The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-05
OF THE DAYS
WHEN WICHITA WAS IN THE
GRISTLE
THE BOARD OF TRADES WORK, AND
HEREIN
Of Many Things Which I Fain Would
Rescue From Quick Oblivion
CHRONICLE VI

CHRONICLE VI
Men there have been in our time. as
in all time, shorn of personal magnet
ism, who possessed the genius of put
ting their fellows in motion to do a
work. which their minds comprehended
but which they were unable to per-
form
In straying around / ran afoul Of the
above idea in an old book.
The sentiment fits the Wichita" of 1887.
It expresses the difference twixt the in
ventor and mechanic; the architect and
builder; the man who plans and
the one who executes. Wichita had
architects in the superstructure
Wichita who were so grained that
they could not dig, or lay lay brick, carry
mortar, or groin the aislcs," yet their
vision beheld the completed work, even as
the painter or sculptor sees the finished
art ere a touch Of the brush or a stroke
Of the chisel. These Wichita architects
were followed by builders, unable to plan
anything, but who were gifted with the
power Of convincing men who had money
that 'the half was greater than the
whole" that there was "a giving that
made men rich. a Withholding that made
men poor" The best donation beggar in
Wichita was George H. Blackwelder Al
Thomas was a graduate, but George had
a ''knack' of convincing men that they
themselves were good Goeggars, but before
they started out to beg their own sub
scription was needed. He obtained a do
nation and new recruit. Georges theory
was that no man ought to ask another To
subscribe until he had made his own sub
scription. In other words he said: come
along not go along"
Suggestive Of begging, which may come
TO pass after the coming ''Elishas" take
up the work Wichita"
An illustration of Come along or go
along" as policy may be in place:
A captain in the rebellion used to tell
how, in 1861. he was making a speech.
urging everybody to go to war He had.
then, no idea of being the subject of
''Johnnies' target practice" AS he closed
his speech, an old lady in the audience
arose and said:
Bill, you've told the other boys what TO
DO: now what are you going to do?"
The future captain said: Realizing that
the meeting was depending on me for
success. said, I am going to war
The Wichita secret was come along"
not go along
In the latter part of 1855 the city of
Hutchinson got hold of Lord & Thomas of
Chicago, and through them were endeav-
oring TO get some industries Our BOYS
got wind Of the thing" and sent for
Lord q Thomas, and, though no one ever
at any lime owned up to the truth. our
Board Of Trade as a body. were guilty
Of the vice, if not crime. of trying to steal
the Hutchinson industries No one had
courage enough to denounce the scheme
We sent a committee of ten TO Chicago
made contract, put up $4,000 and so far
AS the town was concerned. lost tho
money, as well as our own seIf-respect.
No good ever came ont of the matter
and the deep damnation of our conduct
Will remain 10 disturb our dreams to the
end OF our time
The Whitaker Packing company was
now "on string The committee of ten.
representing the picked men of the Board.
were then in Chicago All knew that Dold !
had 'set the hair on the price; that
Whitaker would not permit himself TO ac-
cept less; but we, at that date. did not
know that Whitaker was on the ragged
edge that he needed our money TO carry
him over the approaching Whitaker
falls" which We're only a little way off.
Whitaker was a 'plunger" in his own
right our gift simply went to pay part
Of his debts part Of which were wheat
deal losses, as we were subsequently in
formed.
Whitaker posed as the head Of house
which was started in 1S4S; sold ham for
the officers and ''sow-belly'' for the sol
diers during the war; hence he was the
real thing" and we We're led TO believe
that he was of greater value than DoId.
Therefore in getting him at the same
price was just like buying General Au-
thurs and Tom Moore's''' at a nickle
apiece. OF course a close Investigation of
Whitaker would have resulted i'm throw
ing him overheard. But we are better off
now than if we had investigated. fo~
the reason: Packing houses. like car
shops and railroads. when built even /
tually get under the wing Of some one |