The Mena weekly star., 1896-09-16


 rte traveller arriving at the Union depot in Kansas City looks up at the frownins hlufrs soon to be remodeled into one Of the most picturesoue terraced parks in the world. end wonders what there is about this citv to make her great He sees nothing of the teeming hives of industry all around him: hears the roar of entering ana oe- parting passenger trains. but can near nothing of the countless freight trains which are constantly backing ana ming at other depots. He takes the cable roau and goes up the incline on Ninth street. As he gradually ascends above the depot his mind begins to grasp something or what there is in Kansas City to make 1t great He looks out over the West bottoms and sees what is seldom given man to see. He sees such an aggregation Of pusiness houses that rarely comes under the eye or a traveller From myriads of tall chimneys and smokestacks ascend columns of smoke. telling of the hidden laborers going stead ily about their tasks in the immense build ings below. He sees a vast network ot steel rails over which the busy switch en- zines are noisily pulling with their hand fuIs of cars which they rapidly place in line as they make up the trains to carry away the many tons of goods being dis tributed to all the great country off toward the setting sun. The stock yards with their numerous yiaducts leading to the immense hacking plants are in the distance. while between rolls the silver tide of the Raw as it hurries to join the mighty Missouri in its march to the sea. Here. in an area or but a few square miles. is done business that New York itself would be proud Of. Here are the supplies going to millions or human beings who are bringing hIe anu happiness out of what but few years ago was the virgin soil over which roameo the buffalo and the red man.
 After the visitor has looked his fill of this wondrous scene he turns his gaze to- ward the river and there sees countless tracks running around toward the East bottoms" where there is a continuation or the industries so plainly set forth from the incline, Up over the brow of the hill the swiftIv moving cable train takes him and he seems at once to enter another scene of | Anohantment for from the rough edge of | the bluff he rapidly drops down into the retail center of the city and sees all the l hrstle that is to be found in the busy marts 1 of trade Down Delaware street 10 Ihe -iver and all along Fourth and Fifth | streets from Main to the western blum IS | onother great wholesale center, where are
 
 to be found some of the largest stores in | the country. The three great dry goods | emporiums are close together, clustered 1 about the magnificent board of trade build
 ing. while all over the district are seat 1 tered the minor buildings of the lesser 1 establishments.
 As the retail trade gradually moved ava!
 from the historic levee up on the hills witt
 the increased population. so the wholesaler
 gradually moved forward and occupied tn
 vacated places. The migration of reta'
 business has been marked and within tn
 mast ten years most wonderful change
 have been made in the fashionable location
 When the Kansas City Journai moved int
 it's present building, eight years ago.
 moved out of and away from the reta
 center and became pioneer on Wainu
 street To-day it is away down town an l the retail trade has moved up to and pas
 if until it is now In the center of thi 1 business.