The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-06
Year 1903 Has Strengthened
st. Louis's Reputation in All
Branches Of Industry.
ADVANTAGES OF PUBLICITY.
Increase of 10 Per Cent in Whole
sale Trade-Growth of Man
ufacturing Interests-Re-
tail Lines Growing.

| Upon the subject Of the general business
outlook for St. Louis. William Flewellyn
Saunders, secretary Of the Business Men,
League. writes as follows:
1.-THE year 1903 has greatly strengthened
st. Louis 1t has not only extended its
commercial reputation as q city OF re-
markable manufacturing productiveness
and distributing advantage. but 1t has al
go made the city known all over the
the United states, and the greatest one
Rivers ere country "es' u 'A' 's'''Sp1'
Everything done in St. Louis in 1908.
been told by the trumpet Of such adyer,
tisinE as the city has never before had
the e. in many
only has the Worlds Fair Bureau Of
Publicity directed attention to the city in
every quarter of the globe, but the busi-
reaching advertising Of the city.
.It Is worth remembering now by all
an II IN the world has this year learned
something about st. Louis. Many
foreigners who have not yet seen the city
doubtless know more about 1t than most
Of the city's own people.
MUCH BUILDING DONE.
'Tt is very well, then. that the people
who have been telling about st. Louis
during the year had so much OF good to
tell. The building of big edifices for Of
fees, of hotels, fats, dwellings, ware
houses. factories and shops has gone on
with vigor.
Ry By, the new year the buildings vi H put up
buildings erected in 1902 cost go s54 .os5.
Buildings bull sA This ,4Seoo.o s IS more than
years yeas sPss efore 0 shat. T 1 Worlds Fair
but office buildings and other business
an an ali q ebe
The manufacturing output of the city
and its manufacturing suburbs, East 81.
Louis. Granite City and Madison. m
works have been taxed to I'LL orders. The
wholesale business has grown prodigious-
~. at least 10 per cent more than the
business Of 1902 The trade territory that
ritory through which the city distributes.
have become greater. both through settle
ment and development. and by the con-
The new railway building in the trade ter
ritory Of St Louis has contributed largely
to this.
RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT.
I'm 1900 there were lG7193 miles of new
railway built in the trade territory of st.
Louis.
I'm 1901 there were 2.024.4s miles built
there.
there. more than half Of all the new
mileage in the United States
In 1903 the new railway mileage is
greater than that of 1902. although the ex-
1.-The total railway mileage in the United
States at the beginning of this year was
1g. ls1.Sl miles. and Of this, 72,47s.T. or
more than one-third. was in the st. Louis
trade territory.
1.-THE banks and trust companies Of st.
Louis. whose sagacious management and
success s have has given the city its renown as
year in the general prosperity. % is seen
by their reports OF dividends. The total
ban banh e. deposits Leg IN September Of 1879 were
they We're sis eeD.eR sSin Of Of Sc ess
The deposits OF the trust companies in
creased between October. 1902. and Sep
temh s 1901 from $500 eco te 81 o09 ooS
septemser 1905. from sie.oooeoo to 81 o co.
BOO, and the surplus and profits Of the trust |
and October. 1903. from $34.0000O0 to $25.- |
100000.
RETAIL BUSINESS THRIvEs.
"All retail business has thriven. The big |
retail houses have gained trade by a larger
percentage than the retail houses of New
York or Chicago. The cause of this is |
obvious II one walks the streets of St.
Louis. In 1900 the census gave st. Louis |
SIS. l32 people. In 1902 the statisticians Of |
he Goyernment estimated the population
IF all the large cities. and in the official
bulletin sent out st. Louis was credited |
With IS 600 people ha IT. That Is It's population
srnment are accepted in all comparisons Of
cities. Really. there are fully 100000 people
In st. Louis now more than were here two |
years ago. and the population Of the city,
estimated with the utmost conservatism.
Considering this rapid Increase Of popu-
ation. the greater part of It permanent;
that the great increase Of |
railway mileage every year in the trade
md developing of a very wide agricultural
and grazing country Of enormous area;
Pnnama Canal assures the Improvement Of
he Mississippi River and the consequent
profitable cultivation OF all the country
llong It's banks. all tributary to st. Louis,
he statement that the next ten years
vill be- fatter years for st. Louis than the
ast ten viii not be regarded as extrava-
yant."