The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-18


} that time. for a piano which was ship
ped TO Kansas City
There is in all Of us, as a writer says
} "a streak Of yaller" 1t seems to me thai
there is a germ Of todyism, sycophancS
in most Of us: a reverence for men VII
are (published) great; bowling down be-
fore some shrine either financial social
spiritual or polite. The writer does rot
think he is filed with this todyism quail
ity above mankind. nor that he is a hero
worshipper to any great extent. But
whenever the subject of the building oil
Wichita comes up. there arises before
his minds eye. the figure, acts and speech
of Greifensfein. The writer does not be-
lieve that Wichita has dealt generously
or kindly with Greifenstein or with his
family. 1t is said that Republics are
Ingrateful. Towns, also. rorget the sacri-
fees made by pioneers. The following
lines are applicable all over Kansas TO
the pioneers, who builded not for self
alone, but from ambitious pride to leave
behind, mark more lasting than brass
or marble in wide, streets and avenues:
:
There is now city, a thousand sweet
homes,
On the land he PLAYED for his first SOD
corn,
And he stranger. aimlessly roams.
Where his wife dAd and his babes were
born"
Douglas avenue is Greirensteins ere
alton. 1t was his dream 10 behold it
ft7a hrfl ha Ia
! lined with business and the broadest. bus-
lest, wealthiest thoroughfare in all Kan
sas He was not bereft OF hate and want
ed the north end humbled but it was the
! hatred of rivalry. not personal feeling
+ toward anybody. 1t was the feeling ex-
I pressed by a gentleman of the English
nation, individually you fellows are all
right. but collectively, / would like to see
you all hung
| With Greiffenstein, il WAS Simply a
pride 10 build town, defeat his rivals
/ He gloried In the building and the open
! ing of the old toll bridge on the west end
/ TO free travel and IN the location Of the
I Santa Fe depot at the east end. He
almost broke the back of the north end.
when he seduced the porth-end capital
thereby make their selishness earn divi-
dends for Douglas avenue. He was al
most alone In his labors. The wealth
and power of Wichita was against him.
but it was extremely prudent wealth
and unsacrificing power. In the beg m
ming Greifenstein with Jim Steele. and
N A. English were arrayed on the south
side, with land, pluck and determination.
: but without money. on the north end
was Woodman. Joe Allen. Al Thomas.
Lark Moore. Minger. Wilder. Horner.
Hotlck, McCIees Davidson and Fraker.
James r. Meade. vice-president of the
First National Bank. interested in Nor, n
Main street. also owned land on Douglas
avenue so that his efforts were neutral
lied ana neither side got fun benefit of
his labors.
In the street, Sol and Kohn were north
enders. but Kohn went with Greiffenstein.
Eagle block was built and a dry goods
store was built on the corner of Main
and Douglas. The county offices were
placed in Eagle Block; also the postcf-
fee The Wichita Savings Bank was
located on Douglas avenue and Douglas
avenue commenced to win. The Unite1
States lsnd-office was the only thing left
on Main street that drew business. ex-
cept the First National Bank and Wood
mans Bank. Greifenstein went after the
United States land-o.fice and gave 10 the
government free rent on the second floor
of the building. now occupied by Doctor
Dorsey and the Street Railway Company
and Jackscn's barber shop. The land
nd Nafp
howl Then the post6fice was moved
by malign influence to the Baltimore
hotel. then the Occidental and a bridge
was built across the Big River at Cen
trail avenue. Main street rested from its
labors. but GreiTepstein rejoubied his
efforts and went to work to remove the
postmaster and get a Douglas avenue
man appointed in his stead and incident
ally destroyed the Central avenue bridge
by the election of Jim Steele as county
commissioner
Politics did not count much on the south
side of town in these days. The question
asked was whether or not q man was alb
solutely loyal TO Douglas avenue. II so.
then stand BY him. ard. if not
then the Irish motto at the Donnybrook
adopted. y. 4. English was considered
some of Democrat Greinenstein was
counted and elected TO the legislature as
a Democrat yet 10 establish and maintain
the supremacy of Douglas avenue was
more than politics; il was religious
faith and its promises to its votaries. was
not Of any spiritual condition OF location
after death. but II was victory over the
north end and high prices for Douglas
avenue lots when the battle was over
The north end could have vanauished !
Greirenstein in sixty days IL II had loos
cred It's purse-s:rings, but the men at
the north were not built that way"
They were built on prudent. cautious
lines andsome Of them were like the
Methodist who boasted thE; he had be-
Ionged to the church for forty years and
IL had never cost him cent Many
north-enders sympathired with and be-
lensed 20 the north end. but would not /
pay subscriptions to build up the north I
end As proof OF this. woodrnan at ore /
time agreed n furnish the buildings !
where Tanners hook store ror IS on
Main strset and give the United States
government free po-tofTice rent IL the
business men OF Main street wsNid pay
him a portion OF the value q the rental
per annum Tie tul1.ing was furnish d
as voodman agreed and the postsftice
was placed therein BY Colonel Murdoch 4
and fer seasons the north end business 4
man paid rent. but Douglas Gyen1e fo1g- /
ed ahead. Main street lost some 5sssiness 4
and scns prominent men and the rental i
was rot paid TO w0oinan and he fhea !
brought action for the balance due OF .
rent. against the north end men who 1
wn..IE not nav Ard thase rErrtk-e-E.ers l