The Mena weekly star., 1896-09-16

Z = rgs,Ired ssfa5es were hung in railroad stations over the "ofiu all showed black and grimy spot cAuseu by the dirty fingers of thousands who no,nted to the one place where they be- ueved was a good location for business or residence That spot was at the mouth or the Raw river. the spot where is located Ksnsas City. From this common impulse to rush to one center arose what has gone down the annals of time as the Boom- There are many people who say that tne boom is a bad thing for a city, but those who say so are those who failed 10 ap- nreciate the advantages of the boom. Kan ras Civ was built during the boom but not by it. Her growth has been too sapetahiai to be termed boom growth.
 Tn the North American Review of De- cember. 1893, is the following article show ing what it is that makes kansas SitS great:
 .sEor+v-f7ve years ago Thomas H. Benton. NSissouris great statesman, stood on the bluff overlooking the confluence or the Kansas and Missouri rivers "itn pro. phetic eye he gazed Into the future anu made the prediction that one day sleN' city would arise on the spot where ne rtood When he said that the city woulo a+tain is a population of fifty thousand inhabitants his hearers smiled at the ex- fravagance of his dreams. what behtoh foreeaw was realized years ago and to-day I,
 xtood What he viewed with prophetic eye has long been an actuality. but even that vision was narrow when compared Wltn IAe realities that have unfolded with the pass ing of time. The possibilities or the future .s seen then pale into insignificance with +bose which present themselves to him who now stands on the bluff and looks Tor ward The Kansas City of Benton dream is now a three-fold presence. nu with such bright prospects mat ne "n' would prophecy the future metropohs Q the nation could do it with more suret' of fulallment than did our great states man.
 ..The question has been asked: What Il there to make a future for Kansas Cty and Why is this city good point 10 investment? It needs but glance at man Of the United States to answer tn first question, and in answering that tn second is also answered. Kansas Cit stands at the center of the nation an at the gateway of the wonderful Middl West, It is the entrepot of an empire, tn like of which is not to be found in tn whole world It has the largest agricultur al area naturally tributary to it of any cit tn the world. It is the commercial cente fer tha vast West and Southwest no' heinz developed with greater rapidity tha any portion of the country ever was nt fore. It is on the line of least resistanc between the producer and consumer, an stands as the natural gaFSWay lhTous which all the rich products of the mos fertile portion of the country must pas to market It is the ideal farmer metroI olis with twenty nine railroads stretchin oat their arms to bring in the produce common center. It has long been Il greatest agricultural implement depot tbe world It has the largest smelter ar largest clay pipe and tie works in u world. It is even now wrestling the pac ing business from Chicago. and will, with year pass that city and become first hacking and live stock industries in | world. 1t is the center for the large coal field in the world.
 ..Tne question may be asked; Why these twenty-nine roads center at kans e,1tv7 The map answers again: From | ,onograbhy of the country all portions the gr.at interior West can be trayers f-om the mouth of the Kansas riVer Dy water grade.
 ..so other city in the world presents .he investor the advantages that are tered here, for no city gives such prom af fnture as does this agricultural metroI lis. During all the financial storms tn have swept over the land. scarcely T 1le has disturbed the calm that c0ihes ii'