The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-11
ARE COMING HERE
Quakerdom of the West Look
ing to Wichita
WILL BE CHURCH CENTER
Friends Buy Ground Around
the Big University,

In view OF the developments during the
past year, it is an undoubted fact that
Wichita is destined to become the center
of Quakerdom in the west. Owing to
highly favorable conditions existing in
this city and vicinity there is a gradual
movement in this direction. Friends from
all parts Of the west are making inquiries
as to the opportunities for education Of
fered by this locality, and many have ex-
pressed a desire to locate here if they
could make satisfactory arrangements.
Yesterday afternoon reporter for the
Eagle asked President Stanley of the
Friends university, what the outlook now
is for Wichita's becoming the center of
a Quaker settlement.
Greatest in the world he said. I re-
ceive quite a number of letters from
Friends all over the west and they are
constantly becoming more numerous.
Most Of these letters come from Okla
homa, Missouri and the more distant
parts of Kansas, while a few come from
the eastern states"
When asked If many Quakers had set
tied here as yet he replied:
"Since the university was started prob
ably a dozen families have moved here.
Most of them have bought property on
the West Side. but some of them have
bought farms and a few live on the East
Side. Many of the farmers, especially
those in the east, wish to trade their
farms for farms here, but 1 have noticed
that Sedgwfck county farmers seem very
well satisfied and are not on the trade.
Another thing that has tended to lessen
the number moving here is that property
IN West Wichita has, in many instances,
been advanced beyond what is it's present
value. The cause Of this advancement is
that from time to time rumors have been
circulated that the Friends had decided
TO form a large settlement here on the
West Side. Nothing like this has ever
been decided, or ever will be. The facts
in the case are these: That unless our
people can get property at just prices they
viii not come to Wichita
In answer to the question as TO the prob
ability of Wichita's becoming the center
OF the Society Of Friends in the west.
President Stanley said: II think that
eventually ii will. It might be said that
IS considered as the center of that state.
TIP till two years ago the yearly session
of Kansas has always been held at Law
renee. where a $4,000 building has been
provided for its accommodation. How
ever the session he'd its meeting In Wich-
fla the last two years, and the plan now
is th1t it will meet here every alternate
year. These meetings were brought here
mainly through the influence of the uni
v.-ei;y and I expect that as the school
COWS this influence will also increase
M Stanley then spoke Of the university
III particular, saying that there had been
no change in the plans regarding the
school and that they would continue to
expand as fast as circumstances would
a,ow them to do so feasibly.
I'VE have already" he said, finished
W such parts of the building as our needs
demand and, shall continue this policy
until we have finished the whole build
Ing"
In summing M his remarks, President
Stanley made the statement that in his
candid opinion Wichita ten years from
now would have the strongest Quaker
settlement in the west.
Mr.. Stanley is not, however, unsupport-
ed in his opinions as to Wichita's future.
In The American Friend" a weekly
published at Philadelphia, under date of
November 80, 1899, is an article entitled,
Westward the Course of Quaker EN-
pire Takes It's Way" by Joshua L. Baily.
Mr. Baily is one of the most prominent
Quakers living and is president of the Ma
tional Temperance union. In his article
Mr.. Baily describes the yearly session of
Kansas held here last November and
gives a detailed description of the uni
versity and tells how II was founded and
endowed He then ends with these words:
within the lifetime of some who are
now living, the center of Quaker popula-
ton of this country was in Philadel-
phia. In the second quarter of the CEN
fury it passed rapidly westward, and
reached Indiana, and the tide is still
westward bound. More than half the
membership of the Society of Friends in
this country-indeed, If the most recent
statistics are reliable more than half the
membership of the Society of Friends in
the worlds to be found within the linn
its OF the four yearly neutrality-suspicious.,
Western. Iowa and Kansas. Indeed, the
membership of the last named (Kansas)
alone nearly equals in number the mem
bership of the three ancient yearly meet
ings in New England, New York and
Philadelphia. If any one will take his
map and observe the geographical posi-
ton of Kansas, and take note of the
steady increase in the Quaker population
OF that state, as well asa of Oklahoma,
and even in the Indian Territory, and no
tice especially the location of the city of
Wichita, he cannot fail to be impressed
with the fact that this late garden of
Wilderness if not already. IS soon TO be-
come most important center of Quaker
education and influence"
TRIED FIVE DOCTORS