The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county, Part 68

Author: Union Historical Company
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1068

USA > Missouri > Jackson County > The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county > Part 68

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There continued much agitation of the matter. In the winter of 1872-3 an act was passed by the Missouri Legislature, authorizing the city to contract with a company for the purpose of building works, and in pursuance thereof, two dif- ferent propositions were voted upon, and defeated by the people in the spring of

500

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

1873. In November of that year, a contract was entered into with the National Water-Works Company of New York, which was approved by the people; and that company, in 1874 and 1875, constructed the works, consisting of two reservoirs, two Holly engines, about sixteen miles of street main, and two hundred fire hy- drants. By the terms of the contract, the city guaranteed to the company net earnings to the amount of $56,000 annually, until that sum should be received from rents, after which the guaranty was to cease. In the winter of 1875 the company reported its works complete, and demanded that their rents for fire pur- poses and the guaranty should begin ; but at this point there arose a dispute be- tween the company and the city authorities, which was made use of for election- eering purposes that spring and the spring of 1876, and the matter was not adjusted for several years.

COAL.

In June, 1871, there arose much discussion about coal, and it was believed that coal could be found at Kansas City, since it had been discovered at Fort Scott and so many other adjacent places. A company was formed, and an appro- priation made by the city, to be expended in prospecting. The money was ex- pended in drilling a well in West Kansas City, but nothing resulted from it. The completion of the Fort Scott road, however, made it less of an object, as it begun to bring coal from Fort Scott and along the line, and it has since become a prom- inent article of commerce in Kansas City, from which the Missouri Valley is sup- plied.

THE EXPOSITION.

About the 4th of August the establishment of an Anntial Industrial Exposi- tion began to be agitated. The first mention of this subject was made by the Bulletin newspaper, in an editorial article written by Capt. D. H. Porter, then its editor. The other newspapers immediately took it up and urged the sugges- tion, and soon brought about a public sentiment in its favor which resulted in the organization of a company for an experimental exposition to be held that fall. Edward Fleischer, Esq., was engaged to superintend it and the work begun. Much interest was taken in it by the people and everything done that was deemed necessary. The buildings were erected, the arrangements completed, and the grounds opened October 16th. It continued six days and was a complete suc- cess, fully thirty thousand people having attended on one day-Thursday.

Immediately afterward a permanent association was organized, fair grounds in the southeastern part of the city were secured, and it became a permanent institution with annually increasing interest.

Col. Coates, who was elected President of the Association by which the experimental exposition was held, become President of the permanent organiza- tion, which position he has continued to fill. D. L. Hall, Esq., the first Secre- tary, continued in that position until 1880, when he resigned and was succeeded by J. Y. Leveridge, Esq.

THE LAW LIBRARY.

For several years there had been felt a great need of a law library. The rapid growth of the city had attracted hither a great many attorneys, many of whom were young men who had not yet accumulated libraries of their own. There had been enough agitation of the subject to attract attention abroad, so that about the Ist of September, Messrs. Banks & Bros., law-booksellers, of New York, informed some of the attorneys that they had recently been intrusted with the sale of the library of the Hon. A. C. Baldwin, of Michigan, which con- tained complete sets of reports of all the States and Territories in the Union down to 1870.

A meeting of the attorneys was immediately called, an association organized,

501

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

and the shares fixed at $250 each. Fifty-four shares were immediately sub- scribed, some business men taking part to help the attorneys. The money was thus raised and the library purchased, the books being received here Octo- ber 30th.

Since that time the association has added subsequent reports, and a set of English reports, making the Kansas City library, with perhaps one or two excep- tions, the most complete in the United States.

The first officers of this association were John C. Gage, President; Wallace Pratt, Vice-President ; John K. Cravens, Secretary; Henry N. Ess, Treasurer ; and Col. A. A. Tomlinson, Judge Nelson Cobbs, Judge Warwick Hough, Judge F. M. Black, J. W. Jenkins, J. C. Gage, E. W. Kimball, Wallace Pratt and L. C. Slavens, Board of Directors.

THE CHICAGO FIRE.

About this time, that is about the 10th of October, occurred the great fire in Chicago, which so nearly destroyed that city, and turned out its hundreds of thousands of prosperous people without homes or means of subsistence. The mayor of that city made an appeal to the generosity of the public for aid to pre- vent the suffering and starvation that must otherwise follow so appaling a disaster. Among the cities of the United States, Kansas City was not least prompt in responding to this appeal. Mayor Warner immediately convened the council, and an appropriation of ten thousand dollars was made and immediately for- warded. About the same time a public meeting of the people was called, and a relief association organized, of which General W. H. Powell was president. This association held a succession of meetings, and appointed soliciting committees for each ward. It also established a storehouse for the reception of donations of food, money and clothing, and in the course of a few days had collected together several thousand dollars worth of money, food, clothing, etc., and promptly for- warded it to the sufferers.

THE CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC RAILROAD.

The Ist of September the Chicago & Southwestern Railway was completed to Beverly, on the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad. It im- mediately became the property of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and until about the Ist of January, 1880, made its connections with Kansas City over the line of the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs road. At the time above mentioned, however, it made a contract with the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad by which it secured the right to use the tracks of that road from Cam- eron to Kansas City, since which it has run its trains through to Kansas City by that route.

THE EVENTS OF 1872.

In January, 1872, the name of the North Missouri Railroad was changed to St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern.

In January, 1872, the Board of Trade and Merchants Exchange having both become non-active, there was a movement among the business men for the formation of another commercial organization. This finally took shape January 16th, in a call for a meeting of the members of both the existing organizations at the court-house. After some preliminary discussion, it was determined to unite the two bodies, elect new officers and start anew. M. English, Esq., was chosen President pro tem., General W. H. Powell, Vice-President, and I. N. Hicks, Secre- tary. Nineteen names were enrolled for the new organization.

The next day, a second meeting was held, at which rules were adopted and an election of officers held. Gen. Powell was elected President, Dr. F. B. Nofsinger, First Vice- President; J. A. Dewar, Second Vice- President ; A. S. Haines,

502

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

Secretary, and Junius Chaffee, Treasurer. Mr. Haines finding it inconsistent with business interests to fill the position of secretary, soon afterward resign- ed, and D. Royce Drake was chosen in his place. At the annual election, January, 1873, Hon. H. J. Latshaw was elected President, A. D. Simons, Secre- tary, and Junius Chaffee, Treasurer. In June following, Mr. Simons resigned the office of secretary, and W. H. Miller was chosen in his stead, and by suc- cessive annual elections has continued to fill the office. At the next annual election, in 1874, Dr. F. B. Nofsinger was chosen President, and continued to act as such, by annual election, until 1878. At the annual election, 1875, Mr. Diveley was chosen Treasurer, in the place of Mr. Chaffee, and served one year. He, with Messrs. Nofsinger and Miller, were re-elected to their respective positions again in 1876, but soon afterward, May 9th, he went out of office on a re-organi- zation of the board, Howard M. Holden being chosen to fill the place. The Board continued under this organization until May, 1876, and until that time it was only a voluntary association, the memberships continued for one year only, and were secured by paying such annual sum as was decided upon by the mem- bers attending the annual meetings.

THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE RAILROAD.

When the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad had been extended far into the Arkansas Valley and begun to share largely in the transportation of Tex- as cattle, it found that a large proportion of its business, about two thirds, originat- ed at Kansas City, or was destined for that place. Hence it became desirous of securing a line of its own to the city. Accordingly some gentlemen in Topeka, in the spring of 1872, organized the Topeka and Lawrence Railroad Company, to build a line to Lawrence, and at the same time a company called the Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka, was organized in Kansas City to build the line between Kansas City and Lawrence, Maj. L. K. Thacher, Col. R. H. Hunt, E. L. Mar- tin, J. R. Bailis, and F. R. Long constituted this company. On the 12th of No- vember the city voted $100,000 to aid the company. No progress was made by this company that year.

THE KANSAS CITY AND EASTERN RAILROAD.

This important local line of railroad was inaugurated in the summer of 1872, under the name of the Kansas City, Wyandotte & Northeastern, and it was at first designed to run from Kansas City through Wyandotte and in a northwesterly direction to the Kansas and Nebraska State line. The company, however, failed to secure the requisite aid, and it was turned the other way, down the Missouri River. August 21, 1872, Kaw township, in which Kansas City is situated, voted it $150,000 aid for the line to the northwest. It was soon found, however, that the requisite aid could not be obtained along the line in Kansas, and its course was changed as above stated, when, Oct. 15, 1872, Blue township, in Jackson county, voted bonds to it. The following March, 1873, the question of transfer- ring the Kaw township bonds to the line westward from the city was submitted to the people, and authority for the transfer given. The contract was let on the first section, between Kansas City and Independence, in October, 1873, and work begun in December. That part of the line was finished in 1874, and in 1875 the balance of the line at Lexington was put under contract and completed in the spring of 1876. This road is the only narrow gauge road in Kansas City, and is very important as a local road and because of its reaching the great coal mines at Lexington.

BARGES ON THE MISSOURI RIVER.

The idea of navigating the Missouri River with barges was first proposed on the 23d of April, 1872, in an editorial article in the Journal, which was written by the then commercial editor. In his study of the commercial situation of Kan-

503

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

sas City, and of the means that might be adopted for its improvement, he hit upon this idea, and in the editorial article referred to, stated the situation and the ends to be attained by barges. The origin of the idea cannot be better shown than by copying the article entire. It was as follows :

"The business men of this community realize that the great need of Kansas City at the present time is a line of barges on the Missouri river. Quick transit by rail, and the uncertainty and difficulty of navigating the river during the latter part of the summer has rendered steamboating unprofitable, and nearly abolished it. We are compelled to receive and ship our freights by the various railroads, and although we are favorably situated in thisregard, we cannot offer the induce- ments needed for the shipment of the products of the country around us to this market, nor to the merchants of neighboring towns to supply themselves here with what they want for their customers. Our advantages in freights east are not sufficient to render it entirely impossible to load grain on the cars in Kansas, Nebraska, Western Missouri and Western Iowa for the markets to which our grain is shipped ; hence the smaller places in the district named, having access to our railroads, become collecting centers for the grain around them and ship it direct to eastern markets. The larger merchants in such places find themselves able to buy their stocks in eastern places and ship them direct to their establish- ment.

" A barge line will remove these conditions. By giving cheap freights for grain to St. Louis, it will compel the shipment of all the grain raised in the dis- trict named, to this city, to obtain the benefit of such freights. It will, also, reduce the cost of freights from the east here to such an extent as to bring down the prices of all kinds of manufactured articles, groceries, etc., in this market, and while our dealers will be able to realize their. present profits they will also be able to sell goods at such figures as to successfully compete with all the world for the trade of this country. Thus it will be seen that scarcely any other enter- prise could secure such benefits to our city.

" The establishment of a barge line will at once create the business necessary to make it profitable. There is no question about the feasibility of barge naviga- tion of the Missouri, for in Europe many streams are thus navigated which are worse than the Missouri. The moment that it is known that a barge line will be established to this city, to begin on a certain date, there will be a movement of the products of the country to this city, attracted by its cheap freights, that will load every barge down the river. After harvest, the grain crop of Kansas, Nebraska, western Missouri and western Iowa will all come down here for the same reason, and during the fall will furnish a barge line all the business it can do.

" Return freights will be ample to load all up river barges. As it is, the quantity of goods that would be shipped to this city, of the class that a barge line would certainly handle, is such that it would afford a fair business. The reduc- tion in freights would so reduce the prices of such goods in this market as to cause an immense increase of the trade, and thus naturally augment the amount of business that a barge line would have to do. In view of these facts there can be no doubt of the profit of the enterprise.

" It is stated that Capt. Eads has partly promised to put in such a line of barges soon, but it is too important an interest to take any chances. Our Board of Trade can do nothing more important at this juncture than to collect the ma- terial to show to Capt. Eads and others that it will certainly pay, and thus secure, beyond all question, its immediate establishment.

" In this enterprise, St. Louis has an interest as well as Kansas City, for while it gives us all the advantages of being a receiving and distributing depot, it will secure to St. Louis the passing of all our receipts through that city, and make it the market which our products will reach first on their way to the consumer. If St. Louis cannot derive a great benefit from these facts, she does not possess

504

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

the enterprise for which she receives credit. Further than this, it will cause the shipment to this place and to St. Louis, via this barge line, the products of a vast area of territory in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, which now finds their market in Chicago. In return, it will enable St. Louis and this city to supply the same area with merchandise, whereas it is now supplied by Chicago."

This article excited a deep interest among the mrechants, and it was followed by several others that brought to view more in detail the benefits it was proposed thus to secure. The subject was taken up by the Board of Trade and referred to a standing committee on Internal Improvements, consisting of Col. James E. Marsh, Junius Chaffee, J. A. Dewar, Gen. W. H. Powell and E. R. Thelkeld. On the 29th of April this committee addressed a letter to Capt. Eads, of St. Louis, and one to Col. Octave Chanute, then superintendent of the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Railroad, with headquarters at Lawrence. On the 9th of May they reported a telegram from Capt. Eads, saying that he " was so constantly occupied that he could not promise a report, but would write a letter strongly urging the plan as soon as he had leisure." They reported also the following from Col. Chanute :

LEAVENWORTH, LAWRENCE & GALVESTON RAILROAD, SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, LAWRENCE, KANSAS, May 6, 1872.

J. E. MARSH, J. CHAFFEE, J. A. DEWAR, W. H. POWELL, E. R. THRELKELD, Committee of Board of Trade, Kansas City, Mo .:

GENTLEMEN-I find here upon my return after a short absence, your favor of the 29th ult., asking my opinion as to the feasibility and practicability of es- tablishing a barge line on the Missouri River to St. Louis and New Orleans, with a view to handling grain, etc.

And first, let me say, that I concur most heartily and earnestly with the wis- dom and opportuneness of the proposal In my judgment, the country to the west, north and south of your city will be worth very little, unless some means be taken to cheapen the transportation of its products, to the existing markets, or new markets opened sufficient to absorb all its surplus; and the railroads which drain this territory are largely interested in bringing about such a consummation.

The business of the cities which border the great bend of the Missouri, has hitherto been confined to the distributing of manufactured goods and supplies, to the fast settling up country beyond them. These have been paid for with the money that the emigrants had brought with them, or that which had been dis- bursed by foreign capital that has been building our railroads. These supplies are nearly exhausted, and there must hereafter be exports of surplus products in ex- change for the consumption of goods; industry must be directed into the most profitable channels, and a great change take place in the character of the leading business.

I confess I have not yet been able to see how the farmers of Kansas and Ne- braska, would be able to compete successfully with those of Illinois and Missouri, in marketing to the eastward their bulkier products, such as corn, with the pres- ent methods and cost of transportation. They can, to be sure, concentrate their corn into cattle, or hogs or highwines, or starch, and so export them, but the profit will be less, and the return less immediate.

On the other hand, the railroads to the west and south of you are interested in taking the corn to market in its original shape, in order to secure as much tonnage as possible. For instance assuming a crop of forty bushels to the acre, it requires but seven and one half acres of the tributary territory to load one railroad car, while with the usual allowance of two acres per head per annum, a car carries off the products of forty acres in the shape of twenty head of cattle ; or allowing thirty bushels of corn required per head of hogs for fattening, and

505

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

one-fourth of an acre per head for range, a car will carry off the product of fifty acres in the shape of so many hogs.

Our experience in this country has thoroughly proved, that while railroads are admirably adapted to the gathering of the products of the land, over com- paratively short distances, and the quick transportation of the more valuable and perishable commodities, over long distances, they connot compete successfully with well organized water transportation, for the bulkier products in proportion to value, where time is not so essential. Even under the most favorable circum- stances the cost of rail transportation is from two to six times as much as the cost of carrying by water.

Some years ago a Mr. J. McAlpine, then engineer for the State of New York, investigated the subject with much care, and arrived at the following re- sults, as to the cost of various modes of transportation.

Ocean-long voyage, 1.50 mills per ton per mile.

Ocean-short voyage, 2 to 6 mills per ton per mile.

Lakes-long voyage, 2 mills per ton per mile.

Lakes-short voyage, 3 to 4 mills per ton per mile.

Rivers-Hudson and similar character, 2.5 mills per ton per mile.

Rivers-tributaries of Mississippi, 5 to 10 mills per ton per mile.

Erie Canal enlarged, 4 mills per ton per mile.

Railroads-favorable line and grades, 12.5 mills per ton per mile.

Railroads-steep grades, 15 to 20 mills per ton per mile.

It must be clearly understood and remembered that the above is the prime cost of the transportation, and that only with sufficient business to keep the lines thoroughly employed. The charges will vary with the rate of profit exacted, the risk attending the carrying, and the volume of business done.

At a convention held in Chicago in 1863, to promote the improvement of the existing methods of transporting the products of the west to the seaboard, which even then were felt to be inadequate, and to improve the navigation of the Illinois River, the following table was given of the cost and existing charges of forwarding the leading articles, from the mouth of the Missouri River :

STATEMENT SHOWING THE RATES OF TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND NEW YORK IN 1862; ALSO THE COST WITH A COMMODIOUS WATER TRANSPORTATION.

TO CHICAGO ILL. RIVER IMPROVM'T.

TO BUFFALO BY LAKE,

TO ALBANY ERIE CANAL ENL'G'D HUDSON RIVER.

TOTAL.

1 Summer Rate. 2 Winter Rate.

Amount saved over

Mills.

Miles. Cts.

C. 1

Corn. .

316

320

14t

950

5 3

3.9

2% 2%

C. 151|1.0 151 1.0

13.3

13.2

36.8

23 6

Wheat . .

320

3.2

950

4.2

Flour, bris

320

11.2

950 19.0 43.0

14.

151|3.7

70.

47.9

100

By Rail *.

Cts.

Dis.

Cts. Cts.

Cts.

Cts. 2

Corn. .

1×

256

Cts. Cts. 8.9 14

Cts. Dis.

Cts. Cts. 513 17.9|27.5

Cts. 1%

Dis. 380

Cts. 13.3 20

144

7 47.6

69.4

56 2

Wheat . .

256

9.6

15 50

1% 1×

513 19.2 29.5 513 64.1 9873

1%% 1%

380 380

1 42 21.4

114

144

5.4

8.5

48.4

74.4

60 2

Flour . .

1×

256

Charged per

Cost per ton

Distance.

bushel.

per Mile.

Distance.

bushel.

Cost per

bushel.

Charged per

Cost per ton

Distance.

Cost per

bushel.

Charged per

Cost.

Charged.

per Mile.

Cost per ton

Distance.

bushel.

Cost per

bushel.

per Mile.

Cost per

Charged per

Cost per ton

1350 %% 350% 350 %

47.5 7173

114

144 18

27.0 101 6

216.6

198 7

15.4

14 2

41.0 148.0

26 8

Cts.

"For six months, during the suspension of navigation, the cost is given by rail ; but in the last column, from the amount charged is deducted the cost by water. ¡Amounts charged between Buffalo, N. Y., included in same column. #Existing rates by rail.

TO NEW YORK.

FROM ALTON, ILLINOIS.

per Mile.

bushel.

9.6| 5.7|10 6

3% 3%

506

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

These calculations are based upon the assumption of a reasonable immunity from accidents, and the adoption of such a system as may be best fitted to the character of the stream it is proposed to navigate. If they are correct, the follow. ing would be the cost and charges upon a few of the leading articles, from and to St. Louis :

ESTIMATED COST AND CHARGES BARGE TRANSPORTATION OF MISSOURI.

DOWN STREAM.

ARTICLES.

Distance Miles. .

Rate Mills.

Cost Cents. .

and Handling.

Insurance

Assumed Profit .

Assumed Charges.

Present Charges .

Corn per bushel

392

2.5

.023/4

3/4

.02 12 $ .06

Wheat per bushel .

392

2.5

.03

.0I

.03

.07

Flour per barrel

392

2.5

.10

.04

.08

.22

Beef per barrel .

392

2.5

.16

.05

.19

,33

Hay per ron .

392

2.5

.98

.12

.90

2.00

UP STREAM.

Lumber M. F. B. M . .

392

5.0

$ 2.44

.35

$ 1.20 $4.00

Iron and Nails per rooo Ibs.

392

5.0

.10

.07

.20

Glass per 1000 Ibs.

392

5.0

.10

.06

.08

.24

Salt per barrel

392

5.0

.29

.05

.12

.46

Anthracite per ton

392

5.0

1.96

. IO

.04

3.00

But, it will be said, no such rates of profits and charges now prevail on the river, and the railroads have nearly driven off the steamboats. True, but this may perhaps be the fault, not of the river, but of the character of the boats now upon it, which, originally designed for a mixed passenger and freight traffic, have not yet had time to adapt themselves to an exclusively freight transportation, and to the altered condition of affairs, as to the class of goods to be carried. Their hulls are built for fast running, instead of capacity for carrying, their machinery uses fuel and steam in the most expensive way, and they carry large crews, who cost and waste enormously, and await in idleness the emergencies of the local traffic. A barge line properly designed must effect large savings under all three of the above heads.

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The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county, Part 68

Author: Union Historical Company Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company Number of Pages: 1068

Author: Union Historical Company
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1068