, 1881-12-31
The YEAR 1881,
Trade, Commerce, and Man.
ufactures Of Chicago for
the Past Year.
! Season. Of Great Prosperity in Most
Departments, with a bigger llet.
ord than Eyer.
Mammoth Trading in Grain and Pro-
visions, with the Highest Prices
Ever Known on a speoie
Basis.
Our Receipts Of Brendstuffs Foot
Up tic Enormous Total Of
148,B25,OO0 Bushels.
The Receipts Of Flour Were 4,957, 900
Barrels, Being About SO Per
Cent More than In
1880.
The Arrivals Of Live Hogs Were
6,470,900; and 6,178,000
Were Slaughtered
Here,
Ne Received 1,54G,S30 Head Of Cattle
The Total Yalua Of Live Stock
Handled Was $l92,.
100000.
The Produce Trade foots Up $377,-
100000, Without Counting
Sales for Future De.
NEeTys
Rapid Growth Of Our Lumber
Trade-The Receipts Were
l,853.o4o, 600 Feet.
The Wholesale Sales Aggregated
$423, ,000, 900; and Manufactures
S309.00O,000.
Tie latter Shows IN Increase OF
$24,OOO,O0O; with Tre-
1nendolls Activity.
The Total Trade of tho Year Amounted
M, 1ap mn
The Latter Shows IN Increase Of
: $24,OOO,O0O: with Tre-
1ne1ldolls Activity.
The Total Trade Of tho Year Amounted
to Sl,ol6,ooo,ooo, Being Gain
Of 1873 Per Gent.
Row This Compares with tlt 81, 250, ,080, 900 Of
Bank Cltarlnge; and Thtlr, Increase of.s-.%
3U IL Per Cent.
Our Figures Include Only the
First Sales Of Personal
Property.

Tic year now closing was very peculiar
one, and Its commercial history without
parallel. 1t Inns been year Of most varied
experiences and unusual excitement in this
city anu throughout the West; whilo tho far
Enst has altled to incrense our nctiyity md
to swell our profits. Tho record Of tho trade,
commerce, md manufactures Of Chicago
makes grand showing ut its close-bfggor
tllan ever, hut also more varicdly ct,eckerel,
presenting some remarkable bends iii tho
line OF progress True TO the arrangement
OF Its figures, 1881 Inns intleed beon janus
laced year, allie In meteorological conditions
and commercial facts We hive handled
less produce ami made moro profit. II CHI
cago as Il city, and rho country ut lnrgc. hayo
not unduly discounted thu prosperity Of tho
future 1t will be we'll.
A season Of prolific Yield Oil tho farm, and
hitherto unlteard Of activity In tho city, was
followed by one Of tho most bitter winters
known in history. lis Intense cold para-
iyzed Industry and suspended travel. Wills
It's long duration led to gruyo fcnra for tho
ensuing crops--tlle backbone Of the National
Prosperity Tho storms of winter which
blockadod people III their homes ror ,lunths
together, were succeeded by spring tloods
TINT swept thousands Ut thoso homes into II
common ruin. An Intensely irregular dis
tf'1Ation OF hcat alld moisture marked tho
Summer soason; md destructive fires In
AtchIsan reminded us forclbly Of ot,r own
ealalnity ten years previously. A. phenome-
nal Inequality In the proiuce OF thu fnr1,l
WIS q matter OF courso; a,l wo found
'he corn belt In Illinois md the wheat
helds OF Minnesota, heretofore tl,c
most favored sections Of the West,
: scourgcd, the ono by irouth and tho
ot1er by flood; wh!lo tho resulting
oete!t was partly compensated by more fa-
sofabto conditions elsewhere. The ULCER
'al'ssles Of TIM situation led to oil Intense
speculative excitement, which drow "eyery-
oody." from tho millionaire down to the
pootblack, Into tic whirlpool Of botting Of.
ens taturo Of prices In produce, stocks, and
oohas. Tile abundance OF money, resulting
1'"ha previous prosperity, enabled this to be
conducted OH bigger scale tlian ever bcforo,
~ ithad already permitted tho SUCCESS of
4a'lainR operation which few would hayo
.n' aafed to prophesy could be accomplished.
'Ae Other departments OF Our civic industry,
partly deaaened by this winter chill. wskoned
.''o anwontc4 activity amid the Wild throb-
p'nes Of the money-maklng fever Our
wholesale trade and our manufacturing es-