Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-11-24
per bushel. The first wheat sent from Miluan-

kee was shipped on July 9th, 1871, on the
schooner Illinois, Jonas Pickering captain, ard
consisted OF cargo Of four thousand bushels.
1t took three days to load it. With our present
facilities for handling grain four thousand BUSH
els can be shipped nabout fifteen minutes. The
construction of the red warehouse, in which q
single horse did the elevating, was considered O.
great advance in the manner of handling grain
ana stu more of an advance WAS the blue ware
house, for in it two horses were usedl
Even as late as 1853, when the popula-
ton OF Milwaukee was over $4,000, the ship
ments of wheat had not reached q million of
bushels per annun. The receipts of wheat and
Hour continued to increase till they attained
their highest point on the crop of 1873 being
then forty millions of bushels. The receipts Of
Two years ago were thirty-nine million bushels
There are some who fear that the cities on
Lake michigan must sooner or later lose much
or their grain trade, and it is not an easy task
to toretell what changes may occur in the chan
nels OF commerce. tits not very long ago since
Buf1alo depended on the grain trade, and still
later Cleveland was great primary wheat mar
ket. Those cities have continued to advance
WIFE increasing strides, notwithstanding the
comparative diminution of their grain trade:
and should the receipts of cereals in the cities
on Lake Michigan fall off, it is not at oil likely
that their continued growth would be endan-
BeLeo; other and more permanent industries
Will spring up, and even now are springing up,
as they did in Buffalo and Cleveland. There Gun
be no doubt but that the increased number of
mills west OF us may partly change the receipts
from wheat into flour, but it would seem that
so long as carriage by water is cheaper than by
lana, the iron horse must lay down his freight
as soon as he reaches the shores of the lake.
The first board of trade in Milwaukee was or
gained III March, 1849, with fifteen members
For some cause 1t did not long survive and an
other was formed in December, 1852 The
present chamber of commerce was organized in
1858, under the general acts of the Legislature,
and opened with nlnety-nine members: it was
afterwards reorganized under q special charter.
At the time of its organization the city was con-
nected by rail with Chicago and the Milwaukee
and Mississippi railroad was completed to the
mississippi river, with . branch to GAINESVILLE,
while the La Crosse and Milwaukee railway was
fast pushing on in O. more northerly direction
to the Father of Waters, with feeder from
Horizon on the north.
These railways added greatly to the popuIa-
ton, and formed powerful incentive to agri-
cultural production along their lines. In conse-
quence OF this development of the country
tributary to this market, the chamber of COM
merce soon began to assume that important
place III carrying on the commerce of the great
west which it has ever since maintained. The
exchange room at that time was situated at
Number one Spring street, but after the de-
structlon by fire of the Albany building and
lie
the increasing membership and business of the
chamber called for more ample accommodation
IN pursuance OF al agreement between the
chamber of commerce and the proprietors of the
site, it was finally determined that the new
building should be constructed mainly with n
view to accommodate that body. It was ac-
cordingly planned with large hall for an ex-
change room and number of offices for those
doing business therein.
Ihls building was completed in the beginning
of 1868 and on the third day of February of that
year the chamber Of commerce took formal DOS
session of the same with appropriate ceremonies.
The building was of brick and cost $4,000. It
served the purposes of its erection for period
OF sixteen years, when it was RACED to give place
to the structure in which we are now assembled
1t was while the chamber of commerce was in
occupancy of that building that milwaukee, be-
came the greatest primary wheat market of the
world.
1t was in that old hall-poorly heated and
poorly ventilated though some of Us supposed
it to be,-that the chamber Of commerce Of Mil
Waukee arose to that proud emnence which
strict integrity, enlarged ideas, liberal dealings,
unfiagging industry and tireless enterprise can
alone confer.
L cannot forbear to remark under what very
different circumstances the chamber of COM
MERGE enters into possession of its new exchange
room to-day. from those existing in February,
1863. Milwaukee is now the central point of a
system of railways which embraces over five
thousand miles of road. If the lines of railway
tributary to Milwaukee were extended in one
line they would reach from Lake Michigan to
st. petersburg; and when we consider the won
dertul resources IN field forest and mine, of the
region through which they rum we can but
family realize the great future that lies before
our young city.
Wien the former chamber was formally
opened we were in the midst of a fearful civil
war, with deprecated and still depreciatlng
currency, and a political sky darhened with IN
certainty and doubt, while half the country was
Still cursed with human slavery. But above the
sIrglnS passions of contending hosts and over
the chaos of civil war there moved the spirit of
Liberty and Progress, and its voice could be
heard pronouncing the death knell of human
bondage within this nation.
" Let Mammon no d while Marnrnon can
The bones and blood of living man.
Let tyrants scorn while tyrants dare
The groans and with ngs of despair
An end will comet will not wait.
Bonds yokcS and scourges have3hsir ate
Slavery itself must pass away,
And be a tale of !e terday."
1t has passed away! And although we have
undertaken a large national debt and heavy
taxation IN exchange for slavery. vet believe
we can say not only as philantlropists but as
business men, that it was profitable and
glorious exchange. To-day we are at peace
among ourselves AMI all mankind. We have a
sound currency and most prosperous trade,
and not bud casts It's SHADOW over the future
of our beloved country, and I may say not a
cloud casts its shadow over the future Of our
beloved city.
am almost ashamed to say that there are
not wanting few in our midst who think they
can arrogate some impor ance to themselves by
depreclatlng Milwaukee because it is lot as
Large as Chicago. There is ouly one Chicago in
the world. AS neighbors of that wonderful
city we may well be proud of it's prosperity, but
WY Is 1t deemed necessary to unde1rate our
own fair city? What good reason can there Re
Tor continually comparing the growth of Mil
Waukce with the abnormal growth of our gigan-
tic nelghbor? When compared with most other
cities the increase Of Milwaukee has al been
most remarkable, and it may not be out of place
to ask If there be nothing but size worthy Of be-
ing sought for in q city.
III teauty of situation, if salubrity of climate
II pleasant homes not remote from business. If
easy enjoyment of all the amenities of social
life; IN short, if all those environments which
to a ''sound mind in sound BODY"
are worth anything, then is Milwaukee far to
be preferred to Chicago as home. There are
few men III Milwaukee such slaves to business
ana long distances that they cannot spend a