The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-21
Two interesting Letters from Thank.
ful Woracn


evening; now. It Is virgin sod whereon
the plow or man has never run a f,irrow.
and in which the spade has never turned
clod. Not a house is on It. not a tent.
not even dugout. Only the prairie
wolves. the coyotes and the hoot owls
have possession Of H. Yet its lots have
been generously sold. ana ere the dawn
OF another day 1t Will have its daily
newspaper. its financial and mercantile
institutions and all those features which
go to make up a municipality including
the machinery OF government and Of re-
ligiOus warfare. Yet not an inhabltsnt
Yet k nows where his lot viii be- how
valuable. nor FOR what il will be available
Thomas City's Inhabitants met Tor the
first time in Kansas City last night
Some 600 Of them assembled in a special
train on the Frisco system. and before
O'Clock were headed for rs confines.
a unique plan was followed IN organ
izing this town. Perhaps its genesis *
stranger than that OF ang other city on
the map. II was formed on paper. and
the lots were sold In the good old SCHOOL
boy way OF 'unsight. unseen Hence.
no man knows whether he Is 20 have the
choicest plat in town OF to get the oster-
most corner. For all this uncertainty no
one seemed so care much. The newspaper
editor said he could run his sheet as well
from the suburbs as he could IN town,
and the bankers said their exta bisshnents
would be patronized wherever they might
be located. The grocer vac content tc
take his chances with the rest. and the
implement man didn't care, anyhow, for
shovels would be in demand And thus
was peace preserved This feeling.
whether assumed or real. was good
thing. for by Thursday there Is bound 70
be a queer series OF disappointments. ana
the banker may be showed 20 the sub
urbs. after all. while the dwellings may
center along the inevitable Main street
And this Is why:
The plat OF Thomas CITY was divided
into town lots. OF which the site com
mittee retained every odd one The inter-
vening ones were sold, at uniform price
to the inhabitants 10 be. No choice VAS
made OF these. a man simply bought one
lot AT 50 much. and trusted the rest 10
iuck or Providence. depending upon his
views in the matter. ThosT not one man
no Is going down there knows what he
Is 70 get out OF the deal. into which be
put go per lot Nor will he know until
Thursday. Then. a committee Of thsir
own selection viii sold grand drawing
and aIot 70 the Inhabitants their lands.
Every man who owns lot participates
in this drawing or allotment. and not fill
his name comes out. and he Eees what
number his choice Is will be know where
be is at" II Is al a great big gamble.
SO far as that part of Z g. concerned.
but thea. who eaTss7 Most anyone would
70 into a game for q choice lot IN a town
of e505 people at so throw.
or the lots held By the townslte com !
pany. those most available wnl - soId
Already there Il a '.sooner~ population u
] 20 there. and shacks of various sorts
will 90 up - the twlnklsng q an eye
when the word is given. There f. also I
bedding and shelter. sent oE Ia advance. f
and just outside - town are several I
tulidincs. one rolled twenty-five miles +
across the open. ready T. - planted shsn .
lts owner nnds q 10, for st. The material I
for the printing once. the fixtures Tor 4
me three banks tha stocks for the ssoss
and ~ on. are OF ssSefraek there. and all
thar is required % pct Zach eccarsfipr i
into erecf il the lard o. which = rni
.ccate. And after the big gamble ia over.
.hese u1H - known ard secured
The population = Thsraas CITY. whseh
sen, cut lat rsrht cane from The cD1n-
f-y north ~ here TIE tgVn uss ssrrzs1
5y Tssatou peopie. the rsayor y that
..;y sslng president = fhe oeuysrT. lis
rsrae e Henry Wesfstefn. bpt Pate c.
barred Hfsn from ~ pisassrs - seeing
re city settle. for - = Ill anc - ret
slonz. y ~ Rss q rrssss~ns suo
manager. ard ~ 49, the gsaErzl n