The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-28
OF
WICHITA DEAD
Continued from sixth Page.

trail; the big bridge across the river at
Central avenue, and forever shut Doug
las avenue out on the first heat. The
south end had less cash but more cour-
age and faith. It's friends were a unit,
and this unity characterized the board
Of trade in after years, and a study of
men shows that the board of trade was
dominated by Douglas avenue men.
Though it was concealed. generally the
board of trade was selected on Douglas
avenue before the annual meeting. This
was not change, but design. Greiffen-
stein was a statesman; he was not poll
tician. He read the future and felt that
only increasing labor could conquer the
natural advantages OF the north end.
The location Of the Oliver-Imboden mill
on Douglas avenue was a fixed fact be-
fore Woodman and Lank Moore knew
the mill was on foot.
"Greiffenstein, Sol Kohn, NJ W. Levy,
N. A. English Morris Kohn, A. W. Oil
yer, Jim Steele, Billy Mcclure, Colonel
Mcclure, Jim Mccullough and a host of
small frey made up the Douglas avenue
crowd. In after years Douglas avenue
was a power, and through it all the same
Twas Douglas avenue that located the
Missouri Pacific depot (only it stopped at
Second street instead of Douglas avenue) :;
it located the city building and the post
Office. Douglas avenue debated three
days as to whether or not it would fight
the court house bonds. 1t is a matter of
deep regret that the court house bonds
were not defeated, and a location select
ed with some regard to the rights and
convenience of business men. Time was
when court twice a year resembled
general muster, but the court house of
Sedgwick county is now a place of bust
ness even as a bank or general store.
There is a legend that Dutch BIZ and
N A English drove old Ben from
Wichita to Emporia to catch Tom Pc
tiers of the Santa Fe road and secure
the Santa Fe for Wichita. This drive
was made in single buggy and with on
ly three stops in the entire distance. The
trip was successful and n. A. English
received from Tom Peters guarantee
for a life pass In 1S-the railroad COM
pany repudiated the pass, and English
sued the road and recovered. There were
many who claimed that English had no
more to do with 1t than many others.
The depot was put on Mead's land, but
English had the pass. English either
had much to do with the location or he
hoodoeed Tom Peters. Mead's land was
50 situated as to give him such double
pull that the north end lost good fight
er in north location. In other words, he
had a lead pipe cinch' and did not wor-
ry on location. When the depot was first
located it was heap way from the
Douglas avenue and Occidental hotels,
and the old Daily house Corner of First
and Water, and Southern hotel missouri
Pacific ticket Office on Main street,. The
business men demanded a sidewalk to
the depot. One was built from Law
renee avenue to Fifth avenue, fronting
English's land. After some tax sale pro-
ceedings and an injunction suit, the city
presented English with a receipt in full
1t seems that the council neglected to do
everything in regard to the business. ex-
cent to build the sidewalk. AS there was
no city taxes levied in those days the
income from various, divers and sundry
places paying all expenses, the loss was
not mourned over.
ITO return to our mutton: In 1877 to
10. things moved slow, -- slow. Acres
Of lots had been sold for taxes: no one
wanted any. The foreclosure OF mort
gage on the Occidental hotel, the prior
failure of the First National bank, the
tendency to move forward and on Doug
las avenue, the freeing of the toll bridge,
and other lesser things, paralyzed North
Main street, and for season Main street
was 'Goldsmiths Deserted Village Inc
fortunes of Main street have been as
waves Of the sea-at highest and lowest
tide. The depression on Douglas avenue
has been great, but if it had equalled the
Main street depression, Main street would
have been annihilated.
'In 1879 the Frisco railway pointed
wichitaward, but had Winfield and We'll
lington in view. A business mems lea
que was called and every human in the
county was for the bonds. The vote
supposedly was for a road from st. Louis
to wichita. and one fork to Viola town
ship and one to Mt Hope. The railroad
got as far as wichita and stopped. 1t
then appeared that the railroad intended
10 go on. The vote was inseparaole'
Wichita stood pat on three lines or no
bonds. and the result was no bonds. Two
men of all other claimed the crown for
the Frisco road-C. Wood Davis and Col
onel Jocelyn-but Colonel NJ. NJ. Muir
dock. Jim Steele. A w. Oliver. NJ. w.
Levy, Colonel Milton Stewart, n. A Eng
lish. ct al. were round about that time
and did some work. There is legend
that after the road was built and the
usual excursion to the business men who
did nothing toward securing the railroad
was had. the Chamber of Commerce or
S.. Louis gave a banquet, and one-maif
of the said business men drank out Of the
frger-bowis under the belief that it was
pine apple SOP and one man swore ii
was the --LATEST champagne he ever
tasted
"'Aiind you. now, I wasn't there
I only solemnly state
What Ed. Jewett did relate
But I forget when or where.
THE opening OF the Frisco was man.
ma TO the children in the desert. It was
the restoration. In the language Of Col
onel Murdoch, in Palingenesis, who said:
d" Yet anone. in brighter strains OF des-