Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1888 — TRADE OF CHICAGO. [ARTICLE]

TRADE OF CHICAGO.

A Good Showing by Merchants, Live-stock Dealers, and Lumbermen. A Large Increase in the Receipts of Flour, Wheat, Oats, and Lumber. [chicaco CORRESPONDENCE.) The commercial history of Chicago for theyear 1887 presents many interesting feature*. The total trade of the year reached the enormous sum of $1,103,000,000, being a gain ot about 10W> per cent, over 1886. The banks did an unusually prosperous business, nearly all of them making larger profits than in any preceding year in their history. PRODUCE. The following table exhibits the total receipts and shipments of Hour and grain daring the past year, as compared with 183 j, and the grand total of all kinds of grain, with floor reduced to wheat: Receipts. Shipments. Articles. 1887. J 1836. 1887. 1886. Flour, bis 6,589,326 4,139,165 6,390,131 3,778,227 Wheat,bu 21,476,016 16,771,743 26,862,077 15,750,129 Corn, bu. 51,614,762 62,661,594 50,552,694 56,376,476 Oats, bu. 45,373,935 39,976,215 37,005.437 32,364,268 Rve, bu . 853,731 955,047 691,448 817,553 Barley bu 12,215,202 12,740,953 7,270,495 7,826,190The markets for produce were dull most of the time, but the movement was far iroin being small. This city has handled a large proportion of the produce of the soil, and generally at low prices. The following are the totals for last year, with corresponding figures for 1880:

1837. 1883. Flour $ 24,650,000 $ 15.800,000 Wheat 15,830,000 12,103,000 Com 20,000,000 22,600,030 Oats 12,010,000 11,010,000 Rye 45J.000 520,000 Barley 6.700,000 6,550,000 Millstuffs, etc 1,590,000 1,440,030 Total breadstuffs..;B 81,250,000 $ 69,900,000 Butter 17,54 >,OOO 16,7.0,000 Cheese 3,600,000 3.100,000 Hides and pelts 8,015,000 9,000,000Wool 5,840,000 7,600,000 Flax 6,000.000 7,340,000 Other Beeds. 2,950,000 2,770,000Broom corn 990,000 1,440,000 Sait 1,485,000 1,331,250 Potatoes 3,000,000 1,750,000 Tallow and grease.... 1,503,000 1,600,000Hay 1,500,00) . 1,000,000. Beans 250,C0) 200,000 Apples 526,000 600,000 Other vegetables 300,000 270,000 > Hops 2,160,000 1,100,000 Eggs 2,070,000 3,000,000 Poultry and game.... 3,500,003 3,000,000 Live stock 176,645,00) 166,741,750 Beef 520,030 • 500,000Pork, barreled 1,275,030 440,000Lard 5.700,000 5,500,000 Meats (hogs) 15,900,000 9,560,000 Dressed hogs 15,000 253,003 ■ Miscellaneous 7,175,000 7,357,000 Total pr0duce....5350,500,000 $322,000,000 Total lt-85 337,600.000 Total 1884 3oG,000)000 Total 1883 400,003,000 Total 1882 382,000.000 Total 1881 367,500,000. Total 1880 312,000,000 . wholesale trade. The several departments of the wholesale trade show a marked improvement over the business of 1886, which was the first in a ratherlong series of years to show a material advance la values as compared with the quantity of goods sold. The following are the totals for last year, with corresponding figures for 1886: 1887. 1886. Groceries and confections 8 62,‘00,030 $ 58,000,000Dr ied and Cal fruits ... 3.000,0)) 2,850,000 Salt-water fish 2' 000,00 ) 2,p0),0o0 Fresh-water fish 49 ,000 565,C00 Oysters 2,000,0)0 2,250,000Canned salmon 900,0)0 725,0)0 Wooden and willow ware 2,500,000 2,500.00) Dry goods, etc 74,000,000 65,750,000 Carpetings 0,600,000 5,300,900* Millinery, etc 6,500,000 6,000,000 Clothing 24,000,000 23,000,000* Hats and caps 6,000,000 8,000,000 Furs 2,000,0)0 1,75),000 Boots and shoes 20,475,000 19,500,000 Leather aud findings.... 2,360,050 2,250,000 • Drugs and chomicals ... 6,500,01)0 6,250,000. I’wockery and glassware 4,500.600 4,000.000. Coal-oils 6,000,000 5,500,000 Books and stationery... 16,600,000 15,000,030* Paper 23,000,000 20,425,000 Paper stock 5,450,000 4,950,000' Wall-paper 1,000,000 1,252,000 Pianos 2,600,000 2,300,000 Reed organs. 2,000,030 1,500,000 Other musical instruments . 1,000,000 800,000' Musical stationery, etc. 450,000 400,000' Liquors, etc 11,000, )0) 10.750,000 Carriages.... 1,50 ,0)0 1.185, 0) Iron ore 3,74),u0U 2)6(4),000 ■ Pig-iron 18,900,000 14,COO,00) Pig-lead 3,750,000 3,87u,U00' Coal 28,440,00) 22,675,000 Lumber 40,000,0)0 36,003,000Tobacco 14,90), 503 11,893,000 Jewelry 15,000,0)0 13,000,000 Iron, manufactured.... 15,600,000 14 000,000' Building materials 3,450,000 4,4 o,ooo' Miscellaneous 8,885,000 9,278,000 Total wh01e5a1e..,.5449,000,000 $408,000,000 Do. in 1885 380,000,030 Do. in 1881 370,000,000*

LIVE STOCK. Chicago's cattle and sheep receipts have increased greatly beyond all expectations during 1837, but the hog receipts suffered a heavy docrease, owing to a smaller hog crop and a partial diversion of the packing to points further west. Compared with 1686, the local packing during the year shows a general falling off. The Chicago receipts of cattle, hogs, sheep, and horses for ten years past have been as follows: Year. Cattle. Hogs. Sheop. Horses. 1878 1,088,068 6,309,654 310,420 9,415 1879 1,215,732 6,418,304 325,119 10,473 1880 L 382,447 7,059,355 335,810 10,398 1881 1,498,550 6,474,841 493,624 12,909 1882 1,582,530 5,817,501 628,887 13,856 1883 1,878,941 5,610,625 749,917 15,2551834 1,8.17,697 5,351,967 801,630 18,602 1885 1,905.518 6,937,535 1,003,598 19,356 1886 1,903,900 6,718,761 1,008,790 27,599* 1837.... ....2,377,852 5,459,812 1,362,395 46,263 LUMBER. Chicago received during 1837 a total of 1,866,000,000 feet of lumber, against 1,712,981,000 feet ■ in 1886, and shipped 924,417,000 feet, agafnst 0n1y.882,672,000 in i 836. While there was a large increase iu the lumber movement, as appears from the above figures, the shingle receipts suffered a heavy falling off, owing to a»greatly reduced production at the mills. Onlv 610,440,OOJ shingles were received during the year, against 813,809,003 pieces in 1886, and the shingle shipments fell to 71,470,000 pieces, against 102,1ii2,000 in 1886. The stocks of lumber, shingles, and lath held in this city December 1 for seven years compare as follows: Year, Lumber. Shingles. Lath 1881 620,781.223 265,262,174 53,117,573 1882 719,458,812 309,932,654 70,994,869 1883 082,771,981 449,258,650 52,791,634 1884 060,930,272 336,7 0,492 68,905,506 ■ 1885 681,389,704 411,602,828 99,881,115 1836 608,416,940 483,123,712 63,564,346 1887 623,434,984 428,049,700 48,550,480 Trade of Other Western Cities. Indianapolis.—The wholesale trade of Indianapolis was unusually heavy during the year. The real estate transfers amounted to more than 812,000,000—twice as much as in 1886. Permits were issued for the erection of 1,152 buildings, at an estimated cost of a 1,200,000. JJes Moines. - There was expended for improvements in. Des Moines during the past year 84,500,000, and 700 houses were erected. The real estate transactions amounted to 84,98',000, and the manufacturing products amounted to 814,455,200. The wholesale trado amounted to 823.5.51,&0. Other miscellaneous business, 815,891,514, making a total volume of business for 1887 of 861.391,207.