1846 1858 1861 1862 1863. 1864 1865 1866 1867. 1868 1869 WEALTH. STATEMENT showing the assessed valuation of Kansas City at different periods. NOTE-The decline from 1878 to 1876 was due to changes in standard of valuation. CLEARINGS. STATEMENT showing the clearings of the Kansas City Clearing House, by months, for a series of years. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. January. $5,156,094 03 $ 7,137,329 46 $ 5,971,704 01 $ 4,604,911 00 $ 8,009,700 00 February 4,566,721 09 4,704,922 97 1,471,811 18 4,286,200 13 6,285,100 00 7,412,600 00 April. 4,605,502 34 7,116,600 00 5,206,200 86 2,361,312 14 5,052,501 II 7,642,600 00 June 5,742,539 11 5,256,514 19 1,924,740 00 4,713,700 00 7,713,600 00 July 7,780,400 00 August. 4,448,729 19 5,548,123 17 2,235,213 64 5,601,400 00 8,039,400 00 September. 5,504,501 35 8,092,200 00 October. 6,915,521 82 6,892,287 14 November. 5,857,918 92 6,129,097 17 5,542,801 01 7,215,700 00 I1,772,900 00 |$62,840,608 76 $69,213,011 51 $41,000,317 56 $68,280,251 55 $101,330,000 00 INTERNAL REVENUE. STATEMENT showing the amount of Internal Revenue paid to the Government by Kassas City for a series of years. $9,114 10$ 11,642 50 $ 11,598 00 $ 13,752 00 $ 14, 198 00 $ 16,742 00 26,530 60 28,877 09 22,054 56 11,954 13 5,010 82 6,252 40 5,357 32 Licenses 11,669 00 20,000 00 14,264 16 17,789 42 Banks. Spirits. 3,708 66 420 00 $ 72,144 95$ 75,586 97 $ 74,285 19$ 60,115 65 $ 80,680 56 $102,751 48 TABLE SHOWING THE MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT FOR FOUR YEARS. 2,202 REAL ESTATE. Statement showing the transfers of Real Estate in Kansas City for a series of years. - Furnished by Kelly & Burton's Abstract Office. 155,025 89,560 134,775 210,550 108, 180 200,000 574,900 164,932 147,117 137,626 177,020 170,600 108,650 103,350 110,514 178,400 311,850 August 148,065 104,978 177,096 170 275 105,125 94,535 112,300 124,542 236,700 293,150 September 96,415 99,906 158,580 95,875 157,880 105,050 139,200 169,745 214,500 449.700 October 163,709 208,860 93,035 125,780 243,575 91,825 133,250 141,300 359,6co 397,000 November. 337,898 182,063 136,970 136,950 116,475 77,175 December 236,013 49,995 131,000 87,350 84,800 57,2co 137,600 151,150 110,200 98,400 295,000 420,850 275,000 563,300 Totals $2,080,434 $1,812,477 $1,809 058 $1,978,627 $1,632,330 $1,126,335 $1,545.975 $1,660,722 $3,604,072 $5,461,250 CHAPTER XVII. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF KANSAS CITY. The History of the Press-Local Societies-Masons—Odd Fellows-Knights of Pythias-Other Secret Orders-The Churches, Schools and Social Institutions. "THE JOURNAL." The Journal was established by a stock company composed of William Gillis, W. S. Gregory, H. M. Northrup, J. S. Chick, M. J. Payne, Dr. B. Troost, E. M. McGee, Thompson McDaniels and Robt. Campbell, and made its first appearance in October, 1854, under the name of The Kansas City Enterprise, with D. K. Abeel, Esq., as printer and business manager, and William A. Strong, Esq., as editor. One previous attempt had been made by a Mr. Kennedy to establish a paper called the Public Ledger but it failed, and its failure led to the organization of the above named company. In October, 1855, Col. R. T. Van Horn purchased the paper and took editorial charge. In 1857 its name was changed to The Western Journal of Commerce. About this time Col. Van Horn took into copartnership with him Mr. D. K. Abeel, who had remained with the paper from its first issue. In June, 1858, a telegraph line having been built from St. Louis to Boonville, Messrs. Van Horn & Abeel made arrangements for telegraphic reports, receiving them by express from Boonville, and established a daily edition, which made its first appearance on the 15th of June, 1858. In the summer of 1860 Col. Van Horn sold his interest in the paper to Mr. Abeel, but continued his editorial connection with it until the war broke out in 1861. Mr. Abeel continued the publication of the paper as sole proprietor until June 14, 1863, when he sold it to T. Dwight Thacher, now editor of the Lawrence, Kansas, Journal. It was suspended, on account of the war, March 7th, 1861, and continued suspended for about a year, though it was issued as a daily news bulletin from May 16th to August 20th, 1861. March 23d, 1865, Mr. Thacher sold the paper, Col. Van Horn and Á. H. Hallowell being the purchasers. On the 2d of March, 1867, Col. Van Horn having been elected to Congress, retired from the paper, and on the 28th of April following, Mr. Hallowell sold it to Messrs. Foster, Wilder & Co. On the 9th of March, 1870, Col. Wilder was shot and killed by James Hutchinson, about a personal matter, and Mr. Abeel again became connected with the paper by the purchase of the interests held by Col. Wilder and Smith Baker. On the 30th of August, 1871, Col. Van Horn purchased the interest of C. G. Foster, and on the 15th of February, 1872, the Journal Company was organized and incorporated under the State laws. Col. Van Horn continuing as editor, Mr. Abeel continued as business manager until August 9th, 1872, when he disposed of his stock in the company and was succeeded by Isaac P. Moore, Esq. Mr. Abeel, Chas. N. Brooks, M. H. Stevens and W. A. Bunker purchased a controlling interest in the paper and took charge of it August 8th, 1877, Col. Van Horn retaining his interest and continuing as editorin-chief. On the 10th of January, 1881, Messrs. Abeel, Brooks and Bunker retired, and A. J. Blethen became business manager. Since its first issue, under Col. Van Horn's management, in October, 1855, the Journal has been an able and influential paper. From that date it became thoroughly and fully devoted to Kansas City's commercial development, and has since been a most potent and watchful advocate. During the years intervening prior to the war its columns teemed with projects and schemes for the ad vancement of the city, and among these was outlined and developed every railroad project which Kansas City has realized. And in subsequent years it has been. none the less ardent and devoted in the development of other projects calculated to advance Kansas City's commercial welfare. At the same time it has always stood prominent as a newspaper, careful and consistent in its positions, and newsy, without being sensational. It was Democratic until the war, and supported Douglas, in 1860, since which time it has been one of the leading Republican papers of Missouri. um. Its stock is now $40,000, and during the past year has sold at a high premiIt owns its own building, an elegant structure on the corner of Sixth and Delaware streets, worth probably $50,000. It is issued daily, tri-weekly, and weekly, and has a very large circulation, considering the population of the city in which it is published, the daily alone averaging nearly 10,000 per day. To print this large edition it now runs a Scott-Webb Perfecting press, the third of its kind set up in the United States. It receives the paper in a continuous roll, prints it on both sides from stereotyped plates at the rate of 15,000 per hour, and delivers it folded for the mail or carrier. The position of the Journal in public esteem is unsurpassed by any western paper, and in influence, character, and circulation, it stands at the head of Missouri Valley journals. THE "KANSAS CITY TIMES." On Tuesday morning, September 8, 1868, the first number of The Kansas City Times was issued. In starting the Times there was experienced that risk which every journalist that attempts to establish a new paper, encounters. For some time after its first issue the venture did not prove a succeess financially, but its later managers possessing a determination to succeed, in time placed it on a solid foundation. The first paper was an eight-column folio, the size of the sheet being 261⁄2x 44 inches. At its head it bore the national Democratic ticket for president and vice-president, and also for State officers. B. R. Drury & Co., were proprietors. On December 22, 1868, the paper changed hands, and a company was organized under the name of The Kansas City Times Publishing Company Messrs. Wm. E. Dunscombe, Chas. Durfee, J. D. Williams and R. B. Drury were elected directors. Mr. Williams served as business manager, and Messrs. John C. Moore and John N. Edwards, editors. In April of 1869, Mr. James E. McHenry was installed business manager, and held the position until June 28th of the same year, when he was succed by C. E. Chichester. On September 29th, 1869, the office was removed to the corner of Fifth and Main streets, and on February 20th, 1870, the company was dissolved and the paper sold at public sale. Mr. Chas. Dougherty, of Independence, together with John C. Moore and John N. Edwards, were the purchasers. The paper moved along with vary. ing fortunes until the 20th of August, 1871, when it again changed hands, and passed under the management that has controlled it since that time. Amos Green was elected president; Thos H. Mastin, treasurer, and M. Munford, secretary and general manager of the new company. John N. Edwards was made editor-in-chief. In September of that year the Times removed to commodious quarters on Missouri avenue, betweeen Main and Delaware streets. On January 3d. 1872, the paper appeared in a new dress and enlarged to a nine-column folio. With that issue an extensive review of Kansas City was given in a supplement. The great panic of '73 was safely passed, and after the gloomy days the Times smiled happy and serenely. In April. 1872, Messrs. Mastin transferred their interests to Messrs. Green and M. Munford, and later Mr. J. E. Munford acquired an interest. In May of 1875, Mr. Green sold his interest to Messsrs. Munford. The "Old Times Publishing Company" was then dissolved, and on November 29, 1875, the property was transferred to the present organization, "The Kansas City Times Company," which Messrs. Munford, in connection with Mr. Samuel Williams, had organized. Upon the retirement of the latter in 1878 his stock was purchase by the company. The directors of the company after Mr. Williams' retirement were James E. Munford, Morrison Munford and Chas. E. Hasbrook; and the officers were James E. Munford, President; M. Munford, Secretary and General Manager; and Chas. E. Hasbrook, Vice-President and. Business Manager. The enterprise of the Times has been marked. It was the originator of the great Oklahoma movement for the purpose of opening up the Indian Territory; in 1876 it published a nine column twenty page review of Kansas City; it controlled a special train carrying its own papers containing the proceedings of the Kansas Legislature, between Kansas City and Topeka; on the 15th of September, of the Centennial year, it established a branch office at Denver, Colorado, publishing a Colorado edition during the presidential campaign; and previous to the nomination of a Democratic candidate for the Presidency 1876, it published an edition in St. Louis in opposition to the nomination of Samuel J. Tilden. These wonderful enterprises characterized the Times as the New York Herald of the west. On the 20th of August of the present year, the Times will have been under the sole control and management of the present general manager for ten consecutive years. From a mere shell of a newspaper when he took it in August 1871, it has grown and increased steadily, keeping pace with the growth of the city and section until now it is pre-eminently one of the "institutions" of Kansas City. It occupies its own building on Fifth street between Main and Delaware, where it has one of the finest counting-rooms in the city-and a thoroughly equipped outfit of machinery, presses, etc., required to publish its immense circulation. It is a newspaper establishment that any city of 100,000 inhabitants might well feel proud of. THE KANSAS CITY "MAIL." The Evening Mail Publishing Company was incorporated as a stock company May 4th, 1875, by a few prominent business men of Kansas City, with E. L. Martin as President and John C. Gage as Treasurer, having for its object the publication of a journal opposed to the movements of the water works clique as it then existed. Col. John C. Moore was acting editor-in-chief. In April, 1876, Mr. E. L. Martin resigned his official connection with the company, M. James T. Kelley being elected to the vacancy. John C. Gage and T. V. Bryant also resigned as directors, their places being supplied respectively by Col. John C. Moore and Frank Grice. Messrs. Moore, Kelley and Grice, all practical newspaper men, having come into possession of the stock, were publishers and proprietors of the Evening Mail. On April 29th, 1876, a re-organization of the company was effected, and at a meeting of the directory John C. Moore was elected President, Frank Grice Secretary, while J. T. Kelley held as Director and Business Manager. On the 7th of May, 1877, Joseph B. Strickland was admitted to the company, and held the practical position of foreman of the mechanical department and was elected director. Meantime Mr. Grice had retired, his stock having passed through W. Scott Ford to Strickland. Col. Moore was yet president of the company, while the secretaryship had fallen to J. T. Kelley, upon the retirement of Frank Grice. On the above date the title of the company was changed to "The Mail Publishing Company," the word "Evening" at the same time disappearing from the title page of the paper. At a meeting held November 22d, 1877, Col. Moore resigned his connection and retired from the Mail, having assigned his stock to Messrs. Strickland & Kelley. Mr. J. B. Strickland was chosen president and Mr. A. D. Gerard secretary of the company. A new pro |