England
town.
The public schools are fully up to the
standard of the very best in the eastern
cities. There are eleven ward school
houses built of brick and stone, with
more than 100 teachers. There are three
colleges in operation, two academies and
one nigh school, besides private schools OF
music, art, etc 4 large and elegant opera
house draws the best OF entertainments;
hospitals, homes and other charitable IN
situations supply the wants OF the sick
unfortunate and needy. The religious
needs of the people are supplied by thirty
churches The Coronado" a social club
of business men, has the finest rooms Of
the kind IN the state. Society is refined
and cultured; at the same time the people
are hospitable and generous, always ex-
tending hearty welcome To strangers.
Ia her
BUSINESS INTERESTS
Wichita is the largest city in the state, as
the clearing house reports show. She has
seven solid banks. Her railroad interests
are larger than those of my other city in
the state, the roads radiating in ten diff
ferent directions. The location fixes
Wichita as the wholesale Gistribut-
ing city without a rival for the great
southwest, nil the Indian Territory and
northern Texas. Wichita has tributary
the largest Crain-grCwjug territory of any
city in the country. Kansas produced in
1892 20 600, 900 bushels OF wheat, nearly
oue-half of which grew in twenty counties
Immediately tributary TO Wichita, and all
connected bY railroad.
This city must be the grain market and
centre for the southwest. Here is the
place for big elevators, and mills manu-
featuring the products of all Cereals.
Mills making straw board and paper from
straw cln tud abundant cheap material
All agricultural implements should toe
made here. The market is close at hand
and without limit. Boots aud shoes,
clothing, knit aud WOODEN goods can be
made proiirably here, aud find near and
good market shipping facilities are ali
that can be desired. Fuel ana raw mater
lal are cheap
NEWSPAPER CHANGE.
The Daily Nail at Wellington was sold
yesterday 10y its editor and proprietor Fred
Bohauna to !. ". Corbett and J. 5. For
sxtba hot n If tho; c5rv The Daxv y,rOpria-