, 1859-04-04
Chicago and st. Louis
TEr,,Y,, fhe Molina IndcDrnhent

~41CA6o %AA oks AA0AA0a
From the Moline Indcpcndentl
That Chicago and St. Louis are to be the two
greatest central cities on this continent no man
Of observation can for moment doubt. That
they should be rivals in many respects tB not in
the least strange. While each has its peculiar
advantage Of location, there are many things IN
which they must always be rivals. While the
trade Of the region around the northern lakes
comes naturally to Chicago, that Of the country
bordering on the Missouri River, for several
hundred miles, goes to St. Lonis, there is large
region Of country which will ever dsida its
to the business men Of that city which holds out
the greatest inducements. The region Of coun
try Il hundred miles above this point on the Mis-
sissippi and through Iowa to the Missouri River,
must necessary nuke their choice Of markets
between the two fhcy eau easily reach Chi
cago BY Railroad and st. Louis by steamboat,
and the same facilities arc offered for the trans
rortation Of produce and goods. Tnking all
these things into consideration the business men
Of these cities should make use Of all reasonable
agencies to draw trade to their respective places.
What will be tile best way to accomplish this
they are the best Judges.
St. Louis Cfrcumvcntfng Chicago.
tFton the Chicago I1ms.1
The State Of Illinois has population Of over
million and half of persons. The principal
cities Of the State have direct water conln,u-
nication with st. Louis; or, are geographically
situated nearcr to that city than to Chicago, and
notwithstanding the fact that Chicago hus d.
rect railroad communication with almost every
city and town Of any note in the State, yet, it
is not to be disguised that very large proper
tion Of the trade Of central and Of lower ILL
nois, is carried to ST. Louis and lost to CHI
cago,
| We are not speaking unadrisedly when we
say that this is a fact beyond all denial. So
hne+ oI4
Or two, that it now maintains and supports most
Hberally, suma eight Or ten steam packets be-
tween st. Louis and Peoria, and other points on
the Illinois river. Already We see by St. Louis
papers, several steamers announced Us ready to
start with freight or spring purchases for the
cities on that river.
When We look at our exchanges from the
interior Of Illinois, and see the announcements
by country merchants Of the receipts Of new
goods from ST. Louis, We have often thought of
the c1traordinary short sightedncss Of our
wholesal dealers in allowing the trade Of ILL
| that it has been done. We opened yesterday q
| dozen Illinois papers-some Of them published
at points SO near to Chicago as to be absolutely
astonishing found in them advertisements
Of dry goods, groceries. boots, shoes, &C., dc.,
Just rereireL from st. Louis
We know the trade Of Chicago has been iul-
mense; we know that Chicago can afford to
lose all the trade with the interior Of this State,
and not feel it perhaps so scnsihly as st. Louis
would the explosion Of j steamboat md loss Of
single cargo, yet for the looks Of the thing, it
from no motive Of profit, we ask will our mcr-
/ chants suffer this business to 70 on, season af-
ter season. without an effort to prevent it, until
| St. Louis goods will be advertised even at our
| city limits?
! st. Louis affords no advantages over Chicago
to the country dealers in hardware, dry goods,
crockery, bouts and shoes, drugs, Or other urti-
| r1a cfr, r,Orc1,apS17o+
sell Chcugo, or sell upon more advantageous
terms than can be had in this city. Then why is it
that so large portion Of this State, whose en-
tire trade ought 10 flow into our own city, goes
to st. Louis: The answer is q plain and clear
one. The result is not the work Of a day, or OF
steady, uniform, and perseveriug resort to the
only certain, and rarely ever failing system OF
advertising by the mercantile community of St.
/ Louis. Let uny Of our Chicago merchants take
up Il st. Louis paper and look ut its advertising
columns. He will find that there is no house III
that city having the slightest pretensions to
| commercial standing thnt does not advertise,
not spasnlodicaliy, not once in while, not for i
week or month, 6nt daily all tie ytur round
| The St. Louis papers arc circulated all over
Middle and Southern Illinois; the merchants oi
that city are in daily communication with the
people Of this State, and though Chicago circu,
tatcs tiye newspapers in the interior Of Illinois
to one from st. Louis, yet st. Louis alone adver.
t;ses her merchandise. 4 man in Peoria, for
instance, who reads Chicago papers, will find
much concerning the great wealth Of the city,
and progress in III! the branches Of trade, and
comparatively none pf that real and substantial
evidence Of the existence of that trade such as
is foundin the columns and pages Of mercantile
advertisements to be seen In the St. Louis pm.
prrs.
The difference between tile advertising in the
two cities is-thnt in Chicago such merchants
as advertise at al do 80 in the briefest possible
space, and for short time, und ut long inter.
yuls; while in st. Louis al merchants adyer
tisc, and advertise all the year round.
country dealer who reads the st. Louis
papers duly, sees before him every dav dozcr
advertisements Of large houses in each branch
Of the Wholesale trade; he looks in tho Chicago
papers in yasu for such I'LL exhibition Of the rea
existence Of equal opportunities here, and ths
conviction grows upon him, day after day, tha
it is to Ills interest to give st. Louis at lcas,
trial. In this way the trade which naturally be
longs to Chicago has been attacked, and a grea
portion Of it carried oil 10 st. Louis. The RENE
dy for the past, Us well as the preventative fo1
tl,e future, will readily occur to any man Of or
dinary intelligence. The wholesale dealers o
this city should adopt advertising US part d
Meir xysttan u business. It should be put dowi
III their annual estimate for expenses as an in
dispensabe item: it should be regularly ant
the anE the en1
walls, brt always accomplishing the great idea 0
| advertising, Of never allowing single day ii
pass By without having their business fully ad
vertised in all the newspapers Of the city. 1t j
by the adoption Of this system, aud pcrseyeripe
II adhering to it, that the merchants Of st. Loui
hare not only carried of such large portion q
the trade Of Inc interior Of this State, but hav
eyen penetrated far over into Indiana. Hc
who do business III this State look in vain to I'll,
Chicago papers for that display Of the who1es:.l
business Of Chicago which tho st. Louis paper
contain. But the merit Of the st. Louis system
is that it is regular and constant-unfailing l
is ut certain seasons, Of course, less thun a
others, but at Ill times. each wholesale house
which expects to do business outside Of the city
has some advertisement outside Of tic lcadin
papers Of the city.