The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-08
WHEN WICHITA WASN'T
A. w. StearnS Tells of the Very
Early Days.
NEVER DREAMED OF A CITY
PHILOSOPHERS on Its Growth
and Causes
To The Eagle.

1erence as remembered by me OF the city
since my first visit, many years ago.
That so beautiful a city with broad
anvenues. hundreds OF palatial homes,
splendid public buildings. immense busi-
ness houses lining well-paved streets aand
filed with the hustle and rush character
istic of American enterprise, should cover
the ground which less than thirty-five
years in the past was a wild prairie COW
ere3 with nothing but grass, is 10 me one
OF The marvels.
Ny first view of the Arkansas vail X
was in December, 1869. when 1 droe
across the divide efrom the whitewater
country, following the old Santa Fe trail,
which came down the hill on the east
some where near the track of the Frisco
railroad. I was particularly impressed
then with the future possibilities of the
magnificent valley. as an agricultural
country. but, Of course, with no thought
OF he building of this beautiful city
Between Chisholm creek and the bluff
the grass had been burned and scattered
over the ground were hundreds of buffalo
skeletons. On other parts of the valley
blue-stem grass was standing ten or more
feet in height with stems as large as ny
fingers, proving the fertility Of the soil
Excepting the trading post. consisting
OF a stOckade owned by Dutch Bill"
(GrifensteiH) and less than dozen IF
houses near it. all located near the Lit
tie river, there was no sign Of human oc-
cupation. / had with me wagon load OF
corn, brought over for sale. having heard
the market price here was 81. % per bushel
Eventually / found the quotation was :
little too high, for I sold my load to Doc
Louellin, one of the business men. who
ran store and hotel. both in the same
building, for 81 per busheI, taking part
pay in goods including my nights lodg-
ing and horse feed. 1 think / may claim
10 have hauled the first load of grain
ever brought from the Whitewater to the
Wichita market
After the building Of the Santa Fe made
Wichita a railroad point all the farm pro-
ducts of the Whitewater country were
marketed here. and there is no valid rea-
son why it should not be so still Much
Of the products raised over there. espec-
tally fat stock, is now sent TO Kansas
City
Ny first evenings entertainment IN
wichita was the preliminary trial of
4
and the proprietor. I think, of the only
saloon in the town, for the murder of d
COWBOY. This. 1 believe. was the first
murder ever committed in Wichita The
trial was held at the residence OF Esquire /
Munger, the audience consisting princio- I
ally of COW boys. all armed with six
shooters and many of them fun of ''red /
liquor The conditions were not alto /
gether soothing to an Easter ntenderfoot |
still, 1 faced them and am alive to tell the
tale.
The only hotel, that is. the only exclu-
sive one. was built of split logs set q
end in the ground. rooted with the same
kind of timber on which there had been
piled dirt and gravel. and this. in turn.
was covered with a heavy growth Of
weeds and grass. At that time there was
nothing to indicate the building Of a great
city here. and for several years Wichita
did not grow much.
All goods and material used by the citi-
zens. excepting native lumber, mostly of
cottonwood. had TO be freighted from EN-
poria. Dutch BIZ kept freight train
on the road and many of the settlers
freighted for a living. notable thing
connected with Dutch Bits" train WIS
the fact that the now famous Colonel ~.
r Cody was one Of his teamsters and
possibly acquired much of his experience
in Indian warfare while on the road be-
tween Wichita and Emporia. There was
certainly an Indian with him. for
brother OF Dutch Bits squaw wife
va some of his drivers.
After Wichita got the Santa Fe White
oaar,fa Iao1r,a FraCrr.,+ --fSf-rrS
all the products Of our farms were mar
keted here, OF course. It came by wagon
and it was a stormy day. indeed. that did
not find many farmers from that country
on the streets.
There was a number of feed yards and
barns here. all apparently doing a rushing
business, for it was the custom TO put our
teams in the stables the drivers sleeping
I'm the hay loft. having usually brought a
little bedding along for that purpose.
There was usually a lively and frequently
q noisy crowd gathered here before morn
ing. for some Of the boys. both old AMI
young kept later hears than usual At
home There was always plenty IF
amusement II as many different kinds 70
be found and ii is safe 10 say that the
folks at home did not get full report u
the evenings adventures. This assertion
is not designed 20 be sweeping. for many
staid old farmers were among the num-
Der
In looking for old land marks I have
found but one. the city Stables on South
Market 1t that time it was owned by
con" Watrous and was the stopping
place Of ali freighters from Towanda. or
the Whitewater. We always took our
meals at Schaitzler-s restaurant on North
Main street. being sure Of good grab.
but not SO certain OF clean towels 50
many ust-begrimed farmers wiped on
them that Fritz. who was landlord, waiter
snd assistant cook. could not always get
them changed in time Mr.. Schnitzier
vas as vel known by the people OF the
surrounding country as at home. and his
name VIII live IN the 2nnals Of the pioneer
days long after his country patrons have
been gathered to their Father
The usual number Of saloons and ganA-
ling rooms characteristic OF frontier
towns were found As the town continue
10 grow. As a consequence all the cash
received for the load OF produce did not
! return with the driver Humanity IS
fraH.~ We are told. and all tho morality
In the world is not found among the az
rzculturists.
II might be Interesting 10 note thar IN
these very early days Wichita had 10
ve<ssient MUSICIAN and The ririzens VIII,