The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-30
ORIENT SHOP BOOM
Big Interest Is Taken in Their
Location.
SITE WEST OF RIVER
Men on the Inside Watched
by Spectators.

The Orient shops have been located
again. This time they are scheduled for
The south part Of town. west Of the Big
river. In a week or two there viii be
no more places to locate them on. as
nearly every available piece of ground
hss already been designated as a shop
site.
Few people are interested in where the
Ch0ctaw VIII locate its terminals here,
and nearly everybody has lost sight Of
important developments 10 be made by
the Missouri Pacific; and yet for the
present, at least, they are more closely re-
lated 10 the working out Of Wichita's
destiny and the advancement Of realty
values than the shops are.
Wise men are shaking their heads.
L would be useless TO deny that the
Orient shops question is causing a very
noticeable speculative fever. Nearly every
man in town, with few exceptions. has
Is They have it TO such the extent Of
shadowing other men.
Mayor Mclean cant go to church with
out being Swallowed by some Spectator
who thinks ne is going out to buy lot
on Two. \ great many people have an
idea that he knows exactly where the
shops win be located. lie and WE
Throchmorton drove down Water street
q few days ago, and those who saw them
ran UP town and passed the word around
that the shops would be located in the
First ward sure.
f4l,,-~. f.-rr---- tt.-.. ,-r-.-,--
is next" They watch him closely. AL
Mr. Ferguson would have to do now in
order to precipitate a boom in lots is to
so out into some suburb and 90 little
pacing-om for an hour or two.
Some think that Councilman Davidson
IS more closely IN touch with the inten-
tons of the Orient company than anyone.
and they are watching him. Charlie Lu-
liDg's movements are also very closely
watched. and so are Councilman Burton's.
The man who has no money TO invest,
and his tribe is not large, ought to be on
the easy seat-but he is not lie is wor-
ried over the possibility Of his fellow
citizens getting bit, and he spends his
time in building up theories-foolish the
cries.
One Of these men aecosted an Eagle re-
porter yesterday with very elaborate
outlines Of a possible boom scheme.
What's to prevent a man supposed to
be on the inside he said buying up a
great many lots on options? Don't you
think this would create a general impress
sion that the shops would be located near
where he is buying2 He could then sell
them to other fellows, who would be wild
after them, and need not be known in
the transaction, as the transfers could be
made direct from the original owners.
I lived here during the old boom, and I
know good many tricks"
He had line ghost scared up. but him
self was the only man who could see it.
Another man who had no money to in
vest was worried in another way. His
theory is that shops always depreciate,
rather than appreciate the value of prop
erty H. their vicinity. Il can take YOU
10 any city in the United States" he said.
"and prove to YOU that property in the
vicinity of railroad shops has less value
than any residence property in town IS
the valuable property in Topeka near the
shops2' he asked. mot 1t is q mile
AWAY, and you can buy a lot near the
shops for song. Where is the cheapest
property In Kansas City, Kansas? In the
immediate vicinity OF the Union Pacific
shops. Il YOU can name me shop city
In America where the most valuable prop
erty is near the shops. win give you a
new hat The most valuable property
VIII always be where the bon tons live,
and they never live close TO the shops or
factories II you have Deney to invest.
find cut where the shops VIII be located.
and then plant your money as far away.
from them as possible. If knew that
the shops would be located in the south
part OF town and I had any money to in
vest. ] would plant every dollar Of it on
College Hin or Riverview."
Mr. W. Z. Edwards the man who abso-
lutely knows where the shop site is To-
Gated. If located at an is in the city. but
hc won't talk
1t is almost certainty. however, that
the site most favorable to the Orient
company is in the south part of town, and
west OF the river.