USA > Kansas > Sedgwick County > History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas, past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county, Vol. I > Part 8
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WICHITA FIRE DEPARTMENT.
For efficiency there is no fire department in America that surpasses Wichita's fire fighting force. That is a broad state- ment, but figures of fire losses in American cities will show that the protection against fire in Wichita is second to none. Wichita never has had a really severe conflagration. Yet, but for the rapid and effective work of the fire laddies, there would have been many a disastrous fire. It is the fighting spirit of Wichita's firemen that has saved the city thousands from fire losses. For instance, not long ago fire broke out in a small barn which was almost consumed when the department arrived. Six other build- ings in the immediate vicinity were saved through the rapid work of the firemen.
For twenty-four years the Wichita department has been headed by A. G. Walden as fire marshal. It has been largely through the leadership of Chief Walden that the Wichita fire de-
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WICHITA AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER
partment has been builded to such efficiency. Chief Walden has grown gray in the service of the city, yet in all his twenty-four years' fire fighting he has never failed to be in the thickest of the battle for the preservation of property. Chief Walden is ably as- sisted by A. S. Brownewell, assistant chief of the department. Mr. Brownewell has been in the service many years and for a period of two years he headed the department. In any absence of Chief Wal- den Assistant Brownewell manages the department affairs care- fully and well. The Wichita fire department consists of five sta- tions in various parts of the city. The central station receives all alarms and directs the actions of the outlying stations. The substations are located at College Hill, North End, South End and the west side. Each station carries equipment sufficient to control any ordinary blaze within its territory. Always, how- ever, the central station sends assistance. It is rarely that the entire department is called out for any one fire. There are forty men in the Wichita fire department. Every man is a fighter of tried character. Many are old in the service and each may be depended upon in a crisis. A fire crisis comes rarely, but when one does arrive there is need for men who can meet it. Such men belong to the Wichita fire department.
Recently Chief Walden has begun the reorganization of the department's equipment on the motor car basis. The city's first motor driven chemical engine was purchased in 1909. In a few . months it has so thoroughly proven its superiority over horse- drawn apparatus that more motor driven equipment is inevitable. Chief Walden recently offered the opinion that in ten years Wichita would have no horses at any of the stations. For twenty- four years Chief Walden has been attending the annual conven- tions of the American fire engineers. In that time he has become recognized as one of the foremost fire fighters in the country. At a recent meeting of the association he was invited to sit for 'a photograph with department chiefs from New York city, Kan- sas City, Cleveland, Denver and Chicago.
CHAPTER IV. THE WICHITA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
By EUGENE FAHL, SECRETARY.
Cities are made for commerce. Some cities boast of their wealth; others of their splendid buildings and beautiful streets; others of the culture and refinement of their citizens, but the primary cause of all these congested knots of humanity, called cities, scattered everywhere over the face of the earth is commerce.
In every city of any considerable size this commerce in its various phases produces problems so large and numerous and varied that nothing short of a well organized body of business men can hope to successfully cope with them. Then, too, cities must be watched from a civic viewpoint as well as from the commercial side. The civic affairs of a city are better adminis- tered if the mayor and city commissioners or city council are conscious of being constantly under the watchful eye of an in- fluential organization which has at all times a thumb on the public pulse, and which in itself constitutes a large part of that pulse. The growth of a city is also a matter of much importance. Every city wants to grow. Every city should grow. In the mat- ter of bringing new industries to a city there is an absolute necessity for the well directed efforts of an organization of the resident business men of that city.
The Chamber of Commerce of the city of Wichita was or- ganized in 1901 for the purpose of promoting the commercial and civic welfare of Wichita citizens and for the further purpose of making known to the world the exceptional advantages of that city as a commercial and industrial center and as a home city. Several different men lay claim to the distinction of start- ing the organization of this splendid body of business and pro-
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WICHITA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
fessional men. Mr. J. M. Knapp was the first one to start out with a subscription list, however, and seems to be entitled to whatever credit may be due for starting the organization. The first president of the club was C. L. Davidson, who served for three years in that capacity; J. H. Stewart was the first vice- president ; James Allison, second vice-president ; L. S. Naftszger, treasurer, and M. W. Levy, secretary. Offices were opened in one of the basement rooms of the City building, which continued to be the headquarters of the club until early in the spring of 1906. George W. Smith succeeded Mr. Levy as secretary after the first year. He prepared a booklet which gave, in a concise way, many interesting facts regarding Wichita and containing a number of illustrations of the public buildings, colleges, park and street scenes, hotels, residences, etc. Fifty thousand of these booklets were printed and widely distributed.
The second man to serve as president of this club was J. E. Howard, who was followed by I. N. Hockaday, who was suc- ceeded by George M. Dickson, whose last term expired January 1, 1910. O. A. Boyle was elected president for the year 1910, which brings us down to the date of this writing.
Early in the spring of 1906 the headquarters of the club were moved to the building at 133 North Market street, and a dining room and many social features were added. Drinking and card playing have never been allowed in the clubrooms, however, and this is a settled policy of the club, as the membership is largely made up of Christian gentlemen who will not countenance any- thing of that character. At the first meeting of the board of directors in the month of April, 1910, it was decided to lease new quarters on the tenth floor of the new Beacon building on South Main street, which will give them quarters not excelled by those of any commercial body in the West.
Since its inception the Chamber of Commerce has had at its head, both as officers and directors, men of the very highest char- acter and ability, who have worked unitedly for the building up of their city and for the successful solving of its many and perplexing problems. In the assembly rooms of its present quar- ters many important questions touching the civic life of Wichita have been threshed over and definite working plans arrived at. Many enterprises, involving the expenditure of hundreds of thou- sands of dollars, have been promoted there. Its rooms have at all times been freely opened to any organization, of whatever
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
character, which was working for the advancement of the inter- ests of Wichita and her citizens. Among the things which the Chamber of Commerce has done or aided in doing may be mentioned the following :
Bringing the Interstate Commerce Commission to Wichita to investigate the matter of unjust freight rates and discrimina- tion in favor of other cities. This was largely due to the efforts of Mr. Davidson as president of the club and was the beginning of the fight for equitable freight rates, which is still going on at the present date. The Southwestern Fair Association was started by the Chamber of Commerce and for some time the headquar- ters of the fair were in the clubrooms. This annual exposition of farm products has contributed in no small degree to the de- velopment of Sedgwick county agriculture, and it has also been an occasion of profitable and much-needed recreation.
Largely through the efforts of this club, natural gas for fuel and light was piped from the gas belt farther east. This cheap fuel gas has been a potent factor in the matter of securing new industrial enterprises for Wichita and the Chamber has seen to it that the manufacturing world was made aware of this great convenience. Probably no other one thing has done so much for the industrial side of Wichita.
The Beacon building enterprise, although a private one, was started in the Chamber of Commerce by Chamber of Commerce men. This "tallest building in Kansas" is strictly a home en- terprise and was built by home capital. Mr. Henry J. Ellen, edi- tor of the Beacon and prime mover in the enterprise, was vice- president at the time he started the building company.
The Arkansas Valley Interurban Railway, organized and man- aged by O. A. Boyle while president of the club, is another in- stance of the really great and beneficial enterprises having their inception in the minds of Chamber of Commerce men, and being fashioned from the first crude idea into a splendid realization by them. The few instances given will show the character of the Chamber of Commerce and its work for Wichita. They will also serve to show the great value to any city of an organization of this kind as a clearing house of civic and commercial ideas.
Nothing is too large and nothing is too small to elicit the in- terest of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce. In fact, it is a most democratic body, whose sole object is to be of the great- est use possible to the largest number of Wichita citizens. In a
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WICHITA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
nutshell, the Chamber of Commerce is an institution that is ready to espouse the cause of any person or any company or any insti- tution when their interests are identical with the growth and prosperity of Wichita. "Watch Wichita win" is the motto of the Chamber of Commerce and no institution in the city is do- ing more to "help Wichita win."
The Chamber of Commerce is composed of 350 members, who are mostly engaged in the retail business establishments. How- ever, there are many bankers, lawyers, physicians and manu- facturers numbered among the membership. The clubrooms at 133 North Market street form a most popular meeting place for business men, for committees, small business gatherings, luncheons and banquets. It will move into the new Beacon build- ing in the fall. Ten years ago the Wichita Chamber of Com- merce was a rather small and insignificant institution. At times it did efficient work in securing freight rate adjustments, but it was not a very lively factor in Wichita commercial life. But this apathy was thrown off and the club began to spread out, to gather in new, vigorous members and to liven up the city. The gloomy quarters in the basement of the city hall were given up and roomy club parlors secured in North Market street. The lunch and game room features were added, while the membership immediately swelled. Not only that, but the scope of the organ- ization was enlarged and much was done for the good of the city.
Popular open meetings are held for the club membership from time to time during the winter months. At these meetings sub- jects of general interest to the city are discussed. Recently the Chamber of Commerce took the initiative step to find out the physical valuation of the city water plant. When there was a campaign to vote bonds for a new auditorium and a new high school the Chamber of Commerce championed the causes val- iantly. Many new factories and other industries have come to Wichita from other places during the past few years through the influence and assistance of the Chamber of Commerce. Much literature and thousands of letters, telling of the city's advan- tages, are mailed out every year by the club secretary. At the head of this live commercial organization is O. A. Boyle, one of the foremost boosters of the city. Mr. Boyle was elected presi- dent of the club at the beginning of this year. During the last half of 1909 Mr. Boyle was secretary of the Chamber.
John L. Stingley, secretary of the club, is another "live wire."
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Mr. Stingley is working all the time and in four months of his incumbency he has accomplished many important tasks. The other officers of the Chamber of Commerce are: Paul Brown, vice-president, and V. H. Branch, treasurer. The board of direct- ors meets regularly every month for the consideration of all sorts of business. Frequently there are called meetings to meet an emergency. The directors are: E. T. Battin, R. E. Bird, O. A. Boyle, V. H. Branch, Paul Brown, R. B. Campbell, H. W. Darling, T. M. Deal, G. M. Dickson, J. H. Graham, C. H. Matson, J. N. Haymaker, R. L. Holmes, John Kelley, Henry Lassen, M. A. Mc- Clellan, M. M. Murdock, Dr. E. M. Palmer, O. A. Rorabaugh, H. J. Roetzel, W. T. Rouse, W. E. Stanley, J. L. Stingley, A. Van Zandt and Otto Weiss. The executive committee is composed of the following men: G. M. Dickson, W. F. Mccullough, John L. Stingley, M. M. Murdock and R. L. Holmes.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
By
J. N. HAYMAKER.
The Chamber of Commerce is one of the newer institutions of Wichita, of which its members and the city at large are justly proud.
It was organized in the year 1901 and was the outgrowth of a party of men who had at heart both the material and moral good of the city. They desired not only a greater Wichita, but a better Wichita. Not only a greater and better Wichita, but a closer bond of companionship and fellowship among those who were striving to make it greater and better. With these ends in view commodious and accessible quarters were procured at the city building and afterward at No. 133 North Market street. The rooms are furnished in a neat and attractive manner at an expense of several thousand dollars; a good cafe was established ; the spirit and purpose of the organization was made known to the public, and the enterprise was launched under favorable auspices. The response was immediate. Within one month from its opening it had 250 members. Its presidents have been suc- cessively, C. L. Davidson, J. H. Stewart, J. E. Howard, I. N. Hockaday, George M. Dickson and O. A. Boyle. Its prime object
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WICHITA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
as indicated by its name is the promotion of the commerce, growth and advancement of the city. To this end its committees have been organized and its energies in a large measure directed. Many and notable have been the efforts made by this body for the securing of new enterprises for Wichita, the extension of its trade through tributary territory, the securing of advantages to business already established in the way of more favorable freight rates, and others of like kind, and many have been the successes achieved. Not a forward step has been taken by our city along the line of business growth and development without its help, encouragement and good will, but, as before indicated, its aims and purposes have not been material and mercenary only ; they have been moral and social as well.
Ever since its organization the Chamber of Commerce has been the business-social center, or the social-business center of the city. Scarcely a week has passed without a banquet of some kind within its hospitable walls. Business organizations of vari- ous kinds looking toward the advancement and promotion of business interests ; public organizations of various kinds looking toward municipal growth and improvement; civic organizations of various sorts looking toward the general good of our people, city and state, all have been welcomed here and all have availed themselves of its generous hospitality, excellent cuisine, sympa- thetic atmosphere and friendly help. It has been the civic center from which has radiated good influences in every direction.
The spirit and genius of the organization is truly democratic. While it numbers among its members many of the most substan- tial business men of the city, yet the young man of character and aspiration is just as welcome to its membership as the wealth- iest man in the city, and receives the same consideration. It recognizes the truth that, "The rank is but the guinea's stamp, a man's a man for a' that." While liquors have always been strictly barred from its portals and liquid conviviality is un- known, yet innocent games are encouraged, such as chess, check- ers, pool and billiards, and a feeling of comradarie and good fel- lowship characterizes its members from the oldest to the young- est, from the richest to the poorest. O. A. Boyle, one of the most progressive and successful of Wichita's young business men, is its efficient president and John Stingley its popular secretary.
Its present condition is most flourishing. It is out of debt, has money in the treasury and has taken in about seventy-five
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
new members during the present year. The outlook for the fu- ture is most encouraging. On October 1 it will move to its new location, on the tenth floor of the Beacon building, and a more beautiful, more sightly, better arranged and more appropriate location could scarcely be obtained or desired. Its aims for the future are in keeping with its high and beautiful location: to make Wichita ever a bigger and better city and its members big- ger, better and happier men.
About October 1, 1910, the Wichita Chamber of Commerce, the junior commercial body of Wichita, moved to their splendid new quarters in the Beacon block on South Main street. This club has accomplished great good for the town since the organ- ization of the same, and has promoted and assisted many of the best enterprises of the town. The Wichita Chamber of Commerce has rented large and very spacious quarters on the tenth floor of the new Beacon block and their lease runs for a term of years.
On the evening of September 23 they had their last rally in the old quarters. A delightful banquet was served to about 200 men. A splendid spirit of harmony prevailed, an all-around talk- fest was indulged in, and the underlying current was that the town was "safe and sane." The future was discussed and the past was reviewed. The ways and means committee reported that it would take in the neighborhood of $1,600 to move the club to the new quarters and start all matters off right. This amount was raised at this meeting in half an hour, a large num- ber of those present subscribing $25 each. The speeches made and the spirit of the club as manifested showed a most hopeful outlook for the future of Wichita .- Editor.
CHAPTER V.
BOARD OF TRADE AND HOW IT GREW.
Wichita has not achieved many things greater than her pres- ent board of trade in her thirty years' struggle for municipal recognition. With a grain market that is known as one of the best in the Southwest and a board of trade made up of live, hus- tling business men who get what they go after, it is not at all surprising that Wichita is a blacker speck on the grain map than many cities larger than she. The board of trade is one of the livest business organizations in Wichita today. In the line of city pushing and advertising it has done its share in giving Wich- ita the reputation of the coming city of the great Southwest.
The president of the board is W. F. Mccullough, of the Me- Cullough Grain Company. This is Mr. Mccullough's second term in this capacity, his first term being so satisfactory to the board that the members demanded his appearance in the dictatorial chair for the second time. Mr. Mccullough occupies about the same place among Kansas grain dealers that Browning did among the poets of the English tongue-the highest. If there is any- thing that the board of trade needs for the betterment of the grain business, Mr. Mccullough is up night and day seeing that this is brought to pass. That's the sort of a man that is at the head of the Wichita board of trade, a dynamic, high-tension per- sonality who always lands with both feet fair and square. The vice-presidency is filled by C. M. Jackman, of the Kansas Mill- ing Company, the largest mill and elevator company in the South- ' west. He is an able abettor in every good movement for the grain industry and loves his "profession."
The "Old Ironsides" of the official group is J. S. McCaulay. Always noted for his reticence-unless it is a rate discussion, then, say, you ought to see him declaim-he is lowering his rec- ord every year for saying less and is learning more about the rate question. Of course, every one will grant that there are numerous experts in Wichita who take special delight in learn-
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
ing everything they can about certain lines, but it is safe to say that such an expert in the rate business as Mr. McCaulay never walked across the new creosote pavement around the Sedgwick block. Whether it is his position of secretary, which he has had for several terms, that gives him this prying rate mind it cannot be authoritatively stated, but such is the fact. Mr. McCaulay is one of the first fourteen charter members and has been in the grain business in Wichita for more than twenty years.
The directors of the organization are C. K. Nevling, W. R. Watson, F. C. Dymock, C. R. Howard, A. R. Clark, J. W. Craig and W. L. Scott. The board is full on membership now. All of the fifty memberships have been disposed of, the last charter membership being sold a little over a year ago. If a person de- sires a membership he has to buy it directly from the owner and consequently the price of these little privileges to do business with the Wichita grain men are costing a deal more than they used to. A membership now costs a person $1,000. Seven years ago when the board of trade thrust its puny little self into the grain business in a half-hearted attempt to grow, memberships had difficulty in selling at $25. These memberships have become things of really great commercial value now and buying and sell- ing them is a lucrative business. The habitat of the grain men and the lair of the board of trade is the Sedgwick block. This historic pile has gained fadeless laurels by being the home of so many bulls and bears. On the first floor everything is right and proper and one would naturally suppose that it is an ordinary office building, but hist ! the second floor is a complete giveaway. From the moment you set foot on the second floor landing and hear the sound of manly voices shouting, you know that you have struck some sort of a combination. The second floor of the struc- ture is nothing but grain offices, with the exception of one or two insurance offices, which manage to exist in some unexplain- able way through the turmoil. It is the same way on the third floor. On you go to the fourth story and yet you find offices, yet not quite so many. When the fifth story is reached you strike the limit of the grain offices and also the limit of the building's height. It is one vast honeycomb of live, busy grain men who think the grain business, next to baseball, is the greatest thing in the world.
The firms who have offices in this building and are members of the board of trade are: Anderson-Koch Grain Company, Henry
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BOARD OF TRADE AND HOW IT GROWS
Probst Commission Company, David Heenan and Company, Da- zey-Moore Grain Company, Stevens-Scott, Hall Baker, Roth Grain Company, A. R. Clark Grain Company, Mccullough Grain Com- pany, G. S. Barnes Jr. Grain Company, W. T. McCaulay Grain Company, Kolp Grain Company, Independent Grain Company, Western Grain Company, Kaufman-Boyle Grain Company, J. R. Williams, James Dobbs, Hastings Grain Company, Kelly Bros. Grain Company, Alvin Harbour Grain Company, H. C. Thomp- son Grain Company, Empire Grain Company, Woodside Smith Grain Company, United Grain & Commission Company, Tri-State Grain Company, Nevling Grain & Elevator Company, Arkansas Valley Grain Company, Norris and Company, Millers Grain Com- pany, Kemper Grain Company, B. C. Christopher Grain Company, E. M. Elkins Grain Company, J. R. Harold Grain Company, Gor- vin Grain Company and the Brooking Company. The following milling and elevator companies are members of the Wichita board of trade: Kansas Milling Company, Red Star Milling & Elevator Company, Howard Milling Company, Imboden Milling Company, Watson Milling Company.
The Wichita board of trade is responsible for the great im- provement in Wichita as a grain center. Prior to 1900 Wichita as a grain center did not cut a very big figure. In 1906, two years after the board had been organized, 10,875 cars of grain were handled by members of the board of trade; in 1907, 16,575 cars ; in 1908, 24,326 cars. The number of cars handled during 1909 is estimated at 26,758. This is more than doubling the car- load receipts in four years. This is certainly going some, but it is the normal gait of the Wichita board of trade. One-third of these receipts was wheat. This shows clearly enough that the Wichita market is securing a great deal of wheat from this, the richest wheat growing section in the world.
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