, 1881-01-01
The Total Trade OF the Year Measured
by $9O0,O00,000-A Gain
Oft7.8 PEI Cent.
How This Compares with an In
crease of37 1.2 I'cr Cont In
the Bank Olenrings.
Our Figures include Only the First
Sales OF Personal Prop"
erty.

Tho record Of tho trade, commerce, and
manufactures of Chicago for tho year 1880
shows marked increase in.nenr1y NIL de-
part,nents over that of Its predecessor, Wa
hayc taton another big stride forward in tho
development of our varied industries. Tho
following statistics show that we have gained
.31 per cent In the cash value OF thp produce
marketed III this city, nearly 10 per cert In
themoncy received for goo.ls sold ut whole
sale, and Is por cent In tic vnluo Of the n,a-
teral turned out from, Our manufactures.
Tho average increase Of IT'S por cent In thu
srand total of tho ycar's work Is ali the moro
surprising as 1t was widely supposed that
"bustncss was oyerdone" In 1870. Tho tro-
mcndous spasm of commercial actlvlty antl
speculative excitement which sot IN some
twenty months ego carried prices mp to m
unusually high poipt, md stimulated specu-
latio., to s,.cl, MI extent that both appeared
to be straincd to Higher pitch than they
would bear.
Tho prognosls was but partially justified.
There wns sharp reaction in tho prices OF
farm produce, Which carried them down far
towards the lowest point OF, the previous
year, It was supposed by many that Our
iron production would subsisle In like man,
ner, and that hundreds OF thousands Of tons
Of orc that had been bought would bo 1tn-
wanted, md tho carrying contracts an
nulscd. 1t was thought tint lumber and
coal, MS woll rs g1aln,' and pork, ind iron,
would bo found too plentiful to be sold ut a
profit, and That, therefore, prices would go
down to d poyorty-strlcken point, for the
producer; also that tho reaction In real
estate would provo to be only temporary.
The eyont did prove TINT thoro Ind been q
little ovcrspeculation, and TINT tic Increased
strength was nnequaly distributed, us
might have beon expected. Hence tho re-
sctIon carried tho farthest back the lines
which had advanced most. But tho spring
Iull was succeeded by burst OF coniidence
which again carried the pennon to the top Of
tho must, The conditions favored a b'g
augment In tho rate Of consumption. Tic
farmers had scen good tunes; md Ind moro
money than usual, as result OF ab'1n
dant crops marketed at good prices
WHIl9 LlU 4VlNlkH No'""4'~
their products continued active DUR
ing the greater parto Inst year. uonco thea
were ablo to buy more from the city tl'af
heretofore. The continued growth OF MN
Ing industry In the West stimulated tsad'
and manufactures here. All tlils pesln'11e<
and promoted much larger consumption .
MI kinds OF goods among ourselves, as wei
as among those outside the city. we nav
thus enjoyed season OF un.lsra! prospef't'
which Inns Eamldcd down into the mos
minute features Of city lie, giving to retai1e
rs wall Us wholesale DEALER. to the WORKER
we'll rs tho capitalist, the full benefit OF pros
porous times.
The general average Of prices mas peol
higher thun In 1879, though In many depaf'
ments the top quotations Of That yeas INV
not been repealed. but the stimulus OF spes
ulatiys excitement operated about twice
long In this case Us In that.-say e!Kl
months Is against four.-wh!ch made bl
dltfcgcuce In the averages. The pfiees