The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-09
LETTER MOVES WEST.
About to Build the Largest Ele-
vatOr in the World at TX. G.

Kansas City, Feb. 9.-Kansas City
will have the largest elevator in the
world before the summer is over. 1t
will be built by Joseph Letter, the great
wheat king of Chicago.
In connection with this investment
Mr.. Letter contemplates the expendi-
ture here of an immense sum of money
which will benefit the city in an arnaz-
ing way, and do for it as much as the
efforts of any other one man. A total
of nearly 49, 900, 900 bushels of grain was
handled and reshipped at Kansas City
last year.
All records for heavy receipts were
broken time and again and often Kan
sas City receipts exceeded the combined
amount of grain handled at all other
principal markets. The clear lead of
Kansas City over all other markets was
sufficient to induce c. F. Orthwein &
Sons, the wealthiest, most influential
and most extensive grain dealers in St.
Louis, to lease five elevators on the
Suburban Belt line and establish its
principal Office here, conducting a
branch at St. Louis, where the family
has millions of dollars invested in real
estate and other interests.
The same causes compelled d. r.
Francis & Co., who rank next to the
Orthweins in extensive dealing in grain,
to open an important branch house
here and secure complete control of
the third, renting the use of others
whenever it could be obtained.
The cause which led to the erection
and complete equipment of the Maple
Leaf elevator by a subsidiary company
of the Chicago Great Western railway
was the same. The Moore Grain and
Elevator company increased the capaci-
ty of its plant to double the former re-
quirements for the same reason. 1t i'm
PEELED the International Export Grain
and Oil company to buy rs acres of land
near the Maple Leaf elevator and be-
gin the erection there of a large eleVat-
or which is now in progress of cOnstruc-
ton, and the Armour Packing cOmpa-
nv to build the elevator just completed
near it's packing plant. 1t has also CIV
en- currency and credence to ruTnOr
that c. +. Orthwein e. Sons would soon
build a mammoth elevator near Cen
trOpOlis.
1t is rumored, although not stated up
on reliable authority, as is the intention
of Mr.. Letter, that the investment in
this immense enterprise will be made
by Mr.. Letter in connection with the
Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf. The
Gulf road has already, since its compile
ton last year, forced the bulk Of the
grain shipments from this territory to
the southern ports, and lions snare
has gone over it's own rails
The five elevators operated by Q. F.
Orthwein & Sons here are owned by
the Pittsburg & Gulf interests and leas-
ed to OrthWeins with the understanding
that their shipments generally shall be
made over the Pittsburg & Gulf. Most
of the elevators operated in whole or in
part by D. r Francis & Co. are located
on the Suburban Belt, controlled by
the Pittsburg & Gulf, and one of them
Is owned by these interests. Francis
has been a heavy shipper over the Gulf
road since the firm entered the Kansas
City market.
Should the Gulf road secure control of
the traffic, through close financial re-
Iationship, of the Letter elevator it viii
be in a position to practically dictate
the routing of grain from Kansas City
The scheme in every phase is one of
the most gigantic ever undertaken, and
its complete realization will be of ines
Unable Importance to Kansas City.