Class __ 
 Book 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 
 
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 Vj-""^*-^ -V^^ t 
 
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H REATER KANSAS CI TY. . ^- ^ ^ ^ 
 
 HOW THIS BOOK CAME. 
 
 During the summer of 1 895. the Kansas City ••Times" conceived the idea of furthering the growth of 
 
 Kansas City by the organization of a 500.000 Club.its purpose being the building of a ••Greater Kansas City." 
 
 ^^^jj-j ^ With the view of aiding the ••Times" in its efforts towards developing this '•Greater Kansas City" the 
 
 '<';'^A^^ Missouri, Kansas & Texas Trust Company offered $2.1 00 in prizes for articles pertaining to Kansas City 
 
 ''*^»5''* and its interests. The prize articles are contained in this little booh, which is published with the purpose of giving 
 
 some adequate idea of the city' s past and present, and the abundant prosperity which the future promises. So 
 
 many false impressions are scattered about regarding the present condition of Kansas City, it is but justice that 
 
 they should be corrected, that the world should know Kansas City has entered upon an unlimited season of 
 
 sound prosperity, and that a population of 500, 000 will in the next few years be a reality and not a vision. 
 
 KANSAS CITY, MO.. OCTOBER. J 895. 
 
COPYRIGHTED BY 
 
 MrssouRi. Kansas & Texas Trust Company. 
 1895. 
 
KANSAS CITY OF THE PAST 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NUMBER 3. 
 By Thomas P. Jaudon, Jr. 
 I ET the genial "Father of American Literature" speak. 
 1 He wrote the following letter to his sister. Mrs. Paris, 
 ^^ at a time when this wonderful city existed only in the 
 mind of the prophet and the sooth-sayer : 
 
 Independence. Mo.. September 26. 1832. — My Dear 
 Sister: — We arrived at this place the day before yester- 
 day, after nine days' traveling on horsebaci^ from St. 
 Louis. Our journey has been a very interesting one, 
 leading us across fine prairies and through noble forests 
 dotted here and there by iarms ard log houses, at which 
 we found rough but wholesome and abundant fare, and 
 very civil treatment. Many parts of these prairies of 
 Missouri are extremely beautiful, resembling cuhivated 
 countries embellished with pr.rks and groves, rather than 
 the savage rudeness of the wilderness. 
 
 Yesterday 1 vas out on a deer hunt in the vicinity of 
 this place that led me through some scenery that only 
 wanted a castle or a gentleman's seat here and there dis- 
 persed to have equalled some of the most celebrated park 
 scenery of England. 
 
 The fertility of all this Western country is truly 
 astonishing. The soil is like that of a garden and the 
 luxuriance and beauty of the forests exceed any that I 
 have ever seen. We have gradually been advancing, 
 however, toward rougher and rougher life, and are now 
 in a little straggling frontier village that has been only 
 five years in existence. From hence, in the course of a 
 day or two. we take our departure southwardly, and shall 
 soon bid adieu to civilization and encamp at night in our 
 tents. My health is good, though I have been much 
 affected by the change of climate, diet and water since 
 my arrival in the West. Horse exercise, however. agrees 
 with me. I enjoy my journey exceedingly, and look for 
 still greater gratification in the part which is now before 
 
 me, which will present much greater wilderness and 
 novelty. The climax will be our expedition with the 
 Osages to their hunting ground and the sight of a buffalo 
 hunt. Your brother, 
 
 WASHINGTON IRVING. 
 
 It is stated on good authority that the author of the 
 Sketch Book, in company with the commissioner of 
 Indian affairs. Count Pourtales of Switzerland. Mr. Har- 
 vey Younger and others, departed from Chouteau's v/are- 
 house, thence westward and finally southward to the land 
 of the Osages. 
 
 The distinguished visitors were greeted by the French 
 settlers along the Missouri, but these were demure in 
 manner and very few in number. Had Washington Irving 
 visited Jackson county in 1887, in company with Presi- 
 dent Cleveland, he would have been welcom.ed by the 
 citizens of a throbbing Western metropolis, which 
 stretches gracefully, compactly and commercially from 
 near Chouteau's warehouse, over the hills and vales, 
 even far beyond the halting spots where the great novelist 
 stopped his panting steed for a few moments' rest. 
 
 One evening in 1854 two strange looking men landed 
 from a steamer near the foot of Delaware street and 
 walked across the levee to the Gilliss hotel, at that time 
 our only hostelry, now doing duty as a soap factory. One 
 of the gentlemen was tall and stately, the other of medium 
 stature. They were .Senator Thomas Benton and JohnC. 
 Fremont. "Fremont and Benton had arrived to complete 
 arrangements for an experiment with camels a.", beasts of 
 burden across the plains during the hot season." The 
 tall Senator was very enthusiastic on the subject, and 
 furthered the scheme at all hazards. On the following 
 day these gentlemen walked amid the cluster of houses 
 whicn constituted "Kansas" City, and which sheltered 
 
less than 300 inhabitants, and wended their way to the 
 home of Dr. Johnson Lykins. whose house was on a bluff 
 overlooking the town. At dinner Senator Benton dis- 
 cussed camels thoroughly, declared that many had already 
 been imported and that the plan was feasible. He was in 
 remarkably good spirits, and after dinner said to Mrs. 
 Lykins: "Mrs. Lykins. you will take a trip to California 
 on one of those camels, won't you?" Mrs. Lykins 
 laughed and said she preferred "a more comfortable 
 mode of travel." The statesman's face saddened. "You 
 are a very young woman." said he, "and you will live 
 to see the day when the railroad will cross the plains and 
 mountains to the Pacific coast." Mrs. Lykins told him 
 his project was as visionary as a trip to the moon. "1 will 
 not live to see the prophecy verified, but the next genera- 
 tion will," replied the stern-visaged statesman. 
 
 Colonel Benton's scheme failed, but Mrs. Lykins 
 lived to see his prophecy fulfilled, and recently closed 
 her eyes upon a mighty scene of rapidity and commercial 
 activity, as Kansas City is the second greatest rail- 
 road center in the United States, and its seventeen 
 systems have a mileage of over 67,000 miles, directly 
 tributary to its business. 
 
 Senator Benton, decidedly different from most states- 
 men was an exception to the Biblical declaration, "A 
 prophet is not without honor save in his own country." 
 The visit described above was Colonel Benton's last to 
 Kansas City. Some years before he spoke to the as- 
 sembled citizens on the Randolph bluffs, a few miles 
 below the city. 
 
 Pointing the long index finger of his right hand to the 
 west the Missouri senator dramatically declared that a 
 mighty city would some day cover the bottom lands and 
 hills which stretched majestically southward from where 
 the waters of the placid Kansas joined the ever turbulent 
 Missouri. The tall statesman also declared that on these 
 hills would be built the greatest commercial center west 
 of St. Louis. The commerce did come; the railroads did 
 
 come: the city did come, but how did the Senator come? 
 He came and departed by boat. The era of the steam- 
 boat is not the least important in the history of Jackson 
 county. The first boat to pass the site of Kansas City 
 was the Independence, in 1819. During the days of the 
 steamboat the levee was covered with goods; wagons were 
 being loaded for the trip across the plains, and the cries 
 of the runners for the Gillis hotel and the Farmers' hotel 
 added not a little to the vociferous and pious imprecations 
 of the mates and the constant thud of the exhaust. In 
 1857, 1,500 steamboats arrived and departed at the levee, 
 but in 1873 there were only 130, 
 
 The "Santa Fe Trade" was the cause of the happy 
 steamboat days, though the settlement of Kansas and 
 Kansas City's being the natural gateway to that territory, 
 helped the steamboat trade materially. The trade with 
 Mexico, commonly called the Santa Fe trade, because 
 Santa Fe was the gateway into that somnambulent coun- 
 try, began very early after the year 1820. Americans 
 had reached Santa Fe previous to that date. "The profits 
 of those early trading parties were so great, and their re- 
 ports so flattering and exciting that in 1822 a large num- 
 ber of parties with large amounts of merchandise went 
 out." 
 
 In 1833 Westport, now a suburb of Kansas City, was 
 founded. It grew rapidly and the merchants carried on 
 quite an extensive Indian trade. The main landing place 
 was at Blue Mills, a few miles below Independence. The 
 merchants of Westport thought the distance to Blue Mills 
 too great, and the boats began to land their goods at 
 Chouteau's warehouse, but Mr. John C. McCoy, the 
 founder of Westport, received his first stock of goods by 
 the steamer John Hancock and ordered them to be land- 
 ed in the woods above Chouteau's house, where Grand 
 avenue now reaches the river. This was in 1832. and 
 was the first landing ever made at what afterward became 
 the Kansas City levee. 
 
"Westport Landing" thus began its existence. The 
 Mexican trade was outfitte(4 briskly at Independence until 
 1843. when it was suppressed by General Santa Anna. "The 
 suppression of this trade was a severe blow to Indepen- 
 dence, and damaged Westport somewhat." In 1845 the 
 Santa Fe trade was resumed with great vigor and with 
 larger proportions. The Mexican war began about this 
 time and the river towns became outfitting depots for the 
 military expeditions then starling southward. Leaven- 
 worth. Wasion, Parkville and Liberty were greatly bene- 
 fitted by the trade consequent upon the exit of thousands 
 of well-equipped and provisioned soldiers. Independence 
 and Westport especially received a temporary impetus 
 and their merchants prospered accordingly. 
 
 But certain men had been thinking that the tendency 
 of the Indian trade, and also the Mexican trade, was to- 
 ward the natural rock landing, as transfers could readily 
 be effected between the boats and the wagons, the com- 
 mon carriers of these two great branches of trade. In 
 1837 a daughter of Gabriel Prudhomme. one of the heirs 
 of the estate, '■petitioned the Circuit court of Jackson 
 county for an allotment of dower to Prudhomme's widow 
 and a division of land among the heirs." After much 
 judicial proceeding the court ordered the estate sold at 
 auction. The sale was made to Abraham Fonda for 
 $1,800. Certain irregularities during this sale having 
 been proven to the court, a new sale was ordered to be 
 duly advertised. While the advertising was progressing, 
 the aforementioned thinking men. fourteen in number, 
 formed a company and determined to buy the estate and 
 lay out a town. 
 
 The sale occurred October 14. 1838. The town com- 
 pany bought the estate for $4,220 and proceeded at once 
 to lay out a town which they called Kansas. Thus we 
 see that the original Kansas City was the estate of the 
 vivacious Frenchman. Gabriel Prudhomme. It extended 
 from the river southward to Independence avenue, and 
 from Broadway eastward to Troost avenue. The com- 
 
 pany built a warehouse for the accommodation of the 
 Santa Fe and Indian trade. and W. B. Evans was appoint- 
 ed custodian. 
 
 This great city had its beginning on account of its 
 natural advantages for the extension of trade and trans- 
 portation. Severity of historical acumen, or the simple 
 desire to tell the truth, compel both the historian and the 
 humble annalist to declare that nearly the whole of the 
 history of this city has been a constant development, 
 modification, extension and perfection of those gigantic 
 factors, trade and transportation. The railroads, the 
 cables and the quickest and most efficient fire depart- 
 ment on earth are but a few examples of the progress of 
 transportation. "Kansas" prospered slowly and slumber- 
 ed peacefully. Citizens of Westport and Independence 
 called it Westport Landing in derision, but trade with the 
 Indians started. A few warehouses were built. 
 
 During the great flood of 1844 the steamboats ran up 
 to the door of Mr. Chick's warehouse, six feet above the 
 present level of the street. This flood destroyed the ware- 
 houses in the East and West bottoms, and they were 
 compelled to start anew at Kansas City. A historian 
 gravely remarks, "Thus this great calamity was an advan- 
 tage to what was then Kansas City, and every calam- 
 ity since, except the civil war. has equally rebounded to 
 her advantage, as the sequel will show." Belgian emi- 
 grants brought the cholera in 1849. but there were few to 
 kill. -It came again in 1851. and the panic reduced the 
 population to about 300. The place did not recover from 
 this exodus until the Santa Fe trade was finally concen- 
 trated at this point, which was about 1856 or 1857. A 
 Greater Kansas City commenced. 
 
 A history of Jackson county contains the following 
 words: "Messrs. Bent & St. Vrain. who were among the 
 oldest Indian traders on the plains, and who understood 
 the advantages of this point better than many others who 
 had engaged in the Santa Fe trade, landed a cargo of 
 goods here in this year (1845). which, it is stated, was the 
 
first cargo of goods that ever went from this point in a 
 wagon train to Santa Fe. Others followed, so that in 
 1846 the people of Kansas City had what they regarded as 
 a fair show of the trade." Kansas was settling up with 
 marvelous rapidity; the Santa Fe trade prospered. A 
 correspondent of the St. Louis Intelligencer declared 
 "that Kansas City had the largest trade of any city of her 
 size in the world, and was the point at which all freight 
 and immigrants for Kansas dis-embarked." The Journal 
 of Commerce at one time during these years described 
 the appearance of the levee as that of a great fair, it was 
 so piled up with all kinds of merchandise. The huge piles 
 of Mexican freight, the mules, the Greasers. Indians. mud 
 clerks, roustabouts and prairie schooners made a scene 
 never to be forgotten. But the hoarse commands of the 
 mate are heard no more, and the noble denizens of the 
 forest primeval are being rapidly crowded into the Pacific 
 by the ever advancing and restless paleface. 
 
 The first newspaper published in Kansas City was 
 called the Public Ledger, but the first permanent news- 
 paper had a name which has ever been the watchword of 
 this city — Kansas City Enterprise. In 1857 the name 
 was changed to Journal of Commerce, now the Journal. 
 
 Four years after the great trade revival of 1857 
 the Civil war began and Kansas City went into a disas- 
 trous decline. The Kansas towns on the Missouri river 
 were pushing rapidly to the front. Jackson county suf- 
 fered severely during the war. It was organized Decem- 
 ber 15. 1826. Clay county, adjoining Jackson county on 
 the north, was settled and organized before the land of 
 Jackson county was purchased from the red men. The 
 county on the north was named in honor of Henry Clay, 
 and the county seat was named Liberty, as that was a 
 favorite theme with the great commoner. The hardy 
 pioneers south of Clay county and across the "Big Mud- 
 dy" were not in political sympathy with the Kentucky 
 statesman, and in direct opposition to his admirers, named 
 their county Jackson and the county seat Independence, 
 
 which is still the county seat and a residence suburb of 
 Kansas City. Henry Clay received only one vote in 
 Jackson county out of 300 cast for President in 1828. 
 
 The Civil war in Western Missouri was largely a 
 series of raids, skirmishes and guerrillaism. Both sides 
 raised their respective flags on some of the niany hills of 
 Kansas City with an enthusiasm worthy of Revolutionary 
 patriots. Quantrell with his band of guerrillas captured 
 Independence August 11. 1862. With great energy and 
 unflagging zeal Kansas City was put in a state of defence, 
 but the dreaded cavalryman did not molest the trade 
 center. Last decoration day an imposing monument was 
 unveiled at Topeka. Kan. This granite shaft was erected 
 in honor of the Union men from Topeka who fell in the 
 Battle of the Blue, which was fought a few miles east of 
 Kansas City October 22. 1864. This battle was an im- 
 portant one. as it served to somewhat check the advance 
 of the Confederate General Price upon Kansas. The 
 resistance on that day of the entire Union force, under 
 General Curtis, and the arrival the next day of 5.000 men 
 from St. Louis, in command of General Pleasanton 
 served to defeat the plan of General Price, to occupy 
 Kansas City on the morning of the 23. and the Confeder- 
 ates continued their march southward. The most severe 
 battle fought in Jackson county was the battle of Lone 
 Jack, which was a defeat for the Union cause, the Fed- 
 erals losing many men and nearly all their artillery. This 
 engagement has been called the hottest fight in the State 
 during the war. Over half the troops engaged on each 
 side were either killed or wounded. 
 
 On June 16. 1861. a Kansas City paper offering 
 a reward of $150 for the return to the owner of his "negro 
 man Caesar." Probably the last slave sold in Missouri 
 was a negro girl sold at auction in Kansas City for $123 
 under execution for debt. 
 
 A special correspondent for the New York Herald 
 declared in I860 Kansas City had an immense trade^ 
 more than all the other river towns combined, but the war 
 
dissipated all hopes. During that struggle, the era of the 
 "Iron Horse" dawned. When the nver froze in 1863 the 
 Union Pacific railroad had received at St. Joseph iron 
 and accessories for forty miles of road, but could not get 
 them to Kansas City until spring. The Cameron railroad" 
 was completed from the east as far as Cameron. But 
 jealousy. "Thou greeneyed monster, thou plague of 
 blissful existence." began to assume vast proportions. 
 The people of Leavenworth began to make elforts to 
 secure the Cameron railroad. "It was a critical time 
 for Kansas City, for had that arrangement been consum- 
 mated it would have given Leavenworth the Cameron 
 railroad and the bridge and secured for her future pre- 
 eminence." But the capitalists of Kansas City interested 
 the managers of the roads, and by various means diverted 
 them from Leavenworth for the time being. The Missouri 
 Pacific and the Fort Scott and Gulf roads were slowly 
 approaching Kansas City, but all railroad enterprise was 
 stopped by General Price's raid m 1864. 
 
 One evening in 1867 a messenger appeared at the 
 home of Colonel T. S. Case, then living on the Westport 
 road, and told him to come into the city early next morn- 
 ing, prepared to go to Boston. He came. Colonel C. E. 
 Kearney had aroused General Reed and succeeded in get- 
 ting him to join Colonel Case. They crossed on the 
 ferry, "staged" it to Cameron and were soon on their 
 journey east. The cause of this sudden departure was 
 that the project of building a railroad from Cameron to 
 Kansas City had been revived; the roadbed had been put 
 in preventable shape, and delegates sent to Boston to 
 arrange with the Hannibal and St. Joseph people for its 
 completion. The Boston capitalists told the delegation 
 that they would have nothing to do with the road unless a 
 bridge would be built across the Missouri. But they sent 
 an engineer here, and a favorable report as to his ability 
 to bridge the river was sent to the east. 
 
 While the negotiations for receiving aid to build the 
 road were in progress, a contractor hurried into the city 
 
 and told Colonel Kearney that a capitalist, a professed 
 friend of Kansas City, had just started for Boston, having 
 contracts in his possession which provided for changing 
 the terminus of the Cameron road to Leavenworth and 
 for building a bridge at that point instead of at Kansas 
 City. Kearsey Coaies was at that time in Washington, 
 and Colonel Kearney telegraphed him to go to Boston at 
 once and tell the Boston company to await the arri\al of 
 General Reed and Colonel Case before closing any con- 
 tract with the perfidious capitalist. Mr. Coates arrixed in 
 Boston before daylight on a certain morning, hurried to 
 the residences of the members of the company and obtain- 
 ed a pledge to await the two travelers from Kansas City. 
 Mr. John E. Balis, from whose narrative the above story 
 of the turning point in the city's history was condensed, 
 says: "On the arrival of Case and Reed a conference 
 was held and the duplicity of the capitalist exposed by 
 letters which he had written to Kearney, and a definite 
 conclusion to join hands with Kansas City was the result. 
 I've been told that the Leavenworth contract was copied 
 and the words "Kansas City" substituted for the word 
 Leavenworth. The bridge was built at Kansas City, and 
 from that time we had a clean 'walk over.' not only as 
 regards the traffic across the river, but over all our 
 rivals." Colonel Kearney telegraphed the final contract 
 to Robert T. VanHorn. member of Congress from the 
 Kansas City district. There was great need of haste, as 
 a bill was to be reported the next Monday morning by the 
 committee on postoffices and poslroads providing for the 
 building of bridges at Quincy and other places. Colonel 
 Van Horn succeeded in getting the chairman of that 
 committee to agree to admit an amendment allowing a 
 bridge at Kansas City. When the House assembled the 
 reading of the minutes was deferred, the bill came up. Mr. 
 Van Horn's amendment was accepted and the chairman 
 moved the previous question. While all this was happen- 
 ing. Hon. Sidney Clark of Kansas came in and hurriedly 
 drew up an amendment for a bridge at Leavenworth. 
 
Too late. The previous question had been seconded and 
 his amendment could not be considered. The corner stone 
 of the bridge was laid August 21. 1667. Kansas City began 
 to take a place among the great American cities. The first 
 train came into the city over the Missouri Pacific railroad, 
 and before 1870 the bridge and seven railroads were com- 
 pleted. School and street improvements were of com- 
 mendable frequency. The population increased from 
 5.000 to 30.000. 
 
 The years between 1870 and 1872 were years of last- 
 ing industry. During that period there was another great 
 extension of railroad facilities: water and gas works were 
 built and the Board of Trade was organized. The first 
 street railroad, the free mail delivery, with only eight 
 carriers, and eight new railroads and an exchange build- 
 ing were the new features of the Centennial year. Growth 
 of the city from 1876 to 1880 was very rapid and subtan- 
 tial. The grain trade began to concentrate, and the 
 receipts of live slock were 3.366.707. valued at over 
 $48,000,000. Between 1880 and 1890 portraits of cable 
 viaducts and packing houses began to appear on the pages 
 of geographies in which Kansas City was described, and 
 of these publications declared that Kansas City was a 
 great grain market, an important railroad and packing 
 house center, and noted for its rapid growth. 
 
 History of the real Kansas City began after the Civil 
 war. bat the "first things" v/ere ante-bellum. The first 
 woman resident of Kansas City was Mme. Grand Louis. 
 The name of the first male resident, a Frenchman, is not 
 known. The first land owner near Kansas City — Daniel 
 Morgan Boone, son of Daniel Boone, the great Kentucky 
 pioneer. "Morg" Boone, as he was familiarly called — 
 trapped and hunted over the hills of what is now Kansas 
 City for many years. His remains now lay in an un- 
 marked grave, eight miles south of the city. 
 
 This city is now the tenth city in the amount of postal 
 business, but in 1845 the mail came weekly by way of 
 Westport. and was often kept in the pocket of the 
 
 postmaster, W. W. Clark. About eight years after 
 the first organization, the town company was re- 
 organized, and the first sale of lots took place in 1848. 
 The 150 lots sold brought an average of $55.65 per lot. 
 On November 29. 1855, the first addition. Hubbard's, was 
 annexed to "Old Town." but in 1887 249 additions were 
 platted. You may still see the first iron front placed on a 
 Kansas City building, then regarded as a very fine piece 
 of work for a frontier town. In 1834 Mr. James McGee 
 built the first brick house, still standing. A building on 
 Filth street, now serving its country as a livery stable, 
 was the first protestant church in the city. The first 
 catholic church was a log structure near Eleventh and 
 Penn streets. This church and the historical cemetary 
 near it have long since departed and private residences 
 occupy the site of their former glory. 
 
 Folios could be written concerning the exploits of 
 those buried in this cemetary. It was the first "God's 
 acre" of the city, and many French and Indians were in- 
 terred there. The "Old Resident" has applauded many 
 transformation scenes. Instead of the little frame Stock 
 exchange which stood at the foot of the Twelfth street 
 cable viaduct, he now beholds a mammoth structure with 
 an annual business of over $90,000,000. The little street 
 car railroad. running on the old-fashioned rails from Fourth 
 and Main to Sixteenth and Grand avenue, was the fore- 
 runner of the Belt and 'V/estport lines, but they are gone 
 and miles of cable tracks center the paved streets. The 
 first packing house packed only 4.209 cattle in 1871. but 
 in 1894 the great packing houses of Kansas City slaugh- 
 tered 959.000 cattle. 2.050.784 hogs and 387.000 sheep. 
 Ninety miles of paved streets take the place of the old 
 macadamized roads and palatial buildings occupy the 
 sites of historical landmarks. The pontoon bridge across 
 the Kansas river is gone and twelve modern bridges now 
 give access to our sister city. The old resident trembled 
 lest Leavenworth should secure the bridge across the ever 
 rushing Missouri, but today he sees three bridges across 
 
that foaming stream bear many of the hundreds of trains 
 which daily enter into and depart from the city which is 
 his pride and joy. 
 
 One of the first schools of Kansas City was a log 
 cabin near Twelfth and Troost avenue, now the center of 
 the middle residence district. Our schools have a national 
 reputation. 
 
 Kansas City. Kan., the metropolis of the Sunflower 
 State, joins Kansas City on the west. The two cities are 
 governmentally two. but socially and commercially one. 
 Kansas City is an inter-State city. All the distinguished 
 guests. General Grant. Grover Cleveland. Benjamin 
 
 Harrison. William McKinley. George W. Childs and 
 others whom the citizens of Kansas City have entertained 
 at various times, have spoken of the great effect Kansas 
 City has upon the development of the West and South- 
 west. With perfect accord the two Kansas Citys joined 
 hands long ago and formed a natural and mutually com- 
 mercial gateway to the mighty regions beyond, and their 
 energetic citizens have verified the words of the poet : 
 "Crossed the prairies as of old their fathers 
 
 crossed the sea 
 To make the West, as they the East, the 
 
 heaven of the free." 
 
 KANSAS CITY OF TODAY 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NO. 4. 
 By E. M. Clendenning. 
 
 NO conscientious scribe can undertake a description of 
 Kansas City of today without comparing it to the 
 Kansas City of a few years ago. A favorite expres- 
 sion of the loyal Kansas Cityan when extolling the won- 
 derful growth and improvements here is. "Why. when I 
 came here only so many years ago," then he will proceed 
 to narrate what we did not have that we now rejoice in. 
 Thirty years is but a short time in the history of cities and 
 yet that is practically Kansas City's age. When we 
 speak of cities we do not refer to the straggling village, 
 the trading post, of the name by which Kansas City was 
 originally known, "Westport Landing," but we refer to 
 the time when rapid transportation was acquired, when 
 communication with other parts of our country by means 
 of the telegraph and improved postal facilities was estab- 
 lished. This is the period v/hen Kansas City began to 
 assume the position of a city. 
 
 In recounting the rapid advancement which has been 
 made, we must not forget that when Kansas City was 
 shedding her swaddling clothes some of her rivals of 
 
 today had reached important positions as commercial 
 centers. Comparison is an effectual means of ascertain- 
 ing the relative merits of everything. In this manner, 
 then consider the Kansas City of today. 
 
 The geographical position of Kansas City has always 
 given her residents confidence in her future and many of 
 her founders have lived to see the fruition of their labors 
 in her behalf and the wisdom of her location. Situated in 
 the center of the United States, she has always been 
 destined to become a great city. There were many diffi- 
 culties to be overcome to make this a suitable place to 
 build a city. High bluffs were to be leveled, ravines to 
 be filled and these were some of the discouragements of 
 the early settlers. The visitor now scarcely realizes that 
 the location of some of the best buildings were once either 
 an infant mountain or an uninviting depression. In this 
 one particular only, nature did not appear to be in har- 
 mony with this spot as the location of a commercial and 
 manufacturing center. But all things else conspired to 
 stimulate the staunch friends of the early days and to lead 
 
them to believe that their efforts would some day be 
 rewarded substantially. 
 
 All cities that become important factors in the com- 
 mercial world must be thoroughly equipped in e\ery 
 department of transportation for both freight and passen- 
 ger. The first railroad to Kansas City was completed in 
 1865; Kansas City is today, with one exception, the 
 greatest railroad center in this country, having twenty- 
 seven lines of railroads covering a mileage of 52.000 
 miles. These railway lines radiate in every direction and 
 traverse thirty-two States and Territories. The total 
 number of freight and passenger trains arriving and 
 departing from Kansas City in a single year is one hun- 
 dred and forty-six thousand four hundred and ten (146.- 
 410). There are three hundred and twenty-six miles of 
 track and fourteen hundred and thirty-six switches within 
 Kansas City's manufacturing and jobbing district. What 
 city in the world can show such a record as that between 
 the Kansas City of yesterday and of today in the acquisi- 
 tion of railway facilities. 
 
 But it was not until 1869 that It was thought Kansas 
 City would be a railroad center ; this opinion then pre- 
 vailed, and the completion of the Hannibal bridge that 
 year gave Kansas City its greatest prestige in railroad 
 circles. 
 
 Next in importance to steam railroads is Kansas 
 City's street railway system, which is the best in the 'West. 
 The entire system, which was recently consolidated 
 under the name of the Metropolitan Street Railway com- 
 pany, has been built since 1882. It embraces a total of 
 156 miles, the chief motive power being cable. The 
 transfer arrangements are such that for one fare a pas- 
 senger can reach his destination from any part of the 
 city. 
 
 Kansas City was the second city in the country to 
 introduce cable railways for rapid street transportation, 
 and on account of the many hills upon which Kansas 
 City if built, has been found the most desirable. There is 
 
 but little left in Kansas City of the originel street 
 car lines to remind one of the company which built 
 the first line here in 1870. when the population was about 
 32.000. 
 
 The first street paving in Kansas City was laid in the 
 spring of 1833, the material used being cedar blocks on 
 board foundation, and Wyandotte street from Fifth to 
 Ninth was selected for this improvennent. Since that time 
 Kansas City has paved over 100 miles of streets: cedar 
 blocks, which were first used from an economical stand- 
 point, have been replaced either with granite blocks, 
 brick or asphalt. Kansas City has more streets paved 
 with asphalt than any city of similar size in America. 
 
 Kansas City is built upon a succession of hills, and 
 the natural drainage is excellent. There are 140 miles of 
 modern sewers in the corporate limits of the city. Every 
 important public and office building in Kansas City has 
 been erected since 1880. There are more first-class 
 office buildings in Kansas City than any city of equal size 
 in the United States. These buildings are furnished with 
 every modern convenience and are handsome structures. 
 
 Kansas City is situated upon the Missouri river, and 
 for many years this was the only source of transportation 
 for passengers and freight, consequently the business and 
 residence part of the city was near the ri\ er. The prin- 
 cipal retail thoroughfore is Main street, beginning at the 
 river and extending south. This street divides the city 
 into what is known as the West side and the East side. 
 The West side overlooking the bluffs (from which can be 
 seen the State of Kansas) was until 1882 the best residence 
 portion of the city, but when the street car lines were 
 built, affording a quick and comfortable means of travel 
 the other side of the city developed rapidly into a place 
 for the location of handsome homes. The residences of 
 Kansas City embrace a variety of modern architecture, 
 and the pastures and farms of a few years ago are now 
 filled with palatial homes so situated that ample space is 
 given for lawns, which add to their attractiveness. 
 
 12- 
 
There is now being projected a system of paries and 
 boulevards, which, when completed will give Kansas City 
 magnificent places of resort and elegant drives. The 
 parks which Kansas City enjoys at present are Fairmount, 
 Washington, Troost and Burge. and any of them are 
 reached by means of steam, cable and electric cars in 
 about a half hour's ride from the center of the city. 
 
 Kansas City's public school system is controlled by 
 a Board of Education elected by the people and chosen 
 for their adaptability for the position without reference to 
 their political affiliations. Thirty-six school buildings are 
 devoted to public education, the High school being the 
 finishing school wheie the boys and girls graduated from 
 the grammar schools can equip themselves for the 
 various walks of walks of life, and after graduation at the 
 High school can matriculate to any college in the country. 
 Twenty thousand school children were enrolled during 
 the school year just closed. 
 
 Kansas City recently voted an appropriation of $200,- 
 000 for the erection of a public library building, which is 
 now in process of construction. 
 
 Kansas City is rich in churches, having 120 church 
 buildings, valued at $4,000,000. 
 
 It was not until 1884 that Kansas City had a govern- 
 ment building for the use of the postoffice. United States 
 court and offices for various government employees. So 
 rapid was the growth of the city that this building, com- 
 pleted in 1884, was in a few years found inadequate for 
 the purpose, and in 1890 the government made an appro- 
 priation for the purchase of a new site for a postoffice. 
 Ground was purchased and the new building will occupy 
 an entire block. The foundation is in place and work- 
 men are engaged in building the superstructure. The 
 building will be built of Llano. Tex., stone. 
 
 Kansas City's newspapers have always been foremost 
 in the advocacy of Kansas City's resources and much 
 credit is due them for the position Kansas City has attain- 
 ed as a commercial and manufacturing center. 
 
 Kansas City is one of the best telephone cities in the 
 country. The company here owns its building, into 
 which it has recently moved. This building is supplied 
 with all the modern inventions and every arrangement 
 has been made for the comfort of the employees. A new 
 switch board was purchased by this company at a cost of 
 $75,000. The total number of telephones in use in Kan- 
 sas City is 2.800; by means of telephones the towns of 
 Missouri and Kansas, within a distance of 150 miles, are 
 brought into communication with this c.'ty. 
 
 Kansas City is peculiarly situated and has frequently 
 been remarked that it is one of the few cities in this 
 country that has required two states in which to build it. 
 Many visitors suppose that the Kansas river is the divid- 
 ing line; this is an erroneous impressions the imaginary 
 line being considerably east of that river. Therefore 
 when we speak of the population of Kansas City it is 
 customary to include the residents east of the Kansas 
 river. A conservative estimate places the inhabitants of 
 the Kansas City of today at 194.000; in the next five years 
 we hope to reach the half million mark. 
 
 Kansas City's places of amusement consist of four 
 first-class theatres and a number of auditoriums where 
 lectures and concerts are given. 
 
 We have endeavored to give the reader some idea of 
 Kansas City of today; the character of her buildings, 
 something of its residences, street railway facilities, in- 
 stitutions of learning, places of amusement, etc.. but 
 while the Kansas City of today appreciates these, and is 
 proud of them, they are not usually discussed until the 
 business aspect is considered. We have for this occasion 
 reversed the order of things and have reserved a discus- 
 sion of Kansas City's business as the crowning touch of 
 all her glory. A beautiful city, a healthful city — a large 
 city — can not exist without the stimulus of vigorous com- 
 mercial and manufacturing enterprises. From the time 
 that Kansas City was an outfitting point, from which the 
 early settlers and prospectors obtained their supplies, to 
 
 -13- 
 
the present day. Kansas City has always been a distribt- 
 ing point, and as the country became settled. Kansas 
 City's position as a jobbing market was never in doubt. 
 
 The retail trade of Kansas City shares the same 
 blessings of location as does the jobbing and manufactur- 
 ing. The number of small towns within a few hours ride 
 of the city enables the residents of these places the 
 opportunity of supplying their wants at the lowest market 
 price. The volume of this trade is so great, together 
 with the home consumption. that the retailer can purchase 
 liberally, giving the buyer large stocks from which to 
 select, comprising every variety, from the ordinary to 
 the finest. 
 
 Kansas City's retail establishments are far in ad- 
 vance of cities of its size, perhaps for the reason that 
 they do not depend entirely upon the inhabitants of the 
 city for their patronage. Over 3.000 houses are engaged 
 in the retail trade here, whose sales amount to about 
 $40,000,000 annually. Some of the concerns are mam- 
 moth in their proportions, several department houses 
 carrying almost every line that is manufactured. The 
 intelligence of the people demands the finest assortment, 
 the best quality and most approved styles. 
 
 Kansas City's geographical position has destined her 
 to become what she is today, one of the greatest dis- 
 tributing markets of the West. Her territory is almost 
 unlimited, and the jobber is never in doubt as to the 
 amount of goods he can sell, but the question with him is. 
 what his capital will permit. 
 
 Kansas City is today a market for everything that 
 is manufactured, and the merchant can now come here 
 with the assurance that his wants can be supplied. A 
 city to be a jobbing market must have the assortment, 
 price and quality, and the Kansas City of today is equal 
 to the emergency. Dry goods, boots and shoes, clothing, 
 millinery, hats and caps, drugs, paints, oils, agricultural 
 implements, groceries, etc.. etc.; these will be found in 
 abundance. Five hundred and seventy-five firms are 
 
 engaged in the jobbing trade of Kansas City. Their sales 
 aggregate $85,000,000 a year, and with the recent ad- 
 ditions to their numbers and prospects of an enormous 
 crop this amount will no doubt be increased in the very 
 near future. 
 
 The progressive spirit of her merchants has done 
 much to bring Kansas City to its present importance as a 
 jobbing center, but the chief factor has been the wealth 
 and extent of the tributary territory and exceptional 
 transportation facilities. These favorable conditions will 
 be increased with the lapse of years, and the jobbing 
 trace which the Kansas City of today enjoys is but a fore- 
 runner of brighter days in the future. Within a radius of 
 250 miles. Kansas City has a population of over 3.000.000 
 to supply with the necessities and comforts of life. In 
 most of this territory there has never been a crop failure. 
 
 An important commercial pursuit in Kansas City is 
 her live stock market and packing house product. This 
 is a distinctive industry, peculiar to Kansas City, as it has 
 many rivals and but few superiors. It is the second 
 largest live stock market in the world. The Stock Yards 
 are the most convenient and modern in this country. 
 During the year 1894 the Stock Yards company found it 
 necessary to expend $1,500,000 for additional land and 
 improvements in order to accommodate the increasing 
 business. The receipts of stock at the Kansas City Stock 
 Yards for a single year requires the service of 107.840 
 freight cars, and the sales at the yards amount to $100.- 
 000.000 a year. The Live Stock exchange was establish- 
 ed in 1871. and the growth of business since that time 
 has been remarkable. The Exchange building is now 
 being doubled to accommodate the business. One hundred 
 commission firms have offices in the Live Stock Exchange 
 building. These firms are all members of the exchange, 
 and their influence in public affairs is a potent factor. In 
 connection with the Stock Yards company is the finest 
 stable in the world for the sale of horses and mules. Re- 
 ceipts for the past year were 44.378 head. 
 
 -14- 
 
The packing industry in Kansas City today is a theme 
 in itself and requires more space than is permitted at this 
 time. Kansas City has always been more or less a trad- 
 ing point for the sale of live stock, and as early as 1858 a 
 packing house was established. Not until 1870. however, 
 did this business begin to assume the magnitude which is 
 now realized and which has placed Kansas City as the 
 second largest market in the country for packing house 
 products. Kansas City is entitled to the reputation she 
 has for the quality of beef which is slaughtered here, corn 
 fed cattle having superseded the range animal of a few 
 years ago. Kansas City is advertised wherever civiliza- 
 tion exists, by reason of her packing houses, the product 
 being shipped to every country on the globe. The pack- 
 ing houses of Kansas City kill and dress 3.456,860 ani- 
 mals a year, and this number will no doubt be largely 
 increased in the near future. This industry represents an 
 invested capital of $15,000,000. with an annual output of 
 $70,000,000. giving employment to 7.000 people at a sal- 
 ary of $4,000,000 a year. 
 
 Kansas City is a large depot for the receipt and dis- 
 tribution of all kinds of cereals, having an elevator capac- 
 ity of 4.400.000 bushels, and a handling capacity of 
 900.000 bushels per day. The States of Kansas. Ne- 
 braska and Missouri, with Oklahoma Territory, produce 
 25 per cent, of all the wheat raised in this country, and 
 Kansas City is the natural market for the shipment of this 
 cereal. 
 
 The subject that is dear to the hearts of the loyal 
 people of every city is that of manufacturing, and a few 
 people frequently allow their better feelings to get control 
 of them when they approach this subject, and the remark 
 is frequently heard that the only way to increase the pop- 
 ulation of a city is to bring more factories to it. We 
 admit that this is one way to build up a city, but there is 
 not a large city in America, that can attribute its great- 
 ness solely to manufacturing industries. Generally 
 speaking, the distinctively manufacturing cities are small 
 
 places, and the populous city is the one that combines 
 manufacturing with jobbing interests and other commer- 
 cial pursuits. Large cities first become great distributing 
 points, and as the demand increases, the necessity for 
 the manufacturing of supplies for distribution becomes 
 apparent. This is the history of all our large cities, 
 and there is every encouragement to believe that the 
 next five years will see in Kansas City a marked im- 
 provement in manufacturing industries. Few cities of 
 Kansas City's population can show such favorable con- 
 ditions for the combinations which make up a healthful 
 commercial growth. Her territory is unapproachable. 
 Rich in everything that soil, forest and mine can produce, 
 she has long since passed the experimental period and 
 is recognized as one of the great jobbing centers of the 
 West. Combined with this she has made rapid strides as 
 a manufacturing city, and these two elements, in perfect 
 accord with natural surroundings and resources, is build- 
 ing her up to the standard which has long been prophe- 
 sied for her. 
 
 Jobbing and manufacturing — twin sisters — whose 
 interests are identical, and between whom there is no 
 no rivalry in Kansas City. 
 
 The past two years have been trying times all over 
 the world, and men have been loath to invest their money 
 in new enterprises. However, in the face of these diffi- 
 culties. Kansas City has maintained factories already 
 located here and has added to them very materially. 
 During the oast two years a number of new plants have 
 come to Kansas City, the most prominent being the 
 Kansas City Car Wheel and Foundry company, occupy- 
 ing thirteen acres of ground at the intersection of the 
 Kansas City Belt and Union Terminal railway companies. 
 This company has a capital of $250,000 and employs 200 
 hands. Their business is the manufacture of car wheels 
 and cars. One order placed with them shortly after 
 locating here was for 125 cars for one of our packing 
 houses. The Cowles-Dennison Manufacturing company 
 
 -15- 
 
manufacture a self-feeder for a threshing machine. The 
 Indian Rice Milling company, located on the line of the 
 Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway company, manufac- 
 tures white corn into brewers' grits, corn meal etc. The 
 Consolidated Box Manufacturing company came to Kan- 
 sas City at the beginning of 1894. and manufactures 
 boxes of every kind. The Riverside Iron Works com- 
 pany, successors to the Keystone Iron Works company, 
 was reorganized in the spring of 1894. and has been 
 doing a successful business. They manufacture machin- 
 ery for packing houses, and have recently commenced 
 the manufacture of ice machines, which have the reputa- 
 tion of being first-class. 
 
 The Rex mill, destroyed by fire, is being rebuilt, and 
 when completed will be one of the most modern flour 
 mills in the country. The Western Manufacturing com- 
 pany located here after inspecting other locations, making 
 cultivators and harrows. The Corle Oat Meal and Cereal 
 company is the largest manufacturing establishment 
 making oat meal outside of the Trust, and has built up 
 a larger business in a short time than any other establish- 
 ment in the country. 
 
 No statement with reference to Kansas City's manu- 
 facturing industries would be complete without mention- 
 ing the excellent facilities factories here enjoy by reason 
 of the lines of belt railway, which connect with all the 
 railroads which center here. These belt railways are : 
 The Kansas City. Kansas City Suburban and the Union 
 Terminal. the latter completed within the last few months. 
 These lines afford great convenience in the matter of 
 handling cars, as well as a saving of money. 
 
 Manufacturing can be conducted in Kansas City as 
 economically as in any city in the United States, the 
 price of fuel ranging from $1.25 to $1.75 per ton. Labor 
 is plenty: taxation is low. These all contribute to make 
 Kansas City a desirable place for manufacturers. 
 
 The completion of a new line of railway to the South, 
 which is now under construction, opens a new field for 
 
 manufacturing enterprises in Kansas City. This railroad 
 runs through a country rich in mineral resources; lumber 
 in unlimited quantities, of the finest quality, abounds and 
 should be the means of establishing factories here for the 
 manufacture of furniture and agricultural implements, as 
 well as affording another outlet for jobbers. 
 
 The energetic business man in this wideawake. 
 pushing, enterprising Kansas City of today is fortified 
 by a banking capital of $11,200,000. with clearings for 
 the year ending June 1. 1895. of $699,686,254, 
 
 The conservative reasoner must be impressed with 
 the volume of Kansas City's business, when the amount 
 of its bank clearings are considered, in comparison with 
 the cities of America. 
 
 In this respect Kansas City has been swifter in the 
 commercial race than many of the cities which have 
 been established for years, and In the grand competition, 
 free for all, she has forged ahead until today she has but 
 nine superiors, in amount of bank clearings, in the United 
 States, 
 
 The assessed value of Kansas City property is $82.- 
 000.000. while its debt is but $916,647. Kansas City of 
 today is a healthful city, sanitary laws are enforced and 
 the death rate is only 10 to a 1,000. 
 
 Kansas City is fortunate in its commercial organiza- 
 tions, having the Board of Trade. Real Estate exchange. 
 Live Stock exchange and Builders' and Traders' ex- 
 change, each legislating for the special branch of busi- 
 ness they represent for the good of all. Unselfish where 
 the intesests of the city are concerned, and liberal to 
 public enterprises demanding attention. 
 
 From the members of all these organizations, in- 
 cluding representatives from every class of business, 
 bankers, merchants and manufacturers, has been formed 
 the Commercial club, whose sole aim is 'to promote the 
 progress, extension and increase the trade and industries 
 of Kansas City." 
 
 -16- 
 
GREATER KANSAS CITY. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NUMBER 5. 
 By H. L. Sterrett. 
 1 I /HEN Kansas City shook off the lethargy tjorn of 
 \Xj dull times and the over-valuation of real estate, 
 the invariable concomitant of "boom" agita- 
 tion. "Greater Kansas City" became a possibility. When 
 the people a*oke to the fact that the climax of merely 
 commercial growth had been reached and once more 
 presented the same unity of front and coherence of effort 
 which made the commercial Kansas City not only the 
 greatest purely commercial city of the West, but advertis- 
 ed her facilities all over the world, then "Greater Kansas 
 City" became an accomplished fact. To the energy, 
 push and fidelity of her citizens, who at last rose above 
 the idea of mere personal gain as the acme of earthly 
 desires, is due the rapid and uniform growth of the city 
 from the point where the first check was placed on her. 
 
 With the dawn of the era of civic pride the dawn of 
 the future greatest city of the West and Southwest was 
 seen. With the realization that effort must be combined 
 and persistent: that homes must be made something more 
 than mere abiding places; that labor must have employ- 
 ment, and that this employment must come from home, 
 there arose in the city a force, irresistible and concen- 
 trated, which resulted in the collection of the greatest 
 number of flourishing manufacturies in the Kaw and 
 Missouri valley ever seen on the globe. When the city deci- 
 ded by nearly three-fifths of the entire vote that the water- 
 works should belong to and be operated by the city; that 
 parks and breathing places for the people should be provided 
 by the people's agents, the people themselves began the 
 crusade which never has ended and never will end. 
 
 With the adoption of the charter amendments, rati- 
 fied by the people on June 6. 1895. the end of the sleep 
 of the denizens of the most favorably situated city on the 
 American continent came to an end. The people said 
 
 17- 
 
 there must be half a million people here before the dawn 
 of the new century. They knew from past experience 
 that mere commerce would not accomplish this. They 
 knew that the natural advantages of the city as a resi- 
 dence city must be improved until home attractions would 
 be unsurpassed. They knew that cheap homes were 
 easily secured, but they also knew that Kansas City was 
 the only city of its importance in the civilized world 
 lacking in public breathing spots. Knowing this, they 
 went to work with a will to provide them for all the 
 people. 
 
 The first result of this newly developed energy was 
 the establishment of that system of parks and boulevards 
 which a park board, with exceptional foresight, had map- 
 ped out in anticipation of the time when the people would 
 confer on it the power of acquisition and improvement. 
 With the beginning of the work on the adornment of the 
 city began the renewal of prosperity; the onward march 
 of the city. Land values at once took an upward flight 
 and labor was again in demand, after a season of depres- 
 sion which had checked even the business advance. 
 
 Then, even before the transformation of the bluffs 
 and interior points of the city was undertaken, the revivi- 
 fied people formed asscciations, held meetings and took 
 action toward the attraction of capital for investment 
 in manufacturing industries. It was shown to the world 
 that no city in the universe has or ever will have as good 
 advantages for the operation of tanneries, shoe factories, 
 saddleries and harness works as this city. It was shown 
 that no city has a larger tributary territory where such 
 products would find a more ready sale. With the heavi- 
 est live stock and packing house business hides were at 
 hand for the use of all manufacturers who felt desirous of 
 turning to Kansas City as a place of investment. 
 
Cheaper water was one of the demands capital made 
 in order to invest in this city, even when conceding the 
 vast marltet opened up by the introduction of industries of 
 every kind here. In order that this might be secured 
 without loss or damage to anybody the people decided to 
 take advantage of the clause in the contract with the 
 Water-works company and elected to purchase the sys- 
 tem already constructed and in operation. After years of 
 litigation, delays of all kinds known to the law and with 
 all the power of gold and skill concentrated to defeat 
 them, the people fought the fight to a successful issue 
 solely on their merits as fighters with nerve enough to 
 win. The amendment authorizing the city to issue bonds 
 was carried by an overwhelming vote. The contract of 
 the purchase was ratified in spite of the machinations of 
 interested m^ney owners, and the plant wrested from the 
 grasp of the corporation after a legal battle without par- 
 allel in the history of the country. 
 
 Having provided for municipal ownership of her 
 water supply, the city had cleared her decks for the con- 
 test for supremacy. With a people united and determin- 
 ed; with a remembrance of what Kansas City had been 
 and still remained-the commercial ruler of the West-with 
 hope for the future and vim to realize on that hope, the 
 city said to the manufacturers of the East: "Come out 
 here where you can get the raw material and build 
 among us. Bring your skilUed artisans and their fami- 
 lies, and we will give them pleasant parks and beautiful 
 drives. We have a city which has no equal in the coun- 
 try in educational facilities. in health and in all that makes 
 life desirable. Ov/ning our own water-works, we will 
 grant free power privileges for a term of years to those of 
 you who will come to us." 
 
 Thus began a realization of what seemed a dream, 
 that the greater Kansas City should make her bow to the 
 world with the dawn of the new century. Knowing that 
 this city always lived up to the letter of a contract, even 
 if it resulted in temporary loss, believing that such a 
 
 community was builded on right lines, the pilgrims came 
 out of the East and settled in the Kaw and Missouri val- 
 leys. Huge factories began to surround the tanneries, 
 which were the first of the new industries to lift up their 
 heads. With the new process for tanning perfected, 
 leather became cheaper and the profit from all kinds of 
 leather products became greater. The cost of freighting 
 two ways was omitted, and the people received the bene- 
 fit of this reduction. 
 
 Skilful workmen in shoe factories, saddleries and 
 harness factories came here to secure the employment 
 offered. They found the city becoming more and more 
 beautiful to look at. a system of public squares — neigh- 
 boring breathing places right at the doors of the poor, 
 with schools and churches dotting the landscape at short 
 intervals and with a system of education which has never 
 been and never will be surpassed, and they realized that 
 here v/as the place for their little ones. They saw here a 
 market for their labor and good homes within easy reach. 
 They moved their families to the great West, and remain- 
 ed, swelling the swelling population with earnest, sober, 
 industrius, skilful citizens, adding much to the importance 
 of the West and Southwest. 
 
 They found a market wherein they could buy the 
 necessities of life cheaper than in the ones they left be- 
 hind them. They found that the city taps every source of 
 supply in the country by more direct lines of transporta- 
 tion than is the fortune of any of its rivals. Fruits come 
 from Central America and Mexico; from California and 
 the Gulf States; the marvelous berries of Arkansas, and 
 the apples, peaches and other small fruits of Southern 
 Missouri, unequalled in the world, they found laid down 
 at their doors at prices within the reach of all. earlier than 
 these same needed luxuries reached the greater cities of 
 the Union. 
 
 Finding fruit and vegetables in profusion all around 
 the city for hundreds of miles, reached by 57,000 miles 
 of railroad directly tributary to Kansas City, extensive 
 
canning factories sprang up almost in a night, and now 
 prepare and send out to the world products noted for 
 their excellence. With "Kansas City" stamped on each 
 package, their reception is assured. It was due to the 
 fact, among other things, that when the people set about 
 filling up the manufacturing lands with manufacturies, 
 that they served notice on the world that they would not 
 handle nor use any goods not marked: "Made in Kansas 
 City." 
 
 Dealers took advantage of this legend to push their 
 goods; they found a ready response. Sustaining the rep- 
 utation of the city that everything produced here is of 
 the highest quality, there was and is little difficulty in 
 placing anything with this trade-mark. Hence it results 
 that with the push and vigor of the people, something for 
 which thev have always been famed, commerce has kept 
 even pace with the advancement in productive impor- 
 tance. It was learned that the natural resources of this 
 city had never been sounded. Texas offered not only 
 her cattle, but told the people here that the best and 
 largest production of cotton is grown west of the Missis- 
 sippi. A hint was enough when the people had become 
 fully aroused. 
 
 Denver had cotton mills; why should Kansas City 
 lack them? There was but one answer, and cotton mills 
 came to stay. The hills of New Hampshire and Vermont 
 lost much of their commercial value when the boys from 
 those States took to the West and began the manufacture 
 of cotton fabrics formerly confined to the remote Eastern 
 portions of the republic. Prints, threads, sheetings, etc., 
 were started from Kansas City mills to compete with the 
 products of the Fast, in America and out of it, and they 
 won in the fierce fight. Again the energy and ability 
 which characterized all things of Kansas City carried the 
 day. where any faltering might have lost or delayed. 
 The policy adopted when the contest was resumed, and 
 which has never been changed, that Kansas City and her 
 products, her resources, and the fact that they are being 
 
 utilized, must not only be kept in view at home, but en- 
 forced by ceaseless efforts abroad, secured its legitimate 
 reward, and home manufactures of cotton reach out all 
 over the country into the republics of the Southern conti- 
 nent, all bearing the mark of "Greater Kansas City." 
 
 It was known to the people of this city that no State 
 in the Union has such rich natural ores as Missouri. The 
 lead mines of Joplin had been opened and operated for 
 years before the new energy came to the surface. Some 
 attention had been paid to the corrosion of lead for pig- 
 ments, a factory having been in operation for some time. 
 Not satisfied with this, the people began to look about for 
 pipe and plumbers' supplies. The motto that Kansas City 
 uses only Kansas City products was again enforced, and 
 extensive lead works sprang up in the Blue valley to the 
 east. Then the iron industry, which was once well rep- 
 resented in that valley, was revived, and "Kansas City" 
 was stamped on iron pipes, gas and water mains, and 
 even iron used in the construction of the huge, modern, 
 steel-framed buildings. 
 
 The great States whose products flow to Kansas City 
 as naturally as water does down one of her hills, were 
 found to be producers of a fine quality of wool in large 
 quantities. Then it dawned on the minds of the people 
 that they were sending that wool through their gates to 
 the factories of the East and over to England: that they 
 were taking that same wool back in the form of clothing 
 and dress materials, paying a tariff on the imports of 
 materials which went out duty free in the raw condition. 
 Then a home market for woolen goods was created, 
 Kansas City said: "We can make as fire cloth, as fine 
 blankets, as fine dress patterns right here as the weavers 
 of England. Scotland or anywhere else can. Let's do 
 it." And they did. 
 
 This was not enough. Half of the resources: the 
 industries which it was seen could be made profitable 
 here, had not been developed. Out on the flats of the 
 Kaw and Missouri; out of the sullen waters of the former 
 
 -19- 
 
were taken tons of sand of such fine quality that it was 
 used in the making of granitoid for public improvements. 
 It was seen that this sand contained the very best materials 
 for glass. and glass mills grew out of the knowledge. backed 
 by the "push" that attracted half a million people to this 
 city. Sulphur and salt of the best were found in the hills 
 and under the sod of this State and Kansas. Chemicals 
 are needed in the arts, sciences and mechanical work of 
 the world. Chemical works, at first for the production of 
 commercial acids were created. 
 
 Having commenced the production of heavier chem- 
 icals and having the natural resources, it was but a step 
 to the production of chemicals used in art. science and 
 medicine. The work grew with the added knowledge 
 and increased interest, until no laboratories in the world 
 exceed those of the "Greater Kansas City" in extent, 
 finish and the quality of their productions. From the 
 cheaper acids it was an easy process to the production of 
 the salts and finally to the extraction of the active principles 
 of drugs and minerals. Manufacturing chemists found a 
 new field for their labors; one more profitable than they 
 had ever found before. 
 
 Reverting again to the glass industry, the establish- 
 ment of chemical laboratories called for bottles in which 
 to store the goods when produced. Finding a good mar- 
 ket for phials of the smallest make up to carboys and 
 demijohns, the glass men said if the people would buy 
 their goods they would turn them out. With the civic 
 pride which was the mainspring of the new movement, 
 the people said yes. and the added importance of glass 
 manufacture was the result. 
 
 Then it was learned that commerce and manufac- 
 turies alone, even with play grounds and pleasure resorts 
 provided for the people, will not make a city rule its 
 country. Financially. Kansas City has always been a 
 giant, yet something was needed beyond mere business. 
 New desires grew out of the capacity to indulge them. 
 Higher education than that afforded by the best system of 
 
 public schools in the country was demanded. The same 
 spirit of fraternity and fidelity to the city which had pro- 
 duced a manufacturing and commercial phenomenon 
 now turned to the question of giving the young people 
 the benefit of colleges without sending them from home. 
 It was argued that men and women educated in Kansas 
 City institutions would return to the city after their school 
 days were ended. It was pointed out that the youth of 
 the surrounding States would flock to this city for college 
 advantages, provided these advantages were furnished. 
 Then the people proceeded to furnish them. Men of 
 large means — and the number had increased surprisingly 
 — devoted to the city. endowed chairs and builded colleges 
 until the magnificent University of Kansas City, an edu- 
 cational institution without superior in the world is the 
 result. 
 
 Kansas City has always been the most picturesque 
 city of its size in the whole Union. Possessing topo- 
 graphical advantages which have never been surpassed, 
 it was a delicate undertaking for the first board of park 
 commissioners to provide parks. boule\ards and play 
 grounds for the people. Where could the board secure 
 the best without having slighted some other equally favor- 
 able site? On one question there was absolute unanimity of 
 opinion from the time parks were first talked of. It was 
 determined by the people that the unsightly west bluKs, 
 the ugly crags that overhung the Union depot and cast a 
 gloom over the spirits of every visitor should be so im- 
 proved that they would be a delight lo the eye and catch 
 the newcomer "by first intention" as the doctors say. 
 The board realized that first impressions ofien decide the 
 wanderer's footsteps, and i' proceeded to beautify those 
 portions of the city which would soonest attract the vision 
 of the man on his first trip to the city. 
 
 Now instead of a sheltering place for groups of miser- 
 able hovels, rude huts crouching on the face of the bluffs 
 and threatening to tumble bodily into the Union depot 
 yards: shanties erected because there was nobody to 
 
 — 20- 
 
refuse the owners the privilege, huddled along the natural 
 garden spot of the city, without ventilation, without sew- 
 erage and breeding disease and artistic malaria. West 
 Terrace park is the climax of a system of internal im- 
 provement which has made the "Greater Kansas City" 
 the most celebrated city on the continent. Stretching 
 away from the outcropping boulders which form the natu- 
 ral northern boundary, in themselves sturdy and striking 
 additions to the park, the pleasure ground of the West 
 side dips and rises in handsome terraces until it reaches 
 the southern limit of the hills. It is the fortress of the 
 city's western borders, a vision of landscape beauty and 
 architecture. From its driveways, the visitor can obtain 
 a view of the surrounding country, clothed in the green of 
 nature, not excelled excepting in the American Alps. 
 
 Overlooking the magnificent manufacturing district 
 of the West, it displays as in a panorama, the splendid 
 industries which ihe energy and persistence of the people 
 have called together. There are the magnificent stock 
 yards, the huge packing houses, tanneries, woolen, cotton 
 and flouring mills. There are factories for the production 
 of clothing, boots and shoes, harness, agricultural imple- 
 ments and everything needed to supply the territory 
 which reaches out into the plains of the West from the 
 gateway established by nature: the region which sends in 
 its raw materials and receives the finished product at the 
 mouth of the Kaw. 
 
 Out of the progress of the industrial interests, grew 
 naturally and imperceptibly a desire for adornment at 
 home. Artisans in the various lines of skilled labor 
 learned that it was as cheap and far more satisfactory to 
 themselves and their families to have pretty homes and 
 tastefully arranged grounds. This idea grew the more 
 rapidly as the magnificent scheme of the park board 
 became more and more evident. Uniformity ir the 
 materials selected for byways and walks in all sections of 
 the city, doing away with the incongrous and sometimes 
 
 inartistic crazy quilt patterns of sidewalks which had 
 obtained to some extent before the beauties of uniformity 
 were taught the people by the wise and progressive com- 
 mission created to beautify the city. It was found easy 
 to co-operate with the board in its efforts and this has been 
 done until a city beautiful and prosperous in all its limits 
 is the result. 
 
 Having secured the power of extension the city soon 
 became territorially equal to any half million city in the 
 country, and greater than most of them. Having set their 
 hearts on the 500.000 mark, the people went to work to 
 provide places for the increase, and sent the lines out to 
 the little river on the east. Now the Greater Kansas City 
 is a collection of happy and increasingly prosperous 
 groups extending from Quindaro lo the Blue and from the 
 Missouri to Brush Creek. Even now it is filling up so 
 rapidly that the people are reaching out for more 
 territory. 
 
 Half a million was the mark fixed by the people when 
 the battle was resumed, just after the election of June 6, 
 1895; half a million will not satisfy them now. With the 
 mighty city on this side of the line and her rapidly grow- 
 ing and equally prosperous sister over in Kansas. time will 
 be short before the limit is exceeded. With community 
 of interest the motto of both and the old factional fights 
 and jealousies buried forever, the two Kansas Citys have 
 joined hands to form the greatest industrial, commercial, 
 and educational city in the whole broad land. With the 
 wishes of the founders of the city fully realized: with the 
 city full of contented people: with labor for all; with 
 money kept in circulation because all that is needed is 
 produced here; because taxes are used to beautify and 
 maintain the beauties already established; and are paid to 
 the poor men; with everything to hope for and nothing 
 to regret. "Greater Kansas City" makes her bow lo the 
 world, and at the beginning of the new century says, 
 "Welcome, and God speed you all." 
 
 -21- 
 
KANSAS CITY AS A RESIDENCE CITY. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE 
 By William P. 
 I I /HAT makes life worth living? Probably nothing 
 \l/ so much as the joys and comforts of home life, 
 and to the busy man. supporting the ever increas- 
 ing strain of business activity . the question of where to make 
 a home is one of great importance. If he has a growing 
 family their needs also appeal to him; for well he knows 
 that neither dainty blossoms nor sturdy plants can develop 
 but in kindly environments. Kanaas City is pre-emi- 
 nently a city of homes and for homes. Though her 
 rapid growth has necessarily been somewhat irregular. she 
 is naurally adapted to beauty. The undulating hills upon 
 which she sits furnish a multitude of delightful building sites 
 commanding spreading views and affording free access to 
 the refreshing southern breeze. Nearly all of the resi- 
 dence portions of the city are upon rising grounds, drain- 
 age is admirable and the climate is very healthy and 
 mild. For ten months in the year riding, driving and 
 bicycling are a source of pleasure, and for seven or eight 
 months lawns are verdant and outdoor exercise tempts 
 both old and young. The size and prevalence of porches 
 in this latitude attests the social delights afforded by the 
 mild summer evenings. Parks, public and private, are 
 accessible and well maintained: miles of asphalt streets 
 lead in every direction, while the picturesque beauty of 
 the diverging country roads and the number of hamlets 
 and towns that cluster around within a radius of a few 
 miles make driving enjoyable, and riding and bicycling 
 a source of delight and interest to the young. One of the 
 beauties of Kansas City is the number of handsome villas 
 that dot the country side, rising out of well kept parks, 
 and adding their charm to the general landscape. To a 
 man of even moderate means the question of buying or 
 building a home is comparatively easy of solution. Being 
 near the source of supply, building material is cheap and 
 
 22- 
 
 NUMBER 6. 
 
 Borland. 
 
 plentiful, and sightly lots can be had at prices to suit the 
 
 taste and purse of the purchaser. An excellent system of 
 
 street railways, with transfers between all lines, places an 
 
 abundance of good properly for homes within easy reach. 
 
 Fuel and living expenses are low. and the market affords 
 
 an attractive supply of fresh meat and vegetables to the 
 
 housekeeper. 
 
 Nor do physical comforts comprise all. The social 
 atmosphere is genial and refined. A liberal culture pre- 
 vails among Kansas City's people, many of whom are 
 from the Eastern cities, and the taste for art, music and 
 letters is pronounced. Theatres are good, and the best 
 musical attractions meet with enthusiastic patronage. 
 Religious interest is active as is manifested by the num- 
 ber of handsome churches which adorn the city, all 
 denominations being represented, including an organized 
 congregation of Christian Scientists and of other forms of 
 advanced religious thought. 
 
 Educational advantages, which are of prime impor- 
 tance to the homeseeker. are here found in abundance 
 and of a high degree of excellence. The public school 
 system is Kansas City's especial pride, and upon it have 
 been spent years of patient effort directed by an enlighten- 
 ed public interest. The ward schools are numerous and 
 very thorough in the course of instruction, and the High 
 school is more than the peer of the best academies. It 
 has an able corps of instructors: its laboratories and 
 equipments are modern and complete, and it is able to. 
 and does, prepare hundreds of young men and women for 
 entrance into the great universities. Many good private 
 schools also exist, and are well supported. 
 
 As a residence city, therefore. Kansas City freely 
 offers her present attractions and future possibilities to the 
 thoughtful attention of homeseekers, rich or poor. 
 
KANSAS CITY AS A FAVORABLE LOCATION FOR 
 A NEW MANUFACTORY. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NUMBER 7. 
 By S. S Patterson. 
 
 r^ANSAS City as a location for a well equipped wagon 
 r\ factory cannot be surpassed. 
 
 * Kansas City has a mild climate and living is as 
 cheap as in any other town, therefore, wages would be on 
 the same basis as at other plants. 
 
 Kansas City can furnish coal and water as cheap as 
 the majority of wagon towns. 
 
 Kansas City has a linseed oil mill; paint and varnish 
 factories. 
 
 Tributary to Kansas City there is plenty of timber 
 that will make first-class wagon stock. 
 
 In seven-tenths of the territory West of the Mississip- 
 pi river Kansas City has an advantage, in two-tenths it 
 will have an equal show, and in only one-tenth is it at a 
 disadvantage when competing with factories on or East of 
 the Mississippi river. 
 
 The Kansas City. Pittsburg & Gulf Railroad will give 
 Kansas City a direct line to the Gulf and a shorter route 
 to Texas points than St. Louis, by crossing all the roads 
 entering Texas from the East. 
 
 The M. K. & T.. the Rock Island and the Santa Fe 
 give Kansas City three direct lines into Texas from the 
 North. 
 
 The Kansas City. Ft. Scott & Memphis Railroad 
 gives Kansas City a direct route into Arkansas, Missis- 
 sippi and Alabama. 
 
 St. Paul. Minn., is nearer to Kansas City than to the 
 Michigan. Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky wagon towns. 
 
 Texas, Indian Territory, Oklahoma Territory, Kansas 
 and Western Missouri use from 100,000 to 200,000 
 wagons annually. 
 
 The wagons sold in this territory are made in the 
 towns given in the table below, or other Northern towns. 
 
 A few years ago a train load of wagons passed through 
 Kansas City on its way to Texas from Winona, Minn. 
 
 The freight from Winona to Kansas City is $3.20 per 
 wagon and according to table below Kansas City would 
 have $2.08 advantage over Winona for Texas business. 
 
 The time has passed in this section of the country 
 when the brand of a wagon sells it. 
 
 A farmer wants a light running wagon and one that 
 is warranted against defects in material and workmanship. 
 
 The retail dealer wants a well finished wagon that 
 carries above warantee at lowest possible price. 
 
 The Eastern wagon factory that sells Kansas City 
 jobbers must reduce ite profits to allow the jobber a com- 
 mission. 
 
 A well equipped wagon factory in Kansas City which 
 would make an honest wagon would be a profitable 
 investment. 
 
 -23- 
 
This Table Shows Relative Cost of Delivering Goods in Kansas City From Factories Located m 
 Towns Given Below, and Kansas City's Advantage. 
 
 Class "A" Rate 
 
 Per loo 
 To Kansas City. 
 
 .2 
 
 a 
 o 
 
 -) 
 
 a 
 o 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 «> 
 
 a 
 '0 
 d 
 a! 
 
 3 
 
 s 
 ■0 
 •0 
 a 
 
 (2 
 
 s 
 
 g 
 
 □ 
 
 
 a 
 
 •0 
 c 
 
 3 
 
 eg 
 
 4) 
 
 C 
 
 [I. 
 
 S 
 § 
 
 > 
 
 (0 
 
 ■5 
 
 
 
 
 •2 
 
 I 
 
 d 
 1 
 
 a 
 39 1-2 
 
 bo 
 
 J 
 
 •0 
 
 'S 
 
 cd 
 B! 
 
 •0 
 
 a 
 
 ed 
 
 k- 
 39 1-2 
 3 9S 
 283 
 
 22 1-2 
 
 22 I-a 
 
 26 1-4 
 
 3^ 
 
 32 
 
 3' 
 
 32 
 
 3' 
 
 37 '-^ 
 
 37 1-2 
 
 37 1-2 
 
 37 1-2 
 
 39 1-2 
 
 33 1-2 
 
 39 -2 
 
 Freight on looo lb. 
 Wagons. 
 
 $2 25 
 
 2 25 
 
 2 62 
 
 3 20 
 
 3 20 
 
 3 20 
 
 ■^ 20 
 
 3 20 
 
 3 75 
 
 3 75 
 
 3 75 
 
 3 75 
 
 3 95 
 
 3 95 
 
 3 95 
 
 3 95 
 
 Kansas City's 
 •Advantage 
 
 I 1.5 
 
 I 13 
 
 I 50 
 
 2 08 
 
 2 08 
 
 2 08 
 
 2 08 
 
 2 08 
 
 263 
 
 2 63 
 
 2 63 
 
 263 
 
 283 
 
 283 
 
 283 
 
 ^83 
 
 Lumber rate. St. Louis to Kansas City. 8 \-2c per 100 pounds. 
 
 Bar and Rod Iron and Steel rate. Birmingham to Kansas City. 35c per 100 pounds. 
 
 Pittsburg ■ ■■ ■• 44c 
 
 " ■ " •• •' " St. Louis 22c '■ 
 
 •J Figured on 700 pounds of dimension wood stock shipped from St. Louis "8 1-2C per 100. 
 I Figured on 400 pounds of iron at excess on Birmingham stock over St. Louis Pittsburg stock "13c per 100. 
 
 -24- 
 
KANSAS CITY AS A WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTING POINT. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE 
 By Clara L, 
 r/ANSAS City as a wholesale distributing point has 
 l\ every natural advantage and can offer inducements 
 V to the capitalist exceeding in their actual value his 
 brightest day-dreams. Rightly named the Gate City, as 
 the central point of the Union, it is in the track of all the 
 trade winds, so to speak, of the continent, as shifting 
 hither and thither, they bear their commercial burdens 
 from New York to San Francisco, and from the Great 
 Lakes to the Great Gulf. 
 
 Its location, at the junction of the Kansas and 
 Missouri rivers, in the very midst of the richest farming 
 and mineral district on the globe, would place it in the 
 lead of Western cities, though it had no claim to prece- 
 dence. Its climate, so mild and equable, has doubtless 
 had much to do with its phenomenal growth, and is also 
 a great factor in its business and metropolitan aspect. 
 The large investor likes to look upon the scene of his 
 greatest transactions. Northern blizzards and semi-trop- 
 ical storms might well deter him from a venture to which 
 all else seemed favorable. He realizes the futility of the 
 best laid plans wi,hout health. But in Kansas City he 
 finds the purest, most invigorating air, and the best of 
 sanitary conditions. Perhaps health statistics have had 
 something to do with bringing him here, at least they all 
 go to prove that this greatest of all distributing points is 
 the healthiest city in the world. 
 
 Nature, quite unassisted, afforded here excellent 
 transportation facilities. The French fur trader found 
 this region most easy of access. The great waterways 
 here united controlled the North and West from the 
 British possessions to the thirty-eighth degree of latitude, 
 and west to the Rocky Mountains, The angle in the 
 Missouri river directed the Santa Fe trade hither, and 
 with it steamboat navigation began. So much does the 
 
 25- 
 
 NUMBER 8. 
 Kendall. 
 
 topography of a country enter into the problem of a city's 
 greatness. The superior natural roads leading hence made 
 it the starting point for the expeditions to Mexico during 
 the war, and attracted the greater part of the great Cali- 
 fornia and Utah emigration. It possessed a natural steam- 
 boat landing, and the water grades for wagon transporta- 
 tion caused a constant increase in the trade already 
 established. 
 
 So much for the provisions of nature in making Kan- 
 sas City a wholesale distributing point, but when it became 
 the terminus of the Union Pacific road it was at once seen 
 how, with this end in view, the railroad far transcends 
 every other means to commercial recognition and im- 
 portance. 
 
 Since the days of Columbus men have been seeking 
 the West. Once it meant the Atlantic coast. Later it was 
 bounded by the Alleghar.ies. then by the Mississippi, and 
 now Kansas City, as the radius of twenty-nine railroads, 
 is the well-defined and undeniable West of all commerce. 
 
 One great reason why Kansas City must occupy first 
 place as a wholesale distributing point is that she has 
 more products and manufactures of her own to distribute 
 than any other city. This alone might be sufficient, but 
 there is another and perhaps still greater reason why in 
 this capacity she can have no compeer. 
 
 Standing at the Union depot, one is immediately con- 
 scious that it is the veritable center of a continent. Like 
 iron arteries, the vast network of all the railroads in this 
 greatest republic reach out in every direction from Kan- 
 sas City, throbbing to the warm heart of her inmost life, 
 and infused by her with a new commercial impetus. As 
 was said of the Eternal City, "All roads lead to Rome," 
 so now the traveler no longer inquires the way to Kansas 
 
City, knowing that all roads will bring him under her 
 jurisdiction. 
 
 What has not Kansas City to distribute? Her grain 
 business claims the attention and excites the emulation of 
 the world. Her mineral products are rich and abundant. 
 The agricultural implement business of Kansas City is the 
 largest in America, while her gigantic packing business, 
 
 second only to Chicago, bids fair to rank first in the near 
 future. When nature designated Kansas City as a whole- 
 sale distributing point she did no journey work. Man 
 carefully following her dictations has made the rock- 
 bound bay of the Missouri and Kansas. the most accessible 
 and greatest seat of commerce in the Westv/ard march 
 of trade. 
 
 KANSAS CITY AS A MANUFACTURING CENTER. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NUMBER 9. 
 
 By H. 
 
 THREE factors absolutely essential to the success of a 
 manufacturing establishment are these : First, good 
 location; second, good distribution; third, good 
 growth. 
 
 By good location is meant; for the manufacturer, 
 access to raw materials, nearness of market, natural 
 advantages for trade. By good distribution is meant, 
 increase of demand for his wares. 
 
 Besides these, the manufacturer must have as a 
 matter of course, a knowledge of his business, low ex- 
 penses, good help, and with all of these in his favor his 
 enterprise bids fair to be successful; without them. capital, 
 experience, good management, are of no avail. 
 
 On the first point — good location — an intelligent study 
 of the map should go far toward convincing a manufac- 
 turer that Kansas City offers advantages which to say the 
 least, are not easy to find. 
 
 Rivers do not run up hill and great railroads gravitate 
 only toward the best centers for trade. It is no accident 
 that causes all the great railroad systems of the west to 
 center at Kansas City; nor is it an accident that the record 
 of bank clearings places Kansas City tenth amongst the 
 cities of the United States. Her commercial importance 
 might be gauged by these two facts alone, but there are 
 
 B. Reidy. 
 
 others which are equally convincing aud 'whlih will be 
 found in other pages of this book. 
 
 Wealth begins at the footstool — comes out of the soil. 
 Other things being equal, the more productive the soil the 
 greater the prospects for wealth. and the nearer the source 
 of production the quicker the enjoyment of results. The 
 territory tributary to Kansas City is as productive as any 
 on the face of the globe, and it is this great natural 
 wealth and advantages of location which created Kansas 
 City in the first place, which ministered to her subsequent 
 growth, and without which it would be impossible for her 
 to have obtained the commerdial importance which she 
 holds today. 
 
 This importance is. in a great measure, augumented 
 by the presence of some of the most thriving industries in 
 the land; industries involving enormous capital. and which 
 were located here, not because their promoters had any 
 local interests to serve or any favors to bestow, but be- 
 cause after an extensive survey of the entire country 
 they selected Kansas City as the most promising location 
 they could find. 
 
 The growth of these industries, their prosperity today, 
 and the wonderful success they have achieved; a success 
 far beyond the expectations of their promoters, should 
 
 26 
 
serve as a precedent to go far toward convincing a manu- 
 facturer that for location Kansas City cannot be excelled. 
 
 Under the second head, "Distribution." too much 
 can hardly be said. 
 
 Not far removed from the geographical center of the 
 country, and with twenty-seven different lines of railroads 
 catering to its demands, the distributing capacity of Kan- 
 sas City is limited only by the bounds of traae. North. 
 South. East. West, these great arteries of steel send its 
 products quickly throughout the land and bring the mar- 
 kets of the country within easy reach. In this connection 
 it is a fact full of significance that many large manufac- 
 turing houses have distributing warehouses here. Here 
 vast quantities of manufactured products are shipped from 
 outside and held subject to call. showing that the manufac- 
 turer who would be in close touch with the great markets 
 of the West and Southwest and their constantly increasing 
 demands must necessarily make Kansas City liis distrib- 
 uting point, even though his factory is located elsewhere. 
 On this point alone the manufacturer seeking the best loca- 
 tion will find much food for thought. Transportation rates 
 are necessarily low. for competition governs railroads as 
 it governs trade and under the chapter on "Kansas City 
 as a Distributing Point" the manufacturer will find satis- 
 factory statistics at his command. 
 
 On the third point — increase of demand for his wares 
 — Kansas City holds out prospects which appeal strongly 
 to business instinct as well as to common sense. It is 
 almost safe to say that there is not a manufacturer whose 
 trade in the West has not steadily increased within the 
 past ten years, and that the increase has been more per- 
 ceptible each succeeding year. This is as it should be. 
 Where the consumer goes, there must the wares go. too, 
 and the increase of population in the West tells no uncer- 
 tain tale. This increase has been most marked in Mis- 
 souri and surrounding states where the healthfulness of 
 the climate, the richness of the land and the unequalled 
 opportuniiies it presents, have tended to bring it about. 
 
 But great as has been this increase of inhabitants in 
 the past, the future is destined to witness much more 
 marvelous strides. The vast resources of the West, its 
 desirability as a place to live, its advantages from a com- 
 mercial point of view and its boundless money-making 
 possibilities are each year getting better known and act 
 as an alluring attraction to the younger element in the 
 East as well as the hordes of emigrants who are yearly 
 landed on our shores. "Westward the course of empire 
 takes its way." its pace increasing as its path is made 
 more smooth, and with socializing progress of the times, 
 population will rapidly advance and the fertile hills and 
 valleys of the West will supplant the crowded pathways 
 of the East, bringing the center of circulation to the cen- 
 ter of population where it rightfully and naturally be- 
 longs. 
 
 Fortunate indeed v.ill be the manufacturer whose 
 foresight prompts him to locate in Kansas City, the future 
 metropolis of the West, where he can reach these mighty 
 crowds with ease and less operating expense than is pos- 
 sible elsewhere. 
 
 Besides these primal advantages of location, dis- 
 tribution and growth, Kansas City holds out inducements 
 to the manufacturer which, when weighed at their full 
 worth, should commend it in preference to any other 
 place. Amongst these are an opening and a welcome — 
 an opening because we have comparatively few manu- 
 facturies at present; a welcome because we want more. 
 
 With abundant faith in the present and future pros- 
 perity of our city, and with a confidence born of experi- 
 ence in the past, we hold out every legitimate inducement 
 to any industry that will contribute to that stability of 
 which we are so justly proud. We welcome with open 
 arms any business proposition that will tend to promote 
 our prosperity or add to our commercial weight, and we 
 are ready with our capital and our energies to advance 
 the interests of every newcomer, to aid him in every 
 way we can and to take an honest and abiding pleasure 
 
 -27. 
 
in his welfare and success. Here coal is abundant and 
 cheap; help plentiful and good, and from oui a quota of 
 unoccupied space the manufacturer will find it easy to 
 select a favorable and advantageous site. 
 
 The lines of manufacturing industry to which Kansas 
 City holds paramount prospects today are: Tanneries, 
 boots and shoes, farm implements, machinery, iron and 
 steel products, flour mills, fruit packing, soap making and 
 any industry adjunctive to the supply of cattle and 
 hogs. 
 
 To any and all of these when properly managed and 
 within reasonable limits as to number, Kansas City holds 
 out not merely a promise but a guarantee of success; a 
 guarantee not born of selfishness or an overwhelming 
 desire for growth; a success not merely dependent on 
 local conditions, or temporary boom, but a success as 
 positive as the fulfillment of the future, as fixed as the 
 laws of demand, as great as the capital invested will 
 warrant, and as certain as the prosperity of our entire 
 land. 
 
 KANSAS CITY AS A RAILROAD CENTER. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NUMBER 10. 
 By E. P. Southworth. 
 
 f^OME conquered the world by her military roads. 
 IT These all centered in the Eternal city. 
 
 • A republican Caesar has arisen on the American 
 continent. His name is Commerce. His empire de- 
 mands an imperial city which shall be as essential to his 
 vitality as Rome was to the eagle of the legions. 
 
 All human activity has a subtle spirit of unification. 
 To diversify and then to centralize is a profound commer- 
 cial instinct. When Bishop Berkeley wrote "Westward 
 the course of empire takes its way." he pointed to Art as 
 "Time's noblest offspring." but in his prophetic day 
 commercial art had not been born. 
 
 This young nimrod. like his ancestor, is a mighty 
 hunter. Today he is hunting out every source and 
 resource of industry in orderto build them acity. a rrietrop- 
 olis for trade and travel. The first glance at any map in 
 the United States gives the impression — always confirmed 
 by reflection — that this great, consecrated heart of com- 
 merce lies upon the Western waterline of the State of 
 Missouri, and pulsates to all the world from Kansas 
 City. 
 
 Here nature has determined to centralize the arteries 
 of vital industry. Associated industries require a conti- 
 nental center for an economical distribution of products. 
 
 In the growth of agriculture and manufacturing, the 
 central West demands a city for concentration and dis- 
 tribution on or near the point of intersection of the 39th 
 parallel with the 95th meridian. Nearly all large business 
 centers are either on the 39th parallel, which requires 
 least divergence in transportation, or they focus upon it 
 by the natural convergence of commercial gravitation; 
 and with the vast Pacific accumulation of people and pro- 
 ducts adhering to this commercial route Eastward. Kansas 
 City becomes the great concentrating point of this central 
 West. 
 
 Climate, local production, and other incidental ob- 
 stacles related to topography, will always debar rivalry 
 with Kansas City as a railroad metropolis. Minneapolis 
 and New Orleans are too distant. Chicago and St. Louis 
 -though adjacent and popular-are each suffering from cli- 
 matic disabilities, and Denver, on the west is simply a first- 
 class excursion point from Kansas City to the mountains. 
 
 -28- 
 
The center of population is fixing its eye immutably 
 upon Kansas City. It has already passed Indianapolis, 
 once the greatest railway center in the United States. 
 In its Westward march it can not stop at St. Louis. I see 
 no final destination for it other than Kansas City. This 
 one fact alone takes the question of its superiority as a 
 concentrating and distributing point out of all argument. 
 Commerce itself appears to De subordinated to the laws 
 of human distribution, which lie beyond art or legisla- 
 tion. Like the human heart, we only know where nature 
 has placed it. Hence the simple fact of population and 
 its environment will more and more press the call for a 
 centralization of all natural and artificial lines of trans- 
 portation upon Kansas City. 
 
 Having thus dwelt briefly upon a few natural causes 
 which require a metropolitan railway center at Kansas 
 City, it only remains to note some facilities already de- 
 veloped toward its fulfillment. 
 
 First among these we note the vast territory practi- 
 cally controlled by the seventeen railway systems, em- 
 bracing twenty-six lines, which center in Kansas City, 
 traversing thirty-two Slates and Territories, their com- 
 bined mileage aggregating fifty thousand two hundred 
 and twenty-five miles. 
 
 The grazing belt of the West and Southwest, pouring 
 into Kansas City alone its mighty product, furnishes 
 for the packing industry, operated in Kansas City, enough 
 fresh meals to satisfy the population of the cities of New 
 York, Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn and New Orleans. 
 
 The wheat and corn fields of the North and North- 
 west, all tributary to Kansas City through its magnificent 
 railway system, produce twenty-five per cent of the wheat 
 and corn of the United States, pouring into Kansas City 
 a volume of internal commerce with which no other 
 point can hope to compete. 
 
 As a conveniently centralizing point for passenger 
 traffic Kansas City stands second to none. It is the object 
 of the man of travel and of business instinct, as well as 
 of him who is seeking a home in the rapidly developing 
 West. Its aggregate ticket sales over its twenty-six lines 
 reach far above the million dollar mark annually. 
 
 In consideration of these facts, together with the 
 excellent terminal facilities possessed by Kansas City to 
 properly distribute this great volume of business, I feel 
 confident no point can compete, as a center of railway 
 traffic, with Kansas City the "Inter-State City." 
 
 KANSAS CITY AS A PACKING HOUSE CENTER. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NUMBER 
 By M. Hayward. 
 
 /*ATTLE may Justly be termed the corner stone upon 
 V which Kansas Ctty was built, and in no branch of 
 ^ commercial industy has it made more rapid strides 
 than that of beef and pork packing. 
 
 Commencing in 1870 with five acres of ground fenced 
 in. which was increased to twenty-six acres the next year, 
 the Kansas City Stock Yards now cover 160 acres, being 
 
 second only to Chicago, which city must eventually suc- 
 cumb to this young giant of the West. Located with the 
 ne plus ultra of environments, in the very center of the 
 great corn belt and adjacent to the vast grazing and pro- 
 ducing grounds of the West and Southwest, contiguous to 
 the best hog growing country west of the Mississippi river, 
 Kansas City is peculiarly fitted for the packing business. 
 
 -29- 
 
Beginning with one packing house in 1868 whose 
 slaughter for the first year reached 4,209 cattle and 1,300 
 hogs, the business has steadily grown until at the present 
 time there are six packing houses, wish a pay roll of $7.- 
 000.000 employing 9.000 men. who killed. in 1894. 922.682 
 cattle. 50.126 calves. 2.050.784 hogs and 393.298 sheep. 
 These figures alone tell of the rise and progress of an in- 
 dustry rarely met with in this or any other land. 
 
 The following statistics, showing the receipts at the 
 Kansas City Stock Yards, speak for themselves: 
 
 1871 
 
 Cattle. Calves. Hogs. Sheep. Value. 
 120.827 41.036 4.527 $4,210,605 
 
 Cattle. Calves. Hogs. Sheep. Value. 
 1.689.193 83.352 2.547.077 58^.555 98.577.164 
 
 No other city in the world can make such a showing 
 as this. 
 
 Nor was this growth alone in the line of numbers, 
 farmers and ranchmen alike striving to increase the qual- 
 ity of their beeves, while increasing their numbers, and 
 today the packer can secure anything he wants from the 
 "long-horn" to the fat corn-fed native, and the proximity 
 to the feeding ground doing away with the long railroad 
 haul, lands the cattle in the market with fewer bruises, 
 and in better condition than those shipped to Chicago and 
 other cities at a greater distance. Indeed so marked is the 
 improvement that where, only four years ago. about 
 
 twenty-five firms made a business of shipping cattle from 
 Kansas City to Chicago, only a few loads are now occa- 
 sionally shipped. 
 
 Hogs — In this branch of the trade, if anything, the 
 growth and progress has been even more marvelous than 
 in cattle. As the country to the West and Northwest of 
 Kansas City became thickly settled and better cultivated, 
 the fine corn qualities of the soil soon became manifest, 
 and attention was at once turned to its cultivation. And 
 as this crop increased, hogs multiplied. With plenty of 
 grass and corn and the prolific qualities of the hog. the 
 number tributary to this market was doubled many times 
 over, until it is now the great hog section of the West. 
 The great multiplying of numbers is not the only side of 
 the trade to be studied. Such hogs as now comprise the 
 daily receipts were only seen twenty years ago in the show 
 ring. Every drove is now made up of high grades or 
 pure breeds, with a smoothness of limb and body which 
 suggests a much smaller loss in killing than in the earlier 
 days of the trade. 
 
 In conclusion, the drawing together of the supply and 
 demand not only insured the building here of one of the 
 greatest live stock markets in the world, but makes it pos- 
 sible, through the manifold advantages of Kansas City as 
 a railroad center, to build up a packing industry unequal- 
 ed in this country. Such is the wonderful development of 
 a single interest in the new West in less than a quarter of 
 a century. 
 
 KANSAS CITY AS A MILLING CENTER. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE NUMBER 12. 
 By J. 0. Bradenbaugh. 
 
 TO make such an attractive location as will induce First— A bountiful and regular supply of wheat at 
 
 experienced millers to put their money into mill- practically first cost — that is to get it as close to the 
 
 ing property, three important factors must be con- producer as is possible under the prevailing laws of 
 
 sidered. trade. 
 
 30 
 
Second — Cheap fuel — not reasonably cheap, but as 
 cheap as any competition anywhere can get it. 
 
 Third — A guarantee of such freight rates toward the 
 flour purchasing markets as will meet competition from 
 all sources. 
 
 These three factors, taken together, not one without 
 the other, or two without the third, but as a complete 
 whole, make the milling of wheat a possible money- 
 making business. 
 
 Of the first, we can say that but few markets in the 
 whole world are so close to the original wheat fields as 
 is Kansas City. 
 
 The State of Kansas alone has a possible productive 
 area of 100.000.000 bushels of wheat per annum, and in 
 favorable seasons such crops are likely to be raised. 
 Oklahoma can give us from 10.000.000 to 20.000.000, 
 Southern Nebraska. 10.000.000. Western and South-west- 
 ern Missouri, 5.000.000. 
 
 All this territory has been finding and must continue 
 to find Kansas City its best market. This fact has been 
 so thoroughly demonstrated that no one knowing the 
 history of the trade will attempt to contradict this asser- 
 tion. 
 
 Of the second factor there is to say that but few large 
 cities of the United States are so near to such inexhaust- 
 able supplies of first-class steam coal as is Kansas City. 
 With the coal mines lying around us in every possible 
 direction, in fact beneath our streets, and with so many 
 railroads interested in their respective mines and mining 
 schemes, competition is such as to guarantee very cheap 
 coal for 100 years to come; it cannot be otherwise. 
 
 One can readily see that all the inducements are 
 here to make the milling of wheat profitable. 
 
 Experienced millers that avail themselves of the 
 necessary capital to put up large plants, equipped with the 
 very latest improved machinery, will certainly find here 
 a money-making field. 
 
 Unlike other cereals, wheat must be ground into 
 flour before going into consumption. Either in the 
 United States, in Europe or any other foreign market, 
 wheat must ultimately go into flour. 
 
 Instead of exporting wheat, why not export flour? 
 It is flour the consumer wants. 
 
 Suppose Kansas City, during a big crop year, should 
 handle 50.000.000 of wheat. Her present milling capacity 
 would only take about 5.000.000. Why should it not run 
 up to 20.000.000 or 25.000.000. 
 
 Our hard winter wheat flour ranks alongside the hard 
 spring wheat flour of Minneapolis and the Northwestern 
 mills for exporting, and our soft wheat flour will stand 
 test with any competition. It is as good flour as can be 
 made. 
 
 No market can be better than this for the disposal of 
 bran, and this is a big item to the miller. 
 
 Short crop years come to every country and to each 
 respective section of the country. Droughty years would 
 of course bring distress to large milling interests here, but 
 this trouble could be largely obviated by building large ele- 
 vators and carrying wheat on storage. Our present eleva- 
 tor-carrying capacity is very limited compared with what 
 we should have, whether we have milling interests to pro- 
 tect or not. 
 
 To build up our grain market, and handle our crops, 
 as our location justifies, we should have three times as 
 much storage capacity. Large storage elevators would 
 greatly improve our market, and would be a big drawing 
 card to induce millers to locate here. 
 
 All our railroads would be benefitted by having large 
 stocks of grain carried here. It would draw large vol- 
 umes of grain from territory not legitimately ours, and 
 with such volumes of business in sight the railroad mana- 
 gers could always figure for special lines of business. 
 
 Let us have big elevators and then big mill plants. 
 The harvest is ripe, and all natural requisites are here 
 Bring your money and experience. 
 
 -31- 
 
WHY KANSAS CITY IS THE NATURAL POINT FOR THE GREATEST 
 TANNING AND LEATHER LNDUSTRY IN THE WORLD. 
 
 PRIZE ARTICLE 
 By H. C. 
 r/'ANSAS City produces from her packing houses, and 
 r\ as a gateway from the great West, more hides than 
 V any other place in the world. 
 
 Leather, as shown by statistics, is the first manufac- 
 turing industry in this country, steel and iron being the 
 second, and the establishment of this industry at Kansas 
 City would be far reaching in effect and vast in resources; 
 the most important of which would be the manufacturing 
 of boots and shoes, harness, collars for draft horses and 
 mules, and belting, to say nothing of the leather used in 
 finishing buggies, for railroad and household upholstering, 
 trunks, satchels, portmonnaies, bicycles, gymnasium 
 fixtures, etc. Also the hair from the hides is of great 
 value for the manufacture of carpets, cushions, upholster- 
 ing, felting and plastering. 
 
 It has been the history of all manufacturing industries 
 on a large scale that one innovation is followed by another, 
 which is to say that if one tannery is started at Kansas 
 City, and proves successful, which it surely would, others 
 would follow, and in view of the enormous production of 
 hides at this point, several large tanneries, equal to the 
 largest in the land today, could easily be supported. 
 
 It is a well known fact, with very rare exceptions, 
 that wherever tanneries have been started they have been 
 a source of great profit to their owners. This is not only 
 true of the large tanneries of the country, but it is equal- 
 ly true of the small plants throughout the interior of the 
 Middle and New England States, and it is a proverbial 
 assertion that men who have been tanners have invari- 
 ably been prosperous. It is further known that the small 
 tanneries referred to depended entirely on the local pro- 
 duct in the immediate vicinity. This being true of the 
 
 32- 
 
 NUMBER 13. 
 Orr. 
 
 small tanneries, with a small supply to draw from, how 
 much greater the profits and results would be from con- 
 centrating an industry of this kind where the supply is 
 great enough to enable the tanner to take advantage of all 
 modern improvements, as within the last few years this 
 industry has been almost revolutionized by the invention 
 of various labor saving devices that are to the tanner what 
 the cotton gin has been to the Southern planter for so 
 many years. 
 
 The manufacturing of boots and shoes, on a large 
 scale, in Kansas City (which industry would natu- 
 rally and surely follow the establishment of a tannery) 
 would give a greater impetus to all commercial indus- 
 tries and employment to more skilled workmen than 
 any other one commercial enterprise; in fact it would 
 touch and quicken the pulse of every avenue and line of 
 trade in Kansas City;and every citizen, from the laborer to 
 capitalist would be benefitted. The real estate business 
 would experience agreat advance and the demand forsame 
 would spread far beyond the present city limits; the archi- 
 tect and builder would be constantly employed and the ring- 
 ing of the hammer and the buzzing of the saw would be 
 heard on every hand erecting homes for the newcomers at- 
 tricted to this point by the enormous advantages offered by 
 the establishment of these industries; the merchant would 
 increase his stock; all of which would have a great ten- 
 dency to make that potent factor, capital, more eager to 
 invest in our midst. 
 
 Heretofore the cost of laying down in Kansas City 
 oak or hemlock bark, which for centuries have been the 
 principal tanning agents, has been the one obstacle that 
 has prevented the establishment of a great tanning 
 
industry at this point, but the discovery of canaigre. which 
 is pronounced by the most thorough expert leather chem- 
 ists and practical tanners in the United States. Canada, 
 England, France, Germany, Austria and Russia, where 
 the finest leather is produced, to be superior in every 
 respect to any other tanning agency known, removes this 
 difficulty. 
 
 Canaigre is indigenous to semi-tropical climates and 
 is known only in the Southwestern portion of the United 
 States and old Mexico, in a latitude where the frost does 
 not penetrate the ground to any depth. It being an agri- 
 cultural product and susceptible to enormous yield by 
 cultivation assures an inexhaustible supply equal to all 
 possible demands. Its growth is most prolific and it 
 yields the largest percentage of tannic acid in proportion 
 to its bulk of anything known to the vegetable kingdom, 
 and when under cultivation is almost indestructable; the 
 cost of tanning with canaigre is less than one-half of that 
 by using oak or hemlock bark, and does the work in one- 
 third less time. To illusirate, one ton of dried canaigre 
 laid down in Kansas City at a total cost of ten dollars 
 <$10) will tan four times as much leather as ten dollars 
 ($10) worth of bark would: or, in other words, it would 
 take more than forty dollars worth of bark to do the work 
 of ten dollars ($10) worth of canaigre. 
 
 Another advantage which canaigre has over bafk is 
 that it can be stored for an indefinite period without 
 suffering from the ravages of insects or decay, but will 
 retain its full strength, while it is not an unusual thing for 
 insects to destroy to a large extent bark which has been 
 stored for any length of time. 
 
 Therefore, with the hides right here in Kansas City, 
 an abundance of water, a careful analysis of which has 
 shown it to be entirely free from any detrimental sub- 
 stance, canaigre almost at our door and the world for a 
 market, there is every reason wby Kansas City should 
 become the greatest tanning and leather manufacturing 
 center in the United States, 
 
 The hides that leave Kansas City annually for East- 
 ern markets, with an average of eight hundred hides 
 (800) to thi car, would make a solid train over twenty 
 miles long. As the enormous trade and demand for all 
 leather products by the agricultural districts contiguous to 
 Kansas City, runs into the millions annually, nearly all 
 of which comes from the East, manufactured out of the 
 hides which we shipped to them, the expense of double 
 freight is thereby incurred, all of which goes to show the 
 great advantage and enermous profits tnat would accrue 
 from an enterprise of this kind in Kansas City, instead of 
 selling the hides in the raw condition as at present. 
 
 THE UNRIVALLED CLIMATE OF KANSAS CITY. 
 
 By P, Connor, 
 
 THE cUmale of Kaisas City, with particular reference 
 to its effect upon health and general comfort, is not 
 equalled by any city of comparable commercial 
 importance In the United States. This is a bold state- 
 ment, but a fact, nevertheless, supported by records 
 "which are accessible to any person unwilling to take it for 
 granted. It is not the theory or opinion of any person 
 
 whose constitution is by natu.-e attuned to the character 
 of its seasons. It is a demonstrated fact. This is not as 
 generally understood, however, outside the Lower Mis- 
 souri valley as it should be. principally for the reason that 
 because Kansas City bears the name of the great State 
 across the line, it has seemed natural to some people, 
 intelligent people at that, to associate Kansas City, Mo.. 
 
 -33- 
 
with all the exaggerated and absurd reports which have 
 gone abroad concerning the Stale of Kansas, whether 
 relating to personal characters or to climatic features. 
 
 Many Kansas Cityans will, doubtless, call to mind 
 having been asked such questions during their travels as, 
 "Aren't you afraid of cyclones?" "How do you stand 
 the hot summers?" etc.. to their perfect amazement. 
 Kansas City is far from being burned up yet. as will be 
 so clearly proved further on that ' 'he who runs may read. ' ' 
 and has not been visited by a very damaging storm, let 
 alone a "cyclone" in seven years, the period covered by 
 the Weather Bureau records. 
 
 Kansas City, by geographical location, escapes the 
 rigors of long-drawn-out winters, while too far north to 
 come within the enervating influences of Southern lati- 
 tudes. It is a midway spot between the heat and the 
 cold. It is not in the path of the great storm areas which 
 come in from the Northwest, nor is it near enough the 
 Mississippi valley to be in the track of gulf storms and 
 those which enter the great central valley by way of the 
 Southwest. The only storm of any importance in the 
 past seven years was a "straight" wind of fifty-two 'miles 
 an hour, which occurred in April. 1892. on a bright, clear 
 day. and was caused by a violent storm area passing 
 eastward across the Northern States. There was one 
 snow-storm during the same period that gave sixteen 
 inches on the level, and was such an extraordinary sur- 
 prise that the oldest inhabitant had to be; called into 
 locate one that would bear even a reasonable comparison. 
 The annual precipitation is 37.80 inches, heaviest, of 
 course, during the late spring and summer months. 
 
 The normal temperature by months for the year is as 
 follows: January. 28 degrees; February. 30; March. 41; 
 April. 56; May. 63; June. 73; July, 77; August. 75; Sep- 
 tember, 68; October. 57: November, 41, and December 
 37 degrees. The highest temperature in seven years in 
 June was 97; in July 102. and it only reached 100 degrees 
 in one July in seven years. It reached 100 in August. 
 
 1884, for the first time in seven years. To make it very 
 clear, the temperature reached or exceeded 100 degrees 
 but five times in seven years, and it beats that in one year 
 in Montana, the Dakotas. Nebraska and Minnesota. Now 
 for the other extreme. It reached zero twice in 1889, 
 twice in 1890, twice in 1891, five times in 1892. seven 
 times in 1893, and five times in 1894, 
 
 On an average, over one-third the number of days in 
 the year are clear; that is, not more than one-tenth of the 
 sky would have clouds in those days. Considering the 
 five years between 1889 to 1893 inclusive (simply because 
 the records were at hand and convenient) the record of 
 clear days beats the record at Louisville. Indianapolis, 
 Denver, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Milwaukee. St. Paul, 
 Chicago. Cleveland and New York. This is the reason 
 that "sticky" days (days when energy and appetite have 
 taken flight). and sun-strokes are not liable to occur except 
 through injudicious exposure and exertion. Taking 
 the summer of 1894. recent enough for everybody to have a 
 recollection of it. it is found that the average percentage of 
 humidity at 7 p. m. for June was 57. for July. 51: and for 
 August. 45 per cent, and this is not the time of day of 
 lowest humidity. As you travel eastward cloudiness 
 increases and summer days become more oppressive. 
 
 The wind blows from the south and south-east 40 per 
 cent of the year. Snow does not last long on the ground 
 because the southerly wind, responding to the storm areas 
 which pass eastward north of this place about twice a 
 week, soon raises the lemperarure. 
 
 To summarize the extremes of winter and summer, 
 it may be said that two weeks cover the extremes in each 
 case. The spring and fall are usually delightful, the 
 latter lasting until the approach of the holidays. There 
 has not been one very warm day this summer to July 24. 
 
 The general effect of the climate is exhilirating, and, 
 while some people die young as elsewhere. Kansas City 
 has the lowest death rate of any city or town of any pre- 
 tensions in the United States, and very few. if any. towns 
 
 -34- 
 
of any importance outside the United States have as low 
 a death rate. The following diagram will show at a 
 glance the comparative death rate for 1893 in the larger 
 cities of the United States. This year is taken because 
 it is the first annual report on the subject issued by this 
 city. In 1894 the percentage is still lower, being only 
 10.95 per 1.000. almost beyond belief in comparison with 
 other localities. And as the city still further perfects its 
 sanitary condition, will not the mortality rate be still 
 lowered? 
 
 P. CONNOR, 
 Local Forecast Official Weather Bureau. 
 
 Report of Clerk of Board of Health. Comparative 
 statements of mortality. The following is the official 
 death rate per 1,000 of the population for the year 1893 : 
 
 City. 
 
 New Orleans 
 
 Boston 
 
 New York 
 
 Pittsburgh 
 
 Brooklyn . 
 
 Philadelphia — 
 
 Baltimore 
 
 St, Louis 
 
 Buffalo 
 
 Cincinnati 
 
 San Francisco — 
 
 Milwaukee 
 
 Chicago — 
 
 KansasCity.Mo 
 
 Kansas City, Mo., 
 
 1894. 
 
 Death Rate. 
 
 28.17 
 
 24.02 
 
 _ 23.52 
 22.25 
 21.21 
 21.20 
 20.99 
 19.08 
 19.03 
 18.74 
 18.36 
 17.16 
 16.93 
 11.16 
 10,95 
 
 ARKANSAS AS A FACTOR IN MAKING KANSAS CITY'S 
 POPULATION ^oo,ooo. 
 
 By Clark Dickover, 
 
 l/ANSAS City will have 500.000 population by 1900 if 
 l\ her business men will do their duty. There are 
 V many methods that will aid in bringing this about, but 
 one of the most important is to build railroads into and de- 
 velop her vast undeveloped territory. Nowhere within the 
 territory naturally tributary to Kansas City is there such a 
 vast amount of undeveloped resources as in Arkansas. 
 The western and northwestern parts of Arkansas are nat- 
 urally, by location, tributary to Kansas City, yet it is 
 practically a closed market to her, owing to a lack of 
 railroad facilities. With the exception of a small section 
 touched by the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf, Memphis 
 route, and Missouri Pacific, everv railroad is a St, Louis 
 
 road, with the exception of a small area tributary to the 
 Memphis route, thus virtually compelling them to ship 
 their products to St. Louis, and to buy their goods of St. 
 Louis in return. As a matter of course this distance from 
 railways prohibits any considerable development of their 
 natural resources. These people wish to trade with 
 Kansas City, realizing that it is their natural market, 
 but Kansas City must go to them with a railroad before 
 they can do so. Thousands of people over the entire 
 United States are watching for a railroad to penetrate this 
 section, and enable them to come in and develop their 
 great resources. Within three years after the opening of 
 this section by rail the population of these counties will be 
 
 -35- 
 
doubled and trebled, and in some counties go far beyond 
 that; cities will spring up by magic and vast industries 
 will be put in motion. 
 
 Arkansas has over 4.500,000 acres of government 
 land subject to homestead entry, and almost 2.500.000 
 acres of State and railroad lands. The great majority of 
 these lands are in the Western half of the State, and 
 comprise some of the most valuable mineral, fruit and 
 timber lands in the State. In this section there are 216 
 square miles of zinc, which has taken the premium at the 
 World's fair as the best in the world, and more easily 
 mined than any other as yet discovered. In the past 
 month one mine in this district sold to a syndicate for 
 $325,000. and it is sixty miles from any railroad. In the 
 same district as this zinc are 2. 199 square miles of marble 
 of the same quality as the Tennessee marble, the pink 
 and black marbles being superior to any known. Her 
 coal fields cover 2.347 square miles, and are of a very 
 high quality. 
 
 In manganese Arkansas ranks third in the production 
 of this valuable mineral. The Kansas City. Pittsburg & 
 Gulf Railroad, now building, will penetrate a rich man- 
 ganese district heretofore inaccessible on account of 
 great distance from a railroad. Arkansas has valuable 
 granite, blue, gray and flag, and other building stone in 
 
 enormous quantities, in addition to 7.000 square miles of 
 limestone. 
 
 She has timber which is estimated by those who 
 know, if cut and sold, would purchase every acre of land 
 in Kansas and Nebraska at its assessed valuation, the 
 production of which is now $20,000,000 annually. The 
 Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf Railroad will open up a 
 large area of the finest timber in the State, heretofore far 
 away from any railroad. Her fruit has taken off the first 
 premiums at all the expositions, and Northwestesn Arkan- 
 sas is now known as the "apple orchard of America." 
 
 Her cotton, both long and short staple, carried off the 
 premiums at the World's fair. If Kansas City will build 
 cotton mills Arkansas will furnish the cotton in any quan- 
 tity. In hogs and cattle the production is large and in- 
 creasing very rapidly. 
 
 If Kansas City business men could realize the vast 
 richness of this territory, their own by location, yet almost 
 completely monopolized by other markets, and the enor- 
 mons quantity of raw material it is capable of furnishing 
 her manufacturers in return for the products of her fac- 
 tories and jobbing houses, they could soon bring it within 
 reach and find it a mighty factor in making Kansas City 
 a half million by 1900. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. 
 
 By E. M. Clendenning. 
 
 TO be successful, any manufacturing enterprise must 
 be located in the community which is adapted by 
 natural surroundings for the output of such manu- 
 factured article, convenient to the raw material and the 
 consumer. A majority of these conditions must prevail 
 for special kinds of manufacturing to be successful. 
 
 Many of the manufactured products can be produced 
 in one section of this country as well as another, but the 
 
 most successful factories are those which are either near 
 to the base of supply or demand. There are some ex- 
 ceptions to this rule, chiefly those factories established at 
 an early day where the population was greater and the 
 demand urgent. The diversified Interests of a country 
 like ours have only been made possible by the wisdom of 
 the Creator. Tropical fruits for the South, mining 
 resources for the North, agriculture for the West. But 
 
 36- 
 
with the growth of the country the intelligent manufac- 
 turer will seek that location which offers the inducement 
 of raw material in unlimited quantities, and a ready 
 market for the manufactured article. As well might the 
 enthusiast endeavor to successfully cultivate oranges in 
 Dakota, as the manufacturer hope for adequate returns 
 for capital invested and labor expended if his plant is not 
 favorably located. 
 
 Kansas City is adapted to the manufacture of a vari- 
 ety of articles, but it is particularly qualified to manufac- 
 ture agricultural implements of every variety. The 
 largest distributing point in America today for the sale of 
 agricultural implements is Kansas City. Sixty-seven 
 houses are engaged in this pursuit at Kansas City, employ- 
 ing a capital of 5.000.000, representing an investment of 
 $75,000,000. The sales of these Kansas City houses 
 amount to 20.000.000 annually. A comparison with 
 other cities shows the following : 
 
 Kansas City has 67 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 St. Louis has 39 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 Omaha has 36 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 Dallas has 31 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 Minneapolis has 26 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 Council Bluffs has 27 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 Des Moines has 18 agricultural implement houses 
 
 Peoria has 15 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 St. Joseph has 13 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 St. Paul has 1 1 agricultural implement houses. 
 
 Three-fourths of all the agricultural implements pro- 
 duced in the United States are manufactured in the States 
 of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Mis- 
 souri. Two-thirds of the entire production is used west of 
 the Mississippi river. The total number of wholesale 
 agricultural implement houses west of the Mississippi 
 river is over 300. The only important agricultural States 
 east of the Mississippi river are Wisconsin, Illinois. 
 Indiana. Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, while the 
 entire West, with the exception of Montana, Wyoming, 
 
 Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada, owe their 
 wealth and commercial importance to agricultural pur- 
 suits. These conditions have made Kansas City today 
 the greatest distributing point for agricultural implements 
 in the world, and if there is a manufacturing industry 
 which is particularly adapted for Kansas City, it is the 
 manufacture of agricultural implements. All the con- 
 ditions are favorable and there is no experimental stage 
 for the manufacturer to encounter. The possibilities for 
 success are beyond conception. 
 
 In proof of this assertion consider a comparison of 
 the amount of wheat produced in the States east of the 
 Mississippi river with that of the States west of that river 
 in one year for an average crop. 
 
 Number of bushels of wheat west of 
 the river 293.28I.C00 
 
 Number of bushels of wheat east of 
 
 the river 223.500,000 
 
 Excess of western crop 68,781,000 
 
 Of the amount estimated above from Western States, 
 the four states of Kansas, Nebraska. Missouri and Iowa 
 produced 1 18,592,000 bushels, and the machinery neces- 
 sary for harvesting and threshing this immense crop 
 ought to be manufactured at the best distributing point in 
 this great territory. Kansas City. Kansas City is in po- 
 sition to become one of the great manufacturing centers 
 for agricultural implements. It is already the great dis- 
 tributing point for these goods, and they can be made 
 here as economically as any place in America. 
 
 The minimum freight rate on threshing m.achines is 
 $12.50. while the minimum on the raw material fo» its 
 manufacture is $2.50. The difference of $10.00 would be 
 just so much extra profit. 
 
 Kansas City's resources for the raw material neces- 
 sary for the manufacture of agricultural implements are 
 unexcelled. We have one direct railway line to the 
 cheapest iron in the West, and we have two lines that 
 reach every variety of timber which is used in the 
 
 -37- 
 
construction of farming implements. The situation at 
 present is such that a large supply of the iron and lumber 
 used in manufacturing farming machinery is shipped • 
 through Kansas City to other cities, manufactured into 
 implements, and returned here to be placed on sale. We 
 thus lose the freight on the raw material from Kansas 
 City to Eastern cities and also the freight on the manu- 
 factured article which is returned here for disposal. This 
 is an additional argument for Kansas City as a manufact- 
 uring center for these goods. 
 
 There is a good market here for every variety of im- 
 plement that is made, and the saving in freight alone 
 would be a handsome profit. Two belt lines of railway 
 encircle the city; situated upon them are eligible sites for 
 manufacturing purposes. Ground can be obtained upon 
 favorable terms, and the arrangements for switching are 
 such that car loads of raw material can be placed in the 
 
 UNPARALLELED 
 
 By Augustine 
 As a milling and grain center Kansas City has no par- 
 M allel. It is not the most extensive flour manufact- 
 ' uring and grain handling center in the United States, 
 but it is the best. Ten years ago Kansas City was a local 
 market. To-day Kansas City is prominent as one of the 
 most influential of the leading international breadstuffs 
 markets. 
 
 In a single year Kansas City has received 49,851.000 
 busbels of grain; 31.161.000 bushels of wheat. 13.657.100 
 bushels of corn, the remainder constituting the year's 
 receipts of oats, rye and barley. Last year Kansas City 
 mills produced and sold at a profit 1.079,000 barrels of 
 flour and 281,600 barrels of meal, making an aggregate 
 output of 1,360.000 barrels, not including oatmeal, 
 cracked wheat and other breakfast foods and mill feed, 
 of which an immense amount was produced. 
 
 38 
 
 factory and the manufactured product shipped in the same 
 manner, making a great saving in handling. 
 
 There is held annually in Kansas City a convention of 
 retail implement dealers, representing the states of Mis- 
 souri and Kansas. The retailers recognize Kansas City as 
 the great implement center of the country and the man- 
 ufacturer who establishes a large factory here will un- 
 doubtedly realize a good percentage on his investment. 
 
 The arguments in favor of Kansas City for the man- 
 ufacture of agricultural implements are many in addition 
 to those noted. Equally as important is cost of power, 
 luel being obtained in large quantities at very low prices; 
 labor in abundance; taxes are based on conservative esti- 
 mates, the debt making power of the city being limited. 
 Kansas City invites manufacturers to establish themselves 
 here, but is especially interested in the manufacture of 
 agricultural implements. To all such every legitimate 
 encouragement will be afforded. 
 
 ADVANTAGES. 
 
 Gallagher. 
 
 Kansas City flour mills, six in number, have a com- 
 bined daily capacity of 6.500 barrels; four corn mills have 
 a combined daily capacity of 1.500 barrels, and two 
 breakfast food plants have a combined capacity of 30,000 
 ounds every twenty-four hours. 
 
 The grain storage capacity of Kansas City's modern 
 elevator system, comprising more than a score of houses, 
 is. in round numbers. 6.000,000 bushels, of which public 
 and private warehouses represent an aggregate storage 
 capacity of 5.000.000 bushels, mill storage room accom- 
 modating I. COO.CCO bushels, not including the steel ware- 
 house of 250.000 bushels capacity to be built at once by 
 the Rex Mill Company. 
 
 It has come to pass, therefore, that Kansas City has, 
 in less than ten years, wrought a commercial eminence 
 that other cities of greater size attained only after half 
 
and three-quarters of a century's constant endeavor, and 
 such as many cities twice her size may never hope to 
 attain. 
 
 Throughout Kansas. Missouri. Nebraska. Iowa, 
 Texas. Oklahoma and the Indian Territory, wheat, corn, 
 and other grain can be produced at less cost per bushel 
 than in any other quarter of the world. In exactly the 
 same region live stock breeds, develops and fattens bet- 
 ter, and with less cost, than anywhere else in the world. 
 This is due to the soil and climate of the Southwest. 
 Other sections of America, and other countries, may 
 rival the Southwest in the production of grain, others 
 may equal our millers in the science of reducing grain to 
 flour, and still others may become our competitors in the 
 production of live stock, but, in every region save that 
 of which Kansas City is the commercial capital, the in- 
 dustries mentioned stand alone; the Southwest alone has 
 been endowed by the Great Creator with a corelation of 
 of natural blessings that render Kansas City peerless, and 
 her commercial expansion absolutely certain. 
 
 During the past five years the grain producing area 
 tributary to Kansas City, and to no other market of com- 
 petitive importance, has expanded at the rate of a mil- 
 lion acres per annum, and there is yet undeveloped farm- 
 ing land within the radius of Kansas City's trade territory 
 sufficient to permit of such an annual expansion for gen- 
 erations to come. 
 
 Having first call on the finest milling wheat in the 
 world, delivered from the hands of producers by twenty- 
 six lines of railway. Kansas City millers enjoy the first 
 and most important of all manufacturing advantages — 
 that of operating near the base of supplies. In this par- 
 ticular Kansas City millers are on an equality with the 
 millers of Minneapolis, the world's greatest milling cen- 
 ter, but in other respects Kansas City millers enjoy un- 
 paralleled advantages. Besides paying a cosi for water 
 power about equal to the cost of steam power in Kansas 
 City. Minneapolis mill owners must maintain expensive 
 
 steam power plants which they employ several months 
 each year. Lump steam coal costs Minneapolis millers 
 (August, 1895) $3.85 per ton. f. o. b., with 8 cents per 
 ton additional for switching, while screenings cost $2.95 
 per ton. At the same time Kansas City millers paid 
 $2.20 per ton. f o. b.. no charge for switching, for Cher- 
 okee lump — the best steam producing coal known — and 
 $1.30 for Cherokee screenings, delivered. 
 
 Kansas City millers receive from 10 to 25 per cent 
 higher prices for all their feed product than it is possible 
 for the millers of Minneapolis. Duluth. Milwaukee or even 
 St. Louis to procure. This is because Kansas City is the 
 center of the live slock feeding region of the world. Cli- 
 matic influences are against other sections rivaling the 
 Southwest in this particular, and transportation charges 
 debar millers of other sections from the Kansas City feed 
 market. This advantage has been decreed the Kansas 
 City miller by Providence and will always be in effect. 
 There has not been a time within the decade that Kansas 
 City millers produced half enough mill-feed to meet the 
 demand, and such a thing as mills shutting down on ac- 
 count of failure to sell flour was never heard of here. 
 
 Comparative prices paid for wheat bran at Kansas 
 City and Minneapolis on a given date will emphasize the 
 fact above set forth. August 21 bran sold. f. o. b.. Min- 
 neapolis, from mills, in bulk. per ton. at $9.50 and $10.00; 
 the same day bran sold in bulk. f. o. b., Kansas City, at 
 $11.50 and $12.00 per ton. 
 
 With these facts as a guide, remembering that twenty- 
 six lines of railway enter Kansas City, that this market — 
 the third largest in America— is the world's depot for hard 
 winter wheat flour, hard winter wheat and corn; that Kan- 
 sas City is exclusively a cash market, neither countenan- 
 cing speculation or inflation. and that the demand for bread 
 and feedstuffs has always held Kansas City offerings at a 
 premium, it is not difficult to understand that Kansas City 
 as a milling and grain centre has neither parallel today 
 nor a possible future rival. 
 
 -39- 
 
I 
 
 
Missouri, Kansas & Texas Trust Co. 
 
 OF KANSAS CITY, MO. 
 
 INCORPORATED UNDER THE LftWS OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI. 
 
 CAPITAL, $1,250,000, FULL PAID 
 
 SSURI^IvUS AlVD UrVOIVIOISn* fKOX^ITS, 1^800,000. 
 
 EASTERN offices: 
 PHILADELPHIA, PENN., 400 Chestnut Street 
 NEW YORK CITY, ■ 36 Wall Street 
 
 BOSTON, MASS., ■ ■ 40 Water Street, 
 
 FOREIGN OFFICES: 
 
 AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND, 
 LONDON, E.C., ENC, 
 
 Singel, 238, 
 10 Throgmorton Av. 
 
 A. E. STILWELL, 
 J. McD. TRIMBLE. 
 E. L. MARTIN. 
 WM. S. TAYLOR, - 
 JACQUES T. NOLTHENIUS. 4th 
 
 EXECUTES A GENERAL TRUST BUSINESS. 
 
 COLLECTS WESTERN MORTGAGES. 
 
 TAKES CHARGE OF PROPERTIES, 
 
 Collecting Rents, Paying Taxes, etc. , for Eastern Investors. 
 
 ACTS AS TRUSTEE. TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR 
 
 of stocks and Bonds for Railroads and other Corporations. 
 Acts as EXECUTOR, ADMINISTRATOR, GUARDIAN or TRUSTEE of Estates. 
 •••••••••• 
 
 OFFICERS: 
 
 President. ROBT. B. CONE, - - - Secretary. 
 
 1st Vice President. ,^f^ JACQUES T. NOLTHENIUS, - Asst. 
 
 2d ■■ gip E. S. MOSHER. - - 2d •■ 
 
 3d ■■ ^CbP WM. S. TAYLOR, - - - Treasurer. 
 
 FRANK B. WILCOX, 
 TRIMBLE & BRA LEY, General Attorneys. 
 
 Board of Directors. 
 
 Asst. 
 
 A. E. STILWELL. - Kansas City. Mo. 
 
 E. L. MARTIN. - 
 A. A. MOSHER. - " 
 FRANK COOPER. - 
 
 F. A. FAXON. - - ■• 
 J. McD. TRIMBLE. 
 JACQUES T. NOLTHENIUS. 
 
 ROBT. GILLHAM. 
 WM. 5. TA YLOR. 
 DR. H. M. HOWE. 
 WM. D. BLACK. 
 WM. WATER ALL. 
 WM. H. LUCAS. 
 E. P. MERWIN. - 
 
 Kansas City. Mo. 
 Philadelphia. Pa. 
 
 New York City. 
 
 C. E. GRANNISS. 
 A. HECKSCHER. 
 H. A. LLOYD. - - 
 J. E. McKEIGHAN. 
 CHARLES CLARK. 
 E. W. MARSH. - - 
 E. HENRY BARNES. 
 
 New York City. 
 SI. Louis. Mo. 
 
 Bridgeport. Conn. 
 Hew Haven. Conn