The Kansas City Disease is probably not confined to this region, but I have observed it to be very prevalent in this area. The affliction is no respecter of social status, race or focus of interest. My associates and I have been tracking it for years and have nearly given up hope of its ever being cured or even treated. What, you may well ask, are the symptoms, signs and causes of the Kansas City Disease? That is a bit hard to explain without advanced technical jargon. Perhaps a few illustrations of the insidious results of this tragic paralysis will help.

Several years ago the people who wanted to draw attention to the beautiful historic site, Longview Farm, organized an open house with tours and information on the Long family. The Longs were very wealthy, well-known horse breeders and active in the formation of the American Royal. Their in-town home now houses the Kansas City Museum which has in its possession many of the Longs' carriages and other interesting artifacts. Because the Longs were so important in this area and because there was much interest in Longview Farm, most reasoning people would have assumed that the farm tour organizers, the Kansas City Museum and perhaps even the American Royal organizers would have regarded this time as a golden opportunity to work out a cooperative effort that, at the very least, would encourage visitors of the one facility to check out the others. Unfortunately for everyone, the Kansas City Disease was at its full strength. Each regarded their activities and foci as unique and unrelated. "This is our event and not theirs. They have nothing to do with each other." Except, of course, the Long Family, the history of Kansas City and the general interest and benefit of the community.