New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-28

REBUILT.
Prom oa1 Special Correspondent $500, - 9, go.
The month Of January is a Gradgrinds Paradise,
wherein all the budding facts sir, facts of grow
ING wear suddenly burst full-blossomed on the
tborny stem of Time" They grumble through IL
months at the guesses made by Madame knmor and
the imaginative schemes projected by enthusiastic
theorists but when that earthly judgment day
comes in which business men say TO this column of
figures stand thou on my right hand" ami To that
column stand thou on my left" then Mr. Grad
Grind rcyels in the poetry OF statistics OF eeis lat ON
the food found in figures and facts. Every commu-
nifty has in it a goodly number of this class OF men,
who are unable TO digest idea until all the healthy
nutritious Juices which flavor it are squeezed out and
the thing comes TO them compressed into dry, hard
unpalatable fact. That these may have an opportu-
nity TO understand what Chicago has been about
during the past year, L have compiled the following
statistics, which show as plainly figures can how
onr people buy and sell, eat and drink build and
burn marry and unmarry, live and die, and are
taxed, taught and buried.
The grain receipts, although larger than hereto
fore, have not increased proportIonately with our
business growth. as Will be seen By the figures here
given. OF the five great staples, it Will be seen that
the greatest increase in oats while the corn and
rye receipts have largely fallen Off This Is explained
in two ways: First that there yet remains unsold
larger amount of last years crop than is usually held
over, and that this will help to swell our next years
receipts and, Secondhand most probable-that the
managers of the Milwaukee and ST. Paul Railway, by
offering great inducements in reducing rates to large
shippers secured the greater part of the Minnesota
wheat and run it into Milwaukee. In this they have
been seconded by the Milwaukee Board of Trade,
which carly in the season. offered premium to ship
- Il, niri in
wonld be inspected in Chicago and passed upon as
rejected" could be sent to Milwaukee, where it
would be inspected No q and sold on the Milwaukee
Board for the price at which No. would DO quoted
Laboring under these disadvantages, Chicago Is
not able To show as large proportionate CROWN
i'm her grain business in other branches OF trade
rs the receipts for 1901 which ~ follows, will
show: Wheat received, q ,G222.s BUSH; corn re-
ceved 23,Ols,s27 bush; oats received lO,9SS,0li
bush barley received. $40 66 BUSH rye received
1.96,2Oi blsh. The increase over last year Is; In
wheat GlO@gs bush. oats, soG.i76 bush; barley,
182 GO BUSH while there is n decrease IN corn OF
lO05i 495 BUSH, and rye, 429,1Oi bush.
But Chicago has failed 10 sustain her reputation
in tins branch she has surpassed herself in all others.
This is seen in the number ofhogs and cattle received
last year; $40 so hogs were received which Is an
increase of 1868 over the receipts OF 1866 and the
shipments have been increased from $500 in 1876 to
49, CO last year. There were 20 100 bceves received,
but nearly twothirds of homhaye been sent directly
East rs 2O3 $50 fatcd cattle have been shipped from
here during thcyear Besides this rs, $50 sheep have
been received at the UnionStockYards. The lumber,
shingles aud lath business has grown most wonder
fully during one year. This is seen in the item OF
lumber alone there having been ~ 10000 more feet
received in 1867 than in 1866 Tho lumber receipts
for tho last year Sl9l2O)J feet and the ship
ments were ~! 1900 feet. There were Gi,43l2jl-
900 shingles received and Co. iOl 900 shipped We
also received l43 ~ 600 lath.
Tho large increase in lumber and shingle ship
ments was due to the'unexpccted demand made upon
the market by tho settlers of the mushroom towns
along the Union Pacific Railway. At one time great
difficulty was experienced by tho Chicago aud North
Western Railway in supplying a sufficient number OF
cars to transport enough Lumber TO meet the unlocked
for demand As the settlers on the plains must for
several years 70 come get their supply OF lumber rom
this city, the lumber merchants are expecting ana
preparing to do mammoth business during the ensu-
ing year This statement partially shows how the
Chicagonians have bought and sold during the year
lust closed and when sly that the amount realized
from the wholesale business during the same period
were s59l OOOO0O OF which the greater part was from
groceries, and that % miles of water-ppe has been
laid and nearly 100000 worth of liquors have been
manufactured in the city, beside the large amount
received from other sources; when state this, 1t
will be at glance how the same people eat ana
drink The merchants are justly proud of their record
for 1851 as by it, they show that Chicago is surpassed
BY but three cities IN the United States in the amount
of wholesale business done. This. considering chat
Chicago has but about . years of business history is
something to boast OF.
The rapdity with which our people both build and
burn is shown by these figures. About 1900 build
IL rprlg cd and
many of these arc tho mostl elegant that have ever
been built in the city. Among the most costly and
beautiful il the Oriental building erected by the
Masons. and containing tho most richly decorated
and finely furnished lodge-room in tho United States
Also. the Young Mems Christian Association build
ing (now burnedl, the Academy of Science building
the mammoth block being built 10y Potter Palmer ON
Safest. the Commercial building on Lake-st, ana
many other fine marble structures OF when even
Chicago may be proud, have been erected during the
past year. Although accurate statement can Do
obtained Of the cost Of these buildings yet II ~ De
lieyed that s75OONO isa low estimate. Dnring the
rioting of the eigh-hour men last May, much damage
was done by the firing oHcostly buildings.
This partly explains the greatly increased losses by
fires. which last year fell but little short Of 100000
of which about 81 10000 was insured. The number
of fires was iiJ.
/ must hurry over q most important part OF orr
statistics viz. how We marry and unmarry, III order
to show you how we are taxed, taught, and buried
The figures are their own comment when state that
ont of 33S applications for divorce, 29 were granted
and that in tho city and county. 4.lS2 marriages
were celebrated during the year. Owing to the pc
cnlar relationship which exists between our city
and Cook County weiare obliged to bear greater
burden Of taxation than we otherwise would If We
were untrammclcd and entirely free from county jul
risdctiOn. Including all the taxes lefty, county
Stata and reyenuel Chicago nays about 40 800 900