The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-06
ONE OF THE VERY BEST


or OklaheEass New TOwus Is Pash.
ing, HastlIng Tonlkawa.
Tonkawa, O. T., Aug. 5.-The name Of
Tonkawa, the new town fifteen miles
south Of Blackwell, and fifteen miles west
Of Ponca City. In Kay county, is on
everybody's tongue and the question ask
ed is, how large a town can the country
tributary support? Some say 1000, some
less and someN more. Anyhow. the town
has the brightest prospects Of almost any
young city in the west, surrounded as
It is by the ChIlzaszia, Salt Fork and
Deer Greek valleys. dotted with fine
farmhouses of which every owner is al
most a small banker in himself. One may
ride all over the southwest and 1t Is an
impossibility to find a finer agricultural
country than surrounds this beautiful,
growing young city of COO people. The
citizens here can yet hardly appreciate
what the Santa Fe railroad will be to
them when It is built into Tonkawa,
wlItch VIII be only a few weeks at the
farthest. The information Is gathered
by pretty reliable source that the San
ia Fe will take a southeast course to
Bliss, leaving all the rich Chikaskia and
Salt Fork bottom lands tributary to
Tonkawa. When the stranger drives into
Tonkawa from almost any direction and
passes the many fine farms covered with
big, black-green cornfields, 1t makes him
feel like taking his hat of to every
farmer he meets. The men who started
the town a little while ago deserve great
credit for foresight and good Judgment,
and all are alike in their manner of well
come and hospitality to strangers COM
ing to the town. and anything that is CAL
culated for the good Of the town is met
with 'outstrentched arms and welcome
that would surprise some of the older
towns with their boards of trade and
commercial clubs. Their everyday words
are: I'VE are here to. build good town
and there is room for ALL Already
three large elevators are being erected
and operated by home men, Mr.. ]. w.
Hawn, Donahoe Bros. and Mr.. r. T.
Brook. Mr.. Brook Is one of the big farm
ers of Kay county and is said to own
more finely bred dogs than any one man
in the west. Mr.. Noah Harding Is the
local manager for the Hawn elevator,
and one of the Donahoe Bros. will man.
age their plant here. AS much Is due to
Messrs. T. H. Martin and A. S. H. Full
ghum as to any others for the advance
ment of the town. as they are In the real
estate business and are constantly at
work to get every industry that goes to
make a good town, 10 locate with them,
and they leave nothing undone for the
upbuilding lof the town Crawford Bros.
represent the pioneer grocers of the
town and have enjoyed a splendid bust
ness ever since they came. and are now
arranging to build a new store to give
them the room their business demands.
G. w. Schatz and F. II. Davis are two
of the wealthy farmers who are very
sanguine as to the future Of Tonkawa-
Cochran & Buhl are the big hardware
and implement men of the town and the
business they do would surprise the old
er towns.G The NJ. J. & p. Mercantile
company Is composed of a fine lot Of
young men who are up and ready to help
not only the town but have a store that
makes 1t unnecessary for the farmers to
hunt any larger towns. The Foster DlTn-
Der company are the pioneers In the lum-
Der line. with a big stock on hand. The
Bank of Tonkava, with Mr.. S. T. Good
man, president; T. H. Mosher. vice presi-
dent, and w. H. Poffenberg. cashier. has
temporary headquarters in the postofice
building and is doing the clever act for
its farmer friends. as the farmers are
depositlng much more money. than they
are borrowing. TOnkawa has black
smith, and wagon maker, rarely found in
towns of this size, in the person Of D. W.
Bunch. iH1is place of business is a busy
one. ,Tcnkawa needs good Nhotel. q
brick, yard, a Touring mill. a steam laun-
dry. a jeweler and a druggish and this
notice is all that lis necessary for 1t is
certainly a good location. No doubt
Tonkawa in six months will be a town
Of twelve or fifteen hundred busy people.