The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-08

The convention of grain shippers, buyers,
sellers, millers and elevator men, called
for Wichita, for the 18th, is not only at
tracing wide attention bus creating con-
| Germ and uneasiuess among the grain men
Of Chicago Prominent men from every
important point from Mobile, New Or
leans and Galveston on the south, to the
DIkotas will be present. They will be e1-
periencsd men. thoroughly conversant
with railway and water rates and with
the combination of conditions which have
pulled almost the entire grain product of
the trans Missouri to Chicago.
A gentleman writes the editor of the
EAGLE from Red Wing, Minnesota, call
ing our attention to the fact that the con-
templated Wichita convention has dis
TURNED Chicago's grain men and called
forth editorial comments from her papers
The letter says that such fact should spur
Wichita and the interests of this conn
try into energetic action. What Wichita
wants. he goes on to say, is large grain
elevators; that successful outcome of
the convention will mean an immense
gain to Wichita's industries; that grain
elevators at Wichita, finding points of ex-
port on the Gulf, would mean more pros
perity, in his estimation, than all the
cured by the city.
Unquestiouably the gentleman is right
and no stone should be left unturned by
our people in making the convention q
success.
That Chicago understands the situation
is evident from the following compre-
hensive editorial from the Post, which adj
mits the principal points claimed by us
and then warns that city of its imminent
danger. The following is the Posts edi.
tOrial in full:
"A convention is to be held in Wichita,
Kan, on the 9Th inst, under the patron
age of the board of trade of that place, TO
which southern ana western trade centers
have been invited TO send delegates. The
object of the gathering is to promote a
scheme for diverting the freight traffic of
the west from the channels it has followed
1or years In finding its way to the markets
or the world. The south is particularly
interested in the promotion of the scheme,
because 1t is to be the chief beneficiary bv
It's accomplishment. New Orleans es-
pecially would be an immense gamer
should success attend the efforts of the
promoters of the movement, and other
TO a greater or less degree.
1t is urged by these promoters that the
route now taken by the traffic of the west
Is not the natural and legitimate one
train intended for export if left to itself
would naturally seek the nearest ravig-
able Underwater by which to make its exit.
IL seems absurd to them that western
grain should be- hauled by the railroads
across halr The continent before finding
points of export on tine Atlantic seaboard.
Oouthern ports on the Gulf are much
nearer To the originating points of
tramc AID there must be something
wrong when it gives these ports
the go-by and takes the longer and what
should he the more expensive land rou e.
Kansas Is credited with raising $50. 600 600
Dusneis oil grain In the year A very large
! proportion of it is exported to foreign
ports aud yet less than per cent of the
wnoie seeks an outlet by the southern
gateways. There must be something avrv
somewhere, 1t is urged, to account for this
anomaly, and the object of the convention
Is to find out what it is and how it may be
removed.
"Of course Chicago is very largely in
terested IN the outcome of the convention.
A successful outcome to it would mean an
immense loss of trade by a mum Der of in
dustrles of this city. Most of the large
railroad systems centering here derive by
Tar the largest portion of their revenue by
handling this western grain from the pro-
ducing points to the market here and
hence TO the seaboard and any diversion of
the traffic would mean the loss of lust so
much Income to them. All the elevator
interests located here would be mutual
sufferers by sucn diversion, and mauy
other lines OF business would suffer II is
probable that the incomparably superior
taCliltles for handling the business by this
route VIII prevent any such general diver
sion as Is proposed. Still it will not do to
go 10 sleep under any feeling of false
security Chicsgo's pre-eminence can
only be maintained by eternal vigilance
ana the continuance of that eut -rprise
that has marked its career hitbe, to and
made the city what it is
LAKE away your buckwheat batters;
Hnr, .k.A L