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Show I The Story of Leavenworth I B The City of Leavenworth was famous fifty years ago. It was a great fitting-out station for traders to Santa Fe and for parties B and caravans getting ready to cross the plains. It was a thriving little city. AU its business men were doing so well that in leisure B hours, when they met to talk over affairs, they always reached the same conclusion : "God had fixed the site of their town for a great B city ; nothing could balk that decree of fate." B But the gold from California began to make its impression upon the Eastern States. More still it impressed the men of money B beyond the sea, for they figured that if such a land as the United States, with unmeasured agricultural resources and with plenty of B coal and iron, could have an inexhaustible supplement of gold, it would supply the best place for investing money in the world. B All at once a great many railroad companies, mostly of straw, to be sure, were organized. The railroads over the rocks and jH B through the forests' of the Eastern States had, up to that time, cost on an average $42,500 per mile. B Well, surveys and gorgeous maps were made, pen pictures of the marvelously rich country were drawn; it was estimated that B these new roads would not cost to exceed $30,000 or $35,000 per mile, and the desire was to sell 7 per cent onds to the amount of B $25,000 per mile. In England interest was only 4 per cent; over in Amsterdam only 3 per cent. The result was the bonds were sold, B the projectors realized from $5,000 to $8,000 per mile in cash above the cost of the roads and still owned the roads. B But that did not satisfy them. Many of them obtained land grants a free gift, and all towns along the lines of the pro- B jected roads were asked for free right-of-way through them, enough extra land for depots, shops, etc., and not infrequently a moneyed subsidy. B Well, one of these roads stole down through Missouri. It wanted to cross the Missouri from opposite Leavenworth, but 'M Hr wanted a right-of-way through the city and also that the citizens should help build the bridge. B Several meetings were held to consider the proposition, but the final conclusion was that the company could not help but B build through their city. They were willing to do the right thing about the right-of-way, but declined to advance anything toward B the bridge. But it happened that some pretty strong men owned the land down at the mouth of the Kaw, and these men quietly in- B formed the agents of the company that if they would cross there they would give them all the land they wanted, and moreover would H build the bridge for them. jH B The offer was accepted and it was in that way that Kansas City was born. The men of Leavenworth sneered for awhile, but B B finally began to comprehend their danger, and.jria'de a struggle to recover their lost ground, but in vain. jHj B Leavenworth remains a way' station to this day, while Kansas City is one of the very great cities of the United States, a city B B of 200,000 people, containing one '.eenth of the population of Missouri, while Leavenworth upon a far fairer site and containing a B B great military post and school, has but 45,000. Say that the railroad proposition was a hold-up if you please, but these are&e facts. B B Kansas City is just about as far from Leavenworth as are Provo and Ogden from Salt Lake. B B Had the same spirit governed in Leavenworth as governed down at the mouth of the Kaw, Kansas City would never have H B caught up with Leavenworth, and we refer to it to call the attention bf the men of Salt Lake to the fact that, as a rule, less than a B B dozen men decide the fate of .a growing city, whether it is to be a great commanding city, or a way station. fl B The opportunities are all on the side of Salt Lake now, but so they were on the side of Leavenworth before Kansas City had fl B a place on the map. Moreover, Leavenworth was on free soil ; the site of Kansas City was slave territory, and that should have been H 13) a great advantage to the former. i ' B Bf There is another case in the near vicinity of both these cities. St. Joseph was really the natural site for the great city, but ' I B St. Joe was intensely Southern. It wanted no immigrants from the Northern States; it cared for no railroads. It was doing well "I B enough; the slaves did most of the work; the society was exclusive it wanted to be left alone. It was older than either Leaven- il B ; worth or Kansas City; it had some advantages which could not be taken from it; it was the western terminal of one of the first roads I B in the old far West; it is in the midst of one of the richest and loveliest countries imaginable, but now it is only half the size of Kan- 9 B sas City and twice the size of Leavenworth. Kansas City may be said to have had its origin on the indifference of Leavenworth and I B the coldness and semi-hostility of St. Joe, which only proves that if the people of a place would make it great they must seize upon B every fair means to boom their town. H |