The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-25

Thinks IL Would be a Good Idea to Bull,
a Dam Across the Little River and Pre-
pare a Big River for Boating and Bath
ipe-Prescribes Water as One of tn,
Means of Making Wichitr = Greatel
Town.
These hot days make people sweat and
fan and wish for a local resort, a minia-
ture ocean grove, Long Branch, or New
port. Anent all this discussion DR.. Mat
thews writes the Eagle the following let
ter on the subject:
Wichita, Kan, July a., 1897.
To the Editor Of the Eagle:
We are sleeping on our rights. We live
In country whose only failure seems 10
be a sufficiency Of water at the proper
time We have few natural lakes in the
state, and none at Wichita. We have
here, however, three rivers. None Of them
are very large, except the Little River,
which is the biggest Of the three. They
all have water at times and in great
abundance. Now, let US treat them as
we do the rainfall. When it does come,
run il into cistern and so have soft wa
ter in the season when it does not rain.
Lei US build dam ar the mouth Of the
Little river and make a pond a mile or
go long. Then We can have fishing,
boating, bathing, and skating, and all
the other Injuries that so with nice
lake. Give the boys chance. Instead
of publishing warnings that they will
he arracra1 rnr SWIMMING mako them
nice place and make it free, and at
tractive. Haul sand, there's plenty Of it,,
and make a clean, nice, smooth bottom
and beach at the swimming place. Erect
q few di essing houses and let every one
enjoy the water. l was raised on the
Mississippi river and we had a sandy
beach two miles long, and the whole male
population went swimming. Let us do
a little better, make dressing houses and
wear c,oJhes and make il pleasant and
profitable for men, boys. women and
girls. It's a pleasant and profitable ac-
cOmplshment 10 swim.
L may save your life in an ocean or
Steamboat disaster some time.
Let some one agitate this project, and
either the city build the dam or the cit
liens do il by private subscription I
have long had the idea that a dam should
be built on the Big Arkansas every mile
from here 70 Colorado, and then we would
have a lake 500 miles long and from
a quarter 10 mile wide, and current
enough TO keep the water pure. Indeed
the various falls would furnish power
enough to run the machinery of the
state.
Here we should own our water-works
and get our power from this Little river
If one dam wouldn't furnish enough DOW
er, build two or three, or as many as Z
would require. There is a good deal Of
water goes down the river every day
Then, when it's a hundred in the shade,
have the superintendent publish a notice
to the citizens like this: There is an in
eXhaustible supply Of water in these
sands, and the city owns this water
plant. and it is for the use of the peo-
pie Of the city. Use all that will run
through your hose and keep clean and
cool and dom. let your lawns dry u.
Don't s5anG With the hose in your hand,
but set il and let the water run while
you Got ; Jul bhH lI!le AZ pun "SeuS anu
hoe the ground"
With such a lake we could have sever
al kind, Of water lilies to be enjoyed by
every ore. They will grow here. I know
that. They only need II be painted.
In a conversation with A. 5. Munson,
learned that Los Angeles has increased
FROM 10000 10 1884, population in ten
wears DaSt Not because il l. so good a
town, but because il is SO de- |
sirable TO live there. The more desirable |
we make our Town, which is now one of !
the handsomest, the more people will |
wish TO reside here.
MAKE your homes beautiful,
Bring 10 them flowers.
Plant them around to bud and TO bloom"