The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-10-11
The Grain Houses of Chicago.


lake will see Immediately on bis lett two
very large houses of peculiar structure,
with the inscription "Sturges, Bncking
han & Co" on their walls. These are
grain warehouses. They are built on
grounds belonging to the Illinois COutral
Railroad (runDing soath, aud have ex
clusively the grain brought in Oh the road
belonging to that company. 4 little
higher up the stream, and just below the
FIRST bridge crossing it, is the warehouse
of Mr.. SsGuel Howe, which, With three
others higher up in the city, is connected
with the Galena Railroad and its very
numerous ramifcations. The northses-
tern Railroad hss one warehouse, and the
Rock Island road one, each warehouse
having thus its distinct road or roads for
its own special use. The Central (or
southern) road brings in most corn; the
other warehouses are more dependent for
their custom on wheat.
These houses are unslightly structures,
huge things rising far above everything
else, with scarcely any windows or breaks
in their walls, which are studded all over
with black iron buttons, by which, and
by connecting rods within the walls are
kept from yielding to the outward pres
sure of the grain bins by which the hou
ses are chiefly occupied. Connected With
each is steam engine of sixty or eighty
horse power, with eraDks running the
whole length of building. arranged for
elevating the grain, Ugly as these hou
ses are, they may be called the chief de-
pendenoy OF Chcsgo TOR its great wealth;
for through them passes nearly all the
grain from the immense region just DO
ticed; and the grain trade, which at Gin
cinnati and St. Louis. Sc, passes on
drsys and on mems shoulders in bags, is
here, st far less expense, managed by
steam power, as | shall presently de-
scribe.
Before noticing further, however, the
operations in the grain houses, must no.
tice the Board of Chicago, an association
at present consisting CT 535 members,
Representatives of the produce trade aud
commercial interests OF the city," with
large privileges granted them By the
State. They meet daily at II o clock,
in large hall, to which strangers are ad-
mitted only on introduction BY member,
and here. in this grain exchange, the
trade of this kind chiefly conducted. A
round the room are tables, where Fpeci-
mems of grain and -four are exhibited;
but BY far the largest portion OF tie pur-
chase and sales are u uade without either
party seeing the grain, but only on cer'i-
fcates FROM the graiu houses, as to qusn-
titv and quality there in store. This
Board of Trade appoint six or more grain
inspectors, and it is the business OF these
inspectors, to be constantly at the Rail-
road, to inspect the cars as they arrive
After inspection, they attach to each car
a card stating the quality of Its contents,
whether "No. !, No. 2" or "reJected,
4. e., inferior, and, from this inspection,
the cars are sent to the grain houses for
delivery of their contents. The report Of
the inspectors is each day laid on the ia
BILE of the exchange room; grievances, II
| there are any, are there listened TO and
decided, and there, also, by crier. the tel
cgrspbc dispatches of grain prices at
New York, for that morning, are official
ly reported.
Let US now return to the grain ware
houses, and we will take that of Mr.
Howe, one Of the largest iD the city, as
sample I select it because l have had
the largest opportunities for examining
! its operations in detail The building /.
lsO feet long. OF 300 including the en-
pine house. about $50 feet in width. A
railroad, connected with the great West
ern roads, passes through it length wise
and on this road, within the building, sil
long freight cars can be accommodates
at one time, each car standing on its own
platform for being weighed, which is done
before and after the grain is discharged
By the side of each car, as it stands thus
is hopper soucealsd beneath the floor o
the warehouse; aud over these hopper'
pass off in all directions great covered
trouehs, called "spouts," SO that the low
er story of this building has most sin
gular appearance. as if great crabs claws
we're stuck forth iD every direction
To each hopper there are two Vertiea
spouts for the elevators a.. e., endies:
bands with buckets by which the grain
as discharged from the ears. is carried al
once to the top OF the building. seventy
feet in height, where it is By srouts pour
ed into the proper bins, according to lt'
quality. The slanting spouts seen be
low are connected with the bottom o.
these bins, and lead from them to th'
boppers just noticed, for purposes whisi
| will presently describe. There are II
this house seveDty-one bins. each with I
capacity Of 5000 bushels; and there ar
therefore to each hopper about twelve o
these slanting spouts, besides the two yer
teal ones for the elevstors. or eighty
three in all, giving that singular appear
snce to the lower story just described. =
Mr.. Howe, when in full operation keep
hfty persons employed, sometimes o;
night as we'll as day; six cars, each VIII
1000 bushels cad b rnasi into the ware
house. weighed out in bins, the car