Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1908-02-01

an impetus as the cable car system while
it lasted But it had its day, and finally
Kansas City yielded to the superior at
tack of electrically equipped systems.
The advance of the trolley helped Kan
sas City more than the cable, but never
came within a mile of giving SO much
advertising / remmeber the enthusiasm
everywhere in Kansas City over the
cable cars. There was a dash and in
terest centered in the system at once
captivating and irresistible. They were
rushing along Ninth street, always
loaded to the guards, and presented a
suggestion of city vim seldom surpassed
even in the larger cities that had first
introduced the system. Something there
was about the whirr of the cables roll
ing noise that one couldn't get around
1t made one feel that everything was in
motion and that everybody was busy
Systems may come and systems may go,
but the cable system was truly hum
mer.
There was cause for the conservatism
of Kansas City. The Scotch element
there was akin to that of Pittsburg, and
settling down after the boom days, the
town began to grow by normal stages
and along saner lines of progress. By
gradually concentrating upon one thing
at time, and taking live stock as a
starter, the city has kept hammering
along until she is now the second mar
ket of the world, Chicago alone out
ranking her. Taking natural conditions
into consideration, there was no deny
ing Kansas City's right of dominance.
AS this branch of her commerce pros
pered, it fostered other enterprises and
great manufacturing plants were set UP
to supply the Southwest. St. Louis was
fast forging ahead in manufactures.
however, and was trenching upon Chi
cago's legitimate territory AS St. Louis
advanced it lessened Kansas City's
chances for commercial supremacy; but
with foresight commensurate with her
enterprise, she built the Kansas City,
Memphis & Fort Scott railroad, and
opened up new territory of vast rich
ness which added immensely to her
trade, giving direct outlet to the Gulf
of Mexico, and prestige she badly
needed at the time Since then Kansas
Ctiy's future has been assured. To
day the city is away ahead of her own
prophecies of twenty years ago, and
4
must in time become a metropolis of
great Importance. Where other Ameri-
can cities got their power and promi-
hence from booming tactics, Kansas City
made her destinies dependent upon con-
servatism alone, trenchant weapon
welded with intelligent method.
Of the pure bred American, Kansas
City prides herself on the best of stock.
There has been relatively very small
percentage of foreign admixture, and
this fact is one of the city's proudest
boasts. Ten years ago during the Span
ish-American War l saw a regiment of
volunteers leave for the front, and it
was one of the sights of lifetime. The
regiment marched from the local armory
, over the principal streets, and about
everything that breathes was out to see
them off, The results of the war were
then most uncertain quantities, and the
feeling at the Kansas City regiment
departure was most intense. The brave
boys stepped with the stern pride of
patriots, the same that lined up at Val
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