, 1873-12-26
OUR WHOLESALE TRADE.
The Business of Chicago In
1878.
A Little Bit Of History in Flgurcs--
But Not Figures Of Speech.
$3.50, 100000 Worth Of Goods Sold
in One Year.
This Is No Retail Business.


4 Gain Of Is Per Cent on 1872, and
Of 81 por Cent on 1870.
The wholesale trade OF tho city during 1878
will compare favorahly with that Of my former
year, though 1t might DO thought at dlaad-
vantage with 1872. Tint yoar, boing tho ono
succeeding tho fire., aud not beginning TIL sln'o
lad boon allowed tho burnt-outors to recom-
1ueuco business, was exceptionally nctivo; not
only on account Of the numerous purchases made
to rer1aco goods destroyed, but because Of m
extraordinary domand ou aomo departments Tor
building n1atcrfnl, and on othors for tho whoro-
vIthal to supply tho wants Of tho 10000 extra
workers who camo hore to aid IN rcconstructing
tho burned city. OF co,trso most OF these wants
weye directly supplied at rata1l, hut
tho retailers hnd to buy at wholesale
before thoy could sell. Most Of tho rebuilding
yas demo III 1879; but tho trade has continued.
and In eurpriatng volume. though necessarily
changing In tho proportions Of tts several parts.
Some branches Of business show decrease i0
the volume Of sales, aud owing to tho opera
tion Of other ca,.scs in addition to those already
noted; but this deficit Ia more than compensated
by an increase In other departments, In spite
ot groat diaconragomonta, md tho yolunao Of
Trade Bhowa IN lncroaso, though not so glcat rs
IN some former years. Thore plobably wonld
haye been no gain {woith boasting of) but for
1o opzooto visitation In tho latter part Of 1874,
which restricted bustnoss for q Limo about in
Tho same proportion ~ did the panic OF 4 year
ater. -
Tho great reason for tho continuous growth Of
,v;stcd evcr sfnco Chicago began to grow out Of
, p1o ,,,aso ~ ~ !. Garden Civ" lfe into tho posi-
uor ~ cor,rorc;aI foous of cha Northwost.
r,,at r,,sr, IN lin rront soorot Of euccoss wler-
a,,or n ~ mai ,ylt--tho correspondence Of Tho
,nd;xiduo, or tho comn,unitv With Ills or It's SIR
ra,,udin~a W. hare MI aro,,n1 us the e,omouts
~ wo,Ith md that onorry which makes wealth;
sn1 onr h,,s;,,cas mcn soiza ,oon thouo elements
rr1,i,o l,a 1would l,a1 orchanta OF St, louis pna
Na,r nr,eana toN. nhont It and ncedessy try to
,.,,;,cn cach othor that It would bo a rood thing
- w. ~ ..,a o,,,ar1,r,,o ano,o,, ~ IN
" ntey uaa oao's "ua e"U. NJ. s.st ~ -,
rs Chicago merchants 10. 4has u apuut ~ tn'te
is to 1t. Our business mon maT tux nas they
~. T., .,,h;,, ,,laro tbcra ia nothinr In Il,
20 ''"o III '3S9sue "A7N' |A~'0 - No
a3nc'
And In this spirit they have stre'choo out thc1F
ont INST tho points Which aspiro to rival this clsy
Nv trn ,o co,,tros ond fa,l Ia bur,t foa E;op'e
as s'eae eenttea' a'ta . ~ s"a.s ~
plan) only because 1nelr local noSs ua's ..p, no'
wind enough to blow ,hemaoves up 10 sno oasss.
having ~ 1917 supplied nosa .p1 r."
esuSnnpa.l a1u ~ ,.raa nv,
Of IT, LOUIS gram anu pso'islous 10 ntse pat.
Great West. aud shining example to the whole
wo,,1
"u1.e n,'4 H.. tn - xr,,-, dr,,xh,oso
Ih'e, too' IN .no taso ~ n"'5 a."sasAs ',',"sas
The panic cannos DO cialmea rs fpec''i o'uuet'
auco hccauBe it applied with fur creator forc'
in tic other citlos of tic Union than here aud
:s-., ~" .;s.'",;,u a,oro. - Ch;oooo mn,
aaasaa' w.. snt pss' ,.;.n nsan1,os ,,atro ~ .I,o
ahone OUT VIII Peconar 'oa'fe VI 'nu
epinp,astcrs, or to receive tllom tllow hithe
H. n,onov ~ tho East onl West, and induce
NV s;.a A4o"' e. o,,;s an, o',,or ro;ut. =
tho metehah's OF ~. Lou'a alu osAet po'.ts :. y
ash their country u ptors tor payment 70 urnls a
on Chlca8o. Iunt, auu t'io = huppotn u 4usS tha
what wc nad 70 ECU was teoIu1 US 'nV'ey, alE'
hither tho tlaae OF contsheht, anu ac1ualt !!
mudo Of our CITY 4 scene OF g1eater acsis1&f, =!
como departments, than "onla Aaso oeon ~ ~
case II Jay cooKe.s lall'e1e nad not noouea VI
country with 'wnnt OF confluence. "a.
There is no use IN attempting TO ulsGniso tn
fact that tho operation OF the new Nallroaa To-
naB ncceasltatea t!'n use u h'1aoot supoLh1u4n ~
excrions to make tAo volusno o. our yoat y DUE
uesa exceed that OF former. vents: II has pa
tall" taken awny floIn us the tla4o q cons1t
cradle strip Of territory along tho Misslsalpl
River llenr ot. Louis. WHICH WAS EecuIeu 70 ua u
= system g "thio ongh rates. nna Eeaa9ae es'
tho acceptance OF loss pefcensagoa
profit in order tEas tAe raae
other sections should not be d1vertc
from t}s city. Ihens, too, the low piiccs
protinco hnyo prevented tue farming commnnli
frnt
with higher liiccs, or less protection dgdt"
them. Tho plotecton System itself Is now gel
orally rcuognlzed as ip1urlously Affecting q
Trade, and in this respect mos; important ste
forward has been made during tae year,-a
traders. Tho farnlcrs layo found that they q
Obliged to accent for what they have to &c
prices which ARG dictated W tho competition
's the paurer labor OF Europe" aud nave CO.
ttey Duy, protection prices to the manufacture