Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1918-06-14
NE|GHBORS ANALYZE
BAXTER ATTITUDE
Believe We Are Passing Up Our
Opportunities and Will Set
tie Down Eventually In
to a Suburb of Joplin

"0ur neighboring cities and towns
feel that Baxter Springs is not awake
to her opportunities and will not take
advantage of them, preferring to rest
upon what she has while in the mean
time the other towns and cities will
use every effort to grab the plums."
The above is the statement of Corb
NJ. Sarchet, secretary of the Baxter
Springs Chamber of Commerce, who
With Dick Lowry Of this city attend
I'd, accidentally, q meeting at Colum-
bus yesterday of Miami, Pittsburg
and Columbus boosters who are u.s.
ng every means possible to induce the
construction Of an air line electric
railway through the territory west of
Baxter Springs but which would, if
,hese other towns and cities have
their way, eliminate Baxter entirely
as q rival or even a possibility.
at was not difficult" says Sarchet,
TO understand the opinions of the
various persons assembled yesterday
at Columbus in regard to Baxter
Springs. They were very desirous
hat any railway, that will be built,
will be sure to leave this city to one
side, with no aid whatever given US to
Increase our facilities.
"There is no doubt but that these
o;hers towns consider that Baxter is
linked with Joplin and that therefore
this city will not make an aggressive
light to gather the plums that arc
r,ghtfully ours in the mining district.
in some of the speeches that were
nade in yesterdays meeting this op-
inion was expressed indirectly if not
directly.
ut was admitted, too, that Baxter
Springs has the very things that these
her towns are tearing their shirts
20 obtain-an electric line connecting
with the field and steam line also,
possible, to get in touch with the
field with coal, lumber and other ma
tcrial. 1t is known, of course, that
Baxter Spring already has an electric
line and that with the near complet-
on of the Miami Mineral Belt rail-
vay, this city will have a steam line
also that will connect with almost ev-
,yy mine in the field. These are the
,ery things, which Baxter has gratis,
hat the rivals of Baxter are striving
70 get. Miami men, at Columbus yes
scrday, offered to spend 100000 to
get an electric line; Pittsburg offered
to match dollar for dollar with Miami,
and Columbus will be expected to do
her utmost.
"In the meantime Baxter people, so
.hese other cities declare, are making
no preparations to take care of her
advantages. There are no facilities
being prepared to invite the laborers
of the field and the salaried men OF
the field to live in this city, to locate
here the dinner bucket brigade OF the
district. They say that while these
other towns are clamoring for this
business and that while Joplin is go
ing right through Baxter and taking
this business that the people Of Bax-
ter are content to allow these things
to result without taking advantage OF
her opportunities.
an plain words the rivals Of Bax-
ter feel that they have her lulled to
sleep and that in the near future, per-
haps far nearer than might be ex-
pected, she will not even be rival
but simply a side issue. That this
opinion is held of Baxter was not un-
derstood until the meeting at Colum-
bus yesterday, which the Baxter men
attended clearly through accident.
at developed yesterday that our
rivals are confident that Baxter will
not provide the cheap rental proper
ties for the labOring men in order TO
induce them to locate here and that
hotel and office building facilities will
not be provided, although dozens OF
men who go to Joplin every day to
spend the night would remain in Bax-
ter if there were proper hotel accom-
modations and many Of them would
stay here all the time, while it is i'm
possible, our neighbOrs know, to invite
mining companies to make Baxter
their headquarters because there are
not sufficient, modern Office accOmmo-
dations.
at was an easy matter to get this
opinion of Baxter Springs at a meet
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