Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-05

mercial business and railway interests of ths
city were reviewed. For the information OF
the thousands of strangers to whom the GLOBE
of to-day will be sent, we will endeavor to
briefly state the most important facts set forth
in the annual number, SO far as they bear upon
the business prospects of St. Paul, and OF the
country tributary to the city. The leading
article was devoted to the
ST. PAUL RAILROAD SYSTEM,
and set forth the facts that during the year
1879 two corporations, controlled by st Paul
men. had each acquired possession OF great
railroad properties; that there was over So
000, 900 expended in 1879 in extending st. Paul
railroads; that the headquarters of fifteen
companies had been permanently established
here; that they had undertaken large
local Improvements accordingly, in the way
of Office buildings, freight houses, depots snd
construction and repair shops; that f.om fifteen
distinct lines of road over one hundred trains
arrive at st. Paul and depart daily; and that
the contemplated extensions of Minnesota
roads were all in the direction of creating a
distinctive railway system, having st. Paul for
its central and general distributing point.
Since that time one of the two corporations
first referred to above (the st. Paul Sioux
City has been merged in now organization
which controls also the North Wisconsin and
Chicago st. Paul & Minneapolis lines, and
prominent members of which are chief owners
of the St. Paul i Duluth line. This new COM
pany will have its headquarters here and will
add to t be local Improvements begun by the
s.. Paul & Sioux City company.
THE LOCAL GRAIN TRADE.
Next in the makeup of the great annual
was az article on the grain trade of st. Paul,
showing that during 1879 there was sold to
millers, from farmers wagons, on the streets
of st. Paul, 668, go bushels of wheat st. Paul
grain dealers, bought and shipped, in all,
1875, 900 bushels of wheat during the year, of
which 2,432, 945 bushels passed through st.
Paul elevators, the remainder being shipped
direct from places where bought. The corn
sold in this market during the year amounted
to iii 520 bushels; tie oats to 1852 4SS
bushels; and the barley to i74,000 bushels.
OUR MERCHANT PRINCES.
considerable part of the great number was
taken up with descriptions of the leading mer
,autile houses of the city. The wholesale
trade of the city for 1879 was estimated at
total Of over 35,0OO,0lo, of which S5,400OO0
was credited to groceries, s6,450,000 to dry
goods, 81 600 600 to boots and shoes, 81 500 900
to drugs, and 81, l15, eco to liquors.
LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS.
A list of buildings erected in the city
during 1879 was published, the esti-
mated cost of which amounted to
to 81 ,222, 40. The railroad companies e1pend-
ed on improvements in and near the city dur
ing the year about Sjo0,O0o; and street. and
sewer improvements brought up the aggregate
to 81, 1856 200. The indications at that time,
which are increasingly strong at this time,
pr omised still larger building improvements
in 1880.
THE BANKS.
The history Of the banks of st. Paul and re-
view of their operations in 1879, as contained
in the annual, served to confirm the estimates
of the mercantile business of the city. There
are six banks, with capitals of S25 200 to ST.
250,000 the aggregate being g, 523, 900. During
1879 their daily average of deposits ranged
over s., 900, 600 and their sales of exchange
amounted to $45,000,0O0.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
We Gull from the GLOBE Of Dec. 3lst the
following further interesting facts:
The customs collections at st. Paul in 1879
we're sll, 1854, being an increase of So, 7C0
over 1878.
The Capital City mill produced about $4,000
barrels of -four last year, most of which was
shipped direct to Europe.
The''river steamboats, brought to the city last
summer about 1000 tons of freight and loaded
cut about $500 tons.
The twelve Principal hotels of the city
Thirty eight minor houses not lncluded) have
I,OO6 rooms and registered 143,4Sl guests last
year.
The water company has % miles of mains
laid, with 165 hydrants and 155 water valves.
Three miles of mains are laid in sandrock tun-
nels. The number of consumers Jan. was
1,5OO and the capacity of the mains was 10. OQ0,-
900 gallons daily.
During the last year It's public entertain
ments were given at the Opera House, and
probably as many more were given at the
Athensum and the several public halls of the
city.
The fire department was called out IS times
last year, but the total OF fire losses was only
5000, one-half of which occurred by the
Music Hall fire. The cost of maintaining the
department for the year WAS about $4,000
The police department entertained l,oOi
dodgers last year and made 1884 arrests. No
serious crime was committed in the city during
the whole year.
One Of the notable Improvements of the
year was the Fort Smelling bridge, built by the
United States and Ramsey county.
Six hundred transfers OF real estate were
entered at the county abstract ohice during
1879.
There were $50 deaths and about 1900 births
in the city during the year.
The business of the st. Paul postofhce in
1879 was nearly double what it was in 1878.
The increase of mercantile trade in the city
over 1878 was estimated at 90 per cent. and
the increase of manufactures was estimated
at 80 per cent.
The collections of internal revenue at St.
Paul during 1879 were 1923, s76. II, being ar
increase of s23,940 over 1878.
About 5000 head of cattle aud 5000 head Of
horses, in transit, were fed at st. Paul stock
yards last year.
Jn5yona naIeoates IN the Chicago ConyeG