The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-15


Ports Bearing Fruit-New York, Balti-
more and Newport News No Longer IN
It-North and South, Not East and
West, Trunk Line-Other Points of In
terest Along This Line.
The general government was not IN
duced by western pressure TO spend SIX
millions of dollars in obtaining deep Wa
ter at Galveston as an experiment or
as a past time. Railroads were not
constructed from the Trans-Missouri
region for the purpose of sinking some
body.s capital. The natural exchange
and interchange of commodities of this
country is 10 be between the north and
south rather than between the east and
west
The south and west grain congress
was organized in Wichita with the spe-
cial view of utilizing north and south
railways and Gulf ports for the prod
ucts of the Trans-MissOuri region. 1t
was organized in Wichita, and for the
first year was Differed entirely by
Wichita men. The grain of this reg
ion in the meantime has been diverted
from this point, but the association
lives on and is doing good work. Wich-
tia will soon be back TO her old place
as the grain center of southwest Kan
sas and is therefore in hearty sympathy
with her old association which soon
holds its annual meeting for 1896 in
Charleston. South Carolina The fol-
lowing letters in this connection will
explain some things which are TO hap
pen in the near future:
Charleston, S. c., March 8, 1896.
To the Editor of the Eagle.
A meeting of the Charleston commit
tee of the South and West Grain and
Trade congress was held two or three
days ago for the purpose of discussing
the question of holding the congress
this spring.
It wa agreed that We should proceed
with the work of arranging for the
annual session here, and we yesterday
sent an invitation to President Fish, of
the Illinois Central railroad, to address
the congress, as per copy Of letter at
tached.
The conclusion reached at the meet
ing were that if the congress was not
held this spring and the meeting was
postponed, 1t would simply mean dis
Indignation OF the body. There is no
doubt that just at this time the break
ing up of the only commercial organi-
cation in existence for the purpose of
cementing trade relations between the
west and south would be most unfor-
tunate.
We ask that you take up with your
different commercial bodies the matter
of strongly endorsing this invitation TO
President Fish and send to him at once.
We take il for granted that your city
will send strong delegation to be pres
ent at the congress here.
Kindly let me hear from you at your
earliest convenience, stating what ac-
ton you may have taken in regard to
having our letter endorsed. Yours
very truly, JOHN A. SMITH,
Score tary
Accompanying the foregoing letter is
the following communication addressed
to the president of the Illinois Central
railroad who by putting rate into
New Orleans brought about the recent
disarrangements of freight rates on
grain from this section.
Charleston. 5. c., March ., 1896
Mr.. Stuyvesant Fish. President Illinois
Central Railroad, Chicago, III.
Dear Sir-The deep interest you have
manifested in developing both the ex-
port and import business of the Port
of New Orleans has attracted the wild
est attention throughout the South and
West The recent press publica tons
of your views upon the subject of ex-
porting grain through New Orleans
have awakened great interest through
out these two sections.
AS the period is approa ching for the
third annual session of the South and
West Grain and Trade congress, the
first session having been held at Wich-
tia, Kansas, in April, 1894, the second
session at Mobile, Ala, in April, 1895,
with a semi-annual session held at
New Orleans in the fall of 1894, the sug-
gestion has been made from two diff
ferent Western centres that nothing
could SO promote the purposes OF this
as an address or the read
ing of a paper by you before the next
session of the congress, to be held a
Charleston in April or May of this year
The purposes of the South and West
Grain and Trade onCreSs are to dis
cuss the ways and means TO facilitate
business between the West and South.
The growth and development of these
two sections during the past decade
has increased many fold their demands
and products and left their business
method unchanged It IS believed
that a new order of things will improve
the business situation of the two sec
tons. and send the products Of the
great tier of Western. Central and Sou
thern states embraced south and west
Of a line. drawn from Ashland and
Duluth on Lake Superior along the
western shores Of Lake Michigan
Chicago to Indianapolis, then
10 Cincinnati and thence 10 the Cape
Fear river. emptying into the Atlantic
ocean in North Carolina at Whining
ton TO some one Of the South Atlantic
Of Gulf ports instead of as now 70 the
North Atlantic seaboard. in many in
stances going double the distance 70
reach those ports. It is 70 contribute |
10 this great end. TO turn from its old
grooves of east 10 west and west 10 |
east. TO the new channel of from west
TO south and south 10 west. the import
and export business of the two latter |
sections thatyOu are earnestly requested
- address the congress. No other man
in the whole country can do - much 10
wards bringing about this change Of
influence with both the commercial !
public and the managers OF railroads
We. therefore. beg that You accept this |
invitation which goes 10 YOU from the ,
vhole South and West
The congress viii be composed Of rep /
-eSeutariVe business men from the most !
important ceDJers II the South and /
" est The date Of the meeting has
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