The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-14
R. H. HARDING
IN WICHITA
Missouri Pacific General
Manager Says the City
WILL BE HEADQUAR TIERS
For the Lines Both East and
West.

Vice President and General Manager
Russell H. Harding of the Missouri Pa
cifc was in the city yesterday afternoon.
He is showing two New York stock brok-
ers the west. They were Mr.. J. H. Nc
Clement and Nj Lovett. both prominent
men in The eastern financial circles. but
they seemed woefuny ignorant with the
west and its possibilities and were Won
derfully surprised at the things they saw
and more than anything else with Wich-
tia Why" said one to a reporter. I
had no idea there was any town as large
as this in this part Of the country or one
that did as much business as there seems
10 be going on here
The men walked down 70 Douglas ave
nue. and through the passenger and
freight depots and looked around the city
a little and wanted to see more but the
schedule OF the train made their stop here
short.
Mr.. Harding has kept carefully posted
on al that has passed in Wichita as he
is very much interested in this city and
its Improvement. When asked what the
company was going to do next, he said.
Wen. don't know. We thought that We
woulc get up our shops and terminal fac
iities this year, but the outlook for
wheat crop is not so very promising at
present, so this matter has been held in
allegiance for at least a wear. This is a
good town and the natural location for
headquarters of the southern divisions
Of the Missouri Pacific. 1t is located al
most in the center Of our lines east and
west and it is or, Z. matter of time until
this city IS the main office for the trans
action of the greater part of our southern
Kansas business and VIII be headquarters
for our repair gangs.
we have built two fine depOts here.
both better and more oommodious than
any on our lines for a city OF this size and
the business out Of Wichita warrants the
expenditure of the money. The matter of
building that big freight depot. the best
in the state. was debated for considerable
time and we wondered whether our busi-
ness would increase enough in the next
few years 10 warrant us in spending that
some Of money. We investigated the bus
mess prospects Of this city carefully and
you can see for yourself the result. We
are glad We built it now, for although it
has been in use but "a few weeks we see
We needed it and know that we did not
build unwisely
There are going to be a good many
more wholesale houses going into Tyich-
ita and we are cleaning off the ground
just south Of Second street ready for any
that may come this way. Wichita has
the best location for a wholesale center
of any town in the southwest and its job
bling interests are bound to grow"
Mr.. Harding and the party travelled in
a special train made UP Of engine 257. in
charge of Engineer Healy and two cars.
car 1872. and the general man
ayers private car 100, in charge OF Con
ductor Hooten. This engine and the train
crew do nothing but run or special trains.
They are paid their salaries whether they
run or not and are always ready TO take
q special out Of St. Louis. Engine 257 is
one OF the fastest passenger engines on
the road. The matter Of a need Of shops
in this city was emphasized yesterday
when the train arrived In this city One
of the big springs over the front drivers
had worked loose and It was necessary to
repair it before the train could proceed. /
Four men worked for more than an hour
getting that spring back IN place. while If
there had been complete repair shop
here II could have been repaired in fifteen
minutes