The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-14

! ahead until she is ont Of the reach OF all
her rivels. When she has reached . point
where all must concede her to be the
then We can afford to be little finer
about our scruples.
firmly believe, and I think I do 50
logically. that the Orient will be the last
trunk line Of railroad to be built in kan
| sas for twenty years 70 come. can't
see where Their would be room for an
other. With that view OF the case am
firmly opposed 10 keeping it away from
Wiehita's rivals by keeping it ourselves
It VIII then be the trunk line center OF
the state and hence viii be a center that
! none other can compete with.
In going about the city yesterday I was
astonished to find SO many persons who
were Indifferent, rather than opposed. TO
the proposition, and great work between
now and election day is needed, for to
fail this time should be out Of the ques-
ton. The matter is too vital to the fu-
ture Of our city. Every man who loves
Wichita should constitute himself a com
mittee Of one to convince his neighbor Of
the Importance Of the proposition and get
him to the polls 70 vote for the bonds.
I don't think could add very much
to the argument made BY the Eagle this
morning in favor Of the bonds I called
at the county clerks Office and asked
John Chain TO let me see the bond book
desiring to ascertain how heavily we have
voted aid to railroads. I found that the
county has never given aid, as & county
to any road except the Rock leland
That was twelve or thirteen years ago,
when the law authorized aid as high as
$4,000 a mile and when interest rates were
high. The county voted to thu Rock
Island $4,000 at 5sl per cent and notwith-
standingthat fact that road has paid into
the county $4,000 In taxes more than the
interest on the bonds. If that investment
was profitable one, what viii be the re-
suit Of an investment of $1,000 per mile
IN the Orient road at materially reduced
interest? According to figures made Al
the county clerks Office the interest on
$S0, 900 bonds will be only s.. 900 per annum
while the taxes paid into the county
treasury will be over $4,000. This income
is based on forty miles of road exclusive
Of the shops and other buildings which
will bring in a revenue Of at least 5000
more. We can, to my mind, very easily
trade s., 200 worth Of interest for SIS 900 in
taxes and get shop pay roll Of $40 900
TO boot
At the Carey hotel this afternoon I met
ex-Secretary of State W G. Edwards
who has lived for thirty years west Of
Wichita in Pawnee county, and fnainly
through MS influence Wichita received
an opportunity to bid on the proposition.
He says that over half a million dollars
win be spent in building the road through
this county and that 50 per cent Of It.
outside of steel and ties. viii be spent in
Wichita. Tt will go to your laboring men
for their work and to your farmers for
hay, corn and other supplies for the hun
dreds of horses and mules required o
do the grading
met County Commissioner J. E. How
ard and asked him what we should do.
knew Mr.. Howard since the great fight
he made six or seven years oga for better
freight rates for Wichita and I believe
there is not a man in town who better
understands the railroad problem.
Every voter in Wichita should take q
day of If necessary to vote for, the
bonds" he said. TT is the best propo-
sition ever made TO the people of Wichita
ana II WOul0 De SUICIDAL, rom a business
standpoint, to reject it. It would be Grim
inaI negligence to overlook this great op-
portunity to shove Wichita beyond all
possibility of competition from other
cities"
met Father Tihen and found him to
be an enthusiastic supporter of the prop
osition. st hope and trust" he said,
that Wichita will not fail to grasp this
great opportunity; and when 7 say Wich-
tia mean the entire county, for any
thing that benefits Wichita win benefit
Sedgwick county. I can think Of one
hundred reasons why we should get the
Orient road, and can't think Of one why
we should reject it
All American cities are made from the
territory west Of them. Wichita, in order
to be great, must find field to the west.
The Orient road will open vast field to
the west and southwest-western Okla
homa, western Texas, New Mexico and
the undeveloped regions of Old Mexico.
It is field lying in too far from Calves
ton, too far from Denver and just right
for Wichita.
Let US all turn out next Tuesday and
show our business instinct by voting
f7ua ufr,1o11s1xy for tn Orient houds