The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-16
FDa HOME PEOPLE
sr.lLoU1s SHOE MAN PROPOSES q
SHOE FACTORY HERE.

says That the Machi,ers
rnas with the Exception OF " Skilled
,yorkm.n or Two Wichita People
=, .mploysd and Within
-vo one Hundred Laborers
xxu, r,,,l work in the Establishment
w,chs.. to Become Great CONNER
cisi Cater
.,ae following letter from a prominent
(eb. man Of St Louis VINO was once
ma ger OF a shoe factory that was in
MIGRATED IN Wichita in the boom period
Is ggestive and an evidence of the
fava with which outside people re-
gard tbe business promise Of this city:
''St. Louis, No.
nmr Peter Getto. Wichita, Kan.
.nesr Sir:-From an account in Mon
day. Globe Democrat of this city, 1
iearn with pleasure Of the business in
crease and the fattering prospects in
sore scr your enterprising city. You
are deserving Of every gift that can be
bestowed upon a patriotic, energetic and
parfent people. Nothing seems inlpossi-
bic TO Kansas and particularly that sec
ton known as Sedgwick county. l am
only sorry I am not with you to join in
the general feeling OF joy over the pros
perity that is assured. In the article
mentioned I see your bankers and finan-
ciers of Sedgwick county are having
some difficulty in placing money where
ii will earn a profitable interest and ask
eral 10 VISIT Wichita with view to in
creasing the manufacturing and general
business of your city to meet the amount
Of business demanded by the increased
population and general activity. Now, L
would like to ask you if RI would De
possible 10 form a company to manu-
facture a full line Of boots and shoes;
making from a heavy plow boot to a
fine kangaroo in mems and from a
woman's heavy lace shoe to fine light
Dorgola, turn, sandal and different col
ored. Tans and vestfng top woman's
fine work. II such is the case I am able
to convince you that l can make those
goods as well in Wichita as can in this
city.
lam willing to return TO Wichita and
by close attention to the warts OF the
people, feel l can build up a fiattering
trade; il is unnecessary for me to dwell
ON the prospect of manufacturing in
your city. The situation is summed up
in a few words: You buy shoes, why
not make them You can do it as well
as any one else. The state of Kansas
is today without a shoe manufacturing
establishment of any kind, except Leav-
enwoush and that is of no benefit to the
state as the work is done by prisoners.
When I was with you before, it was
impossible to secure the necessary ma
chirery to make shoes right When L
say make shoes right, / mean to be able
10 place them on the market in compe-
tftion 70 other goods made further east.
There is no place, not excepting Wich-
ita. that can manufacture an article by
hand and compete with machinery and
when l resigned, did so for the best
interests Of all concerned. 1 could not
get machinery and mad sense enough
20 know that / could not produse an
article at a profit that would sell and
could not see your money slowly going
for help / think you will agree with
me: I did the wisest thing that could
be done when 1 advised you to cease
attempting 10 make shoes until they
could be made by the proper system
Since 1 have been away from Wichita
/ have been in charge in two of the
largest manufacturing concerns here
and can safely say can show You some
shoemaking that will astonish you for
ALL II
the factory make a complete line OF
staple goods and place them on the mar
ket at the same price as those marufac-
tured in this city. This may seem a
hard matter but il is true nevertheless
and a test will prove it to your entire
satisfaction. The late improved ma
chinery used IN up-to-date factories
leave so little for the operator TO do that
your help can be taken from the homes
Of Wichita
'I will make the assertion that in one
year you will have a plart, the help of
which will be composed of the deserving
people OF your city with no exception
outside OF the architect. When you take
into consideration the fact that you can
expect TO have from 100 70 800 help en-
plcyed, you will agree with me it is just
what YOU want.
The tide OF humanity is quick to learn
where manufacturing is in existence and
manufacturers are sure 10 realize that
they must go farther west 10 be on the
ground. Fifteen years ago St Louis
manufactured 1000 pairs of shoes per
day with very small percentage of mems
work; no Goodyears or Turns to speak OF
and felt she was in it. Look at the
showing today. We make in this city
close TO $4,000 pairs per day. pretty even
ly divided between mems and womer's
and from a cheap class of goods that
we made in days gone by. St. Louis
can send her goods into the same terri
tory with eastern manufacturers and
compete for the trade on fine and STA
pie goods It is true we make no shoddy
goods ard none OF our manufacturers
want to Try ii. They are kept to busy
on good work and have no time TO med
die with IL. / remember this city with
one factory and it was not such a great
while ago either. as / am not an Old
man by any means, and at that time
ST. Louis was in one sense rot to be
compared to Wichita today. We had