, 1873-12-29
Receipts Of Grain 96,73l,598 Bush"
els--shipments, 9l,036,703
Bushels.
Receipts Of Hogs 1850, 900 Head !;
Of Lumber, 1854, ,993, 900 Feet.
Value Of the Produce RcceiTcl
During the Past Year.
A Grand Total Of $3.50, 100000,

The produce trade OF 1873 exhibits IN inc7aage
evo'' greater than that of any previous Soar. tie
breadHtu1fs movement boing considerably laS6ar.
while IN 1.-Two stock tho gain has been unE:cce-
donted. LII bath departments this ono graa: fuct
is observable tho volume Of our trade hes been
limited only by or ability to handle tho produce
nnd got rid Of it. Thoro has bcen q noteworthy
preference for Chicago on the part Of Ea,tern
and European buyers. especially III provisions.
md m equally growing preference on tho psrt
Of country owners OF prodnco to send therirop.
erty hero instead Of to otllor places. Tho II uson
for this is that Clicago ia genuine mr-ket.
Thoro arc tricky operators here, I: is
true; but tho moral stetus OF onr
Board Of Trade is confessedly higher thasl
ever before and there il not ono title Of tns
trickery practced hero TINT Is met with nt ntl,er
points, IN proportion to the volume Of our tain.
Our markets are all open ones anl partles de-
string either to buy or sell can always aaoe:tain
to halr'a breadth how mitch they can get for
their property, or low much 1t would cost them.
Our markets arc Of such d magnitude that large
lots mny bo offered for sale without doproasini:
them, md largo purchases mado without causing
M upward movement against tho buyer baloro
he has got through with his trade. There is ai
ways money enough, and produco enough,
hero to meet tho requirements of
both clnsscs. Neither fire nor panic
can interrupt the trade; tho most
tllat they can effect being temporary
disturbance OF priceg, which la soon conapon-
sated by natural elasticity, We havo hal IN,
suspension Of business, like that Of tho Stock
Board in New York, or the Chamber Of Com
morco In Milwaukee,; not to speak Of n:inor
business centres, like st. Louis and Cncin:1nti,
which cannot compare even with Milwaukee In
point Of business nm and enterprise, excort at
greet disadvantage. Tho attitude Of Ch:cagc
In both those trials would haye aatoniehed tlsa
world, were 1t not for tho fact that the world
outside las long since learncd to expect f.:ent
things OF ua-has loa1ned that in tho bright 1e1~
icon Of our commercial strength, thoro's no suel
word as "fai."
The great question with Chicago is enc OF
freightage. Our trade is growing 80 rapidly thac
1t almost conatantly keeps our transportation
facilities at thor utmost strength, and would
grow much more rapidly did those facilities por-
nit. Our Western railroad companies Cannot
Tor do not) furnish cars enough to bring in tho
grain md live stock TINT gravltatos towards Chi
cago aa all things on tho oarth'e surface tend to
move towards her centre and for several yaarB
previous to last summer there have not boon
Of lako froights to a fair rate. But tho summer
pressure Is scarcelya circumstance to the glut Of
winter, When tho freezing up Of tho lake channels
throws uB buck upon the rnllroads as tlo only
outleta to tho East. A considerable proportion
Of our wheat, and much larger percentage OF
our live stock and pork products, must be moved
in tho winter, and at rates which do not leave to
tic farmer fair compensation for his toll. And,
even whom theso freight rates arc accepted rs u
part OF the inevitable, tho requirements Of the
city cannot bo met. Cars have accumulated by
tho Thousand at tho crossing Of the Detroit
River and On the Henboard. waiting to be for
warded III tho one caae and unloaded In tho
other while shippers horo have stamped their
foot for weeks together III impotout impattencs
ut tho delay. This was particularly tho case last
winter 1872-73) but the arrangements arc lit
tie better now than then, and we are Threatened
with n g1ut OF this kind at any moment.
We need not even sketch hero the varioua
schemes practicable, with which OUR readers aro
familiar, that are under discussion for the relief
Of this pressure-the extension Of the Wel1nnd
Canal and those Of tho st. Lawrence; the rail-
road bridge at Detroit. and tho through-freight
railroad to New York-stil less tho many i'm
practicable schemes which arc listened to in
aheer desperation by those who feel that soruo-
thing must be done. All the measures re have
named are needed, or will bo before thoy can be
carried out; an4 our mercantile community mood
he under no apprehonsions that 1t will DO possi-
bio to increase the faoilities for reaclipg the
seaboard Us rapidly as the growing productive
ness of the West, and the needs OF Europe, de-
mand such extensions.
Laka freighta Oh wheat to Buffalo averaged
7.8c per bu during tho paat season; against
lilo in 1872; and 1850 in 1871. The rate would
hayo been still less but that the whole average
was raised considerably by combination Of
shippers bstoro the opening Of navigation,
Which made the opening price nearly double
the average Of tho season. Corn was taken ut
1Ge in March. End at 40 In August.
DARApBruRFs.
The movement OF breadstuffs through thta
city during 1873 has been greater than that OF
my previous yoar, in spite OF many drawbaeks.-
including partial failuro in tho crops OF corn,
oata. and barley. The decrease In the volume
Of corn and barley bus been moro than conf
penaatod by tho moro costly articles, flour and
wheat And this increase Is not simply in
keoping with all increase OF production In thu
constantly widening area Of country behind us.
We have drawn through Chicago
in tho Wcsat thani ever before, not-
withstanding tile operation Of the new Railroad
law, and the moro arduoua oxortiona made to
draw OF the great Eastward-roling tide Of
brealstnffs into other channels. Tho roceiptao OF
flour md grain for 1878 aggregate very neasly
$500, 900 tons, or ut tho rate OF 4.65 tons for
every sleeping and waking minute Of the year,
including Sundays. For tho handling Of thio
Immense volume we hayo now fifteen public
graiu-waretouses, which have all aggregate Bsor.
ags capacity Of 1864 900 bushels, Including
iough's and tho Dat!viilc, ono other "regularS
house (Neolys),. and imlnonso storehouses fo1
flour. Tho fourtoon principal elevators
arc operated by aight firms. Tbs
conduct of tho bnB!noHs during ths
year has been made the subject
Of numerous complaints, and two Official invests
gAtious-ono relative to the posting OF hot corn,
aud the other about the practice OF lending
less Of roal cnuso for compaint than in previous
years. The ono great reform that is now mort
loudly called for ts change in tho practice Of
permitting the warehouHomen to woigh the grain
bothin and out, without check against caroleas.
ness or fraud. The inspection has generally