USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men > Part 3
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in the South, because in the South commerce has been almost wholly distributive. The town of Jefferson, Texas, furnishes a notable example. From 1865 to 1870, when she formed the terminus of navigation on Red River, and supplied with merchandise a section through Texas, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory, extending northwest, west, and southwest for two or three hundred miles, she had ten thousand people, and every prospect seemed to promise her lasting prosperity. The Texas and Pacific Railroad with its through connections was formed, passing through the town itself, while already to the west the Houston and Texas Central, with its supplementary connection, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, had cut off its far western trade, so that to-day Jefferson is a way station, with deserted wharves, and her population of barely two thousand people are selling whole blocks (whose stores used to rent for one hundred and fifty and two hundred dollars per month) for the bare bricks which their walls contain.
It is true, therefore, that centres of distributive commerce are built upon foundations of sand, whilst a city grown great through a productive commerce will always possess a material element of prosperity ; also that the trade limits of a distributing centre more nearly correspond with the area whose crops it markets than do such limits of a productive commerce, the latter being almost wholly independent of that area as defining its extent and location.
Again, the distributive commerce of the interior consists most largely of an east and west movement,- i.e., exchanges between points east of the western boundary of Pennsylvania and north of Mason and Dixon's line, and points west of the western boundary of Pennsylvania and south of the Ohio River and State of Missouri.
The era of railway transportation has been also one essentially of the building up in the West of manu- facturing industries, giving to small towns a commer- cial significance which makes them important compet- itors for trade in the South.
A single accompaniment of productive commerce may here be mentioned, which will show how largely the fostering of such commerce adds to the wealth of a city. The figures given are underestimates rather than overestimates, and they embody the principle :
A ton of cast iron is worth, say ..
$35
== > 80
If made into wrought iron it may have a value of .... If the wrought iron be converted into stecl it is worth 120 to 200 If the steel be manufactured into agricultural tools it is capable of bringing, say .. 400
If, instead, it be converted into knife-blades, they will sell for .. 30,000
Or, finally, if it be made up into the balance-springs of watches its value may become over .....
100,000
998
HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.
The factor of profit which is thus under proper circumstanees capable of converting thirty-five dollars' worth of cast iron into one hundred thousand dollars' worth of watch-springs is LABOR ; and it is evident that, if these operations were carried on in a single town, the added wealth which would result to that town from the entering of a single ton of metal into its productive commerce would be many thousand per cent. of the original value of the material. The mere handling of this ton of metal, or the result of its entering into the distributive commerce of the city interested, could hardly under any eircumstances amount to twenty-five per cent. of its original value.
And while the above may be, and undoubtedly is, an extreme ease, it is nevertheless a possible and an actual case in some localities; and the principle em- bodied in this single instance is true of by far the largest proportion of manufactured articles, viz. : that the labor entering into their production bears a larger ratio to their value than the actual cost of material.
This is the sort of trade whieh lias made Boston and Philadelphia so rich, and contributes annually such vast sums to the grand resources of Great Brit- ain. It is the sort of trade which St. Louis expeets to control when her resources are more fully in play.
In the mean time, the actual movements of pro- duce and merchandise at St. Louis, as distinguished from the possible and prospective, have been as fol- lows, taking the eensus year for convenience of com- parison :
GRAIN SHIPMENTS from St. Louis towards the east by rail, and towards the south by river and by rail, each year, from 1871 to 1880, inclusive.
South.
YEAR.
East by Rail.
By River.
By Rali.
Bushels.
Bushels.
Bushels.
1871
2,154,065
4,565,973
1,322,457
1872
3,456,409
6,618,757
2,194,019
1873
2,065,660
5,920,687
1,874,386
1874
2,318,350
5,344,534
1,683,478
1875
2,658,478
3,260,035
1,871,022
1876
12,434,296
4,212,435
995,540
1877
6,570,529
5,691,493
1,373,982
1878
7,561,475
7,230,422
1,054,221
1879
8,227,465
8,596,952
1,360,036
1880
8,790,059
18,978,347
2,646,714
STATEMENT showing the increase in the commerce, population, and value of property of St. Louis from 1865 to 1880.
1865.
1880.
Increase.
Per Cent. of
Increase.
Arrivals of boats ... No.
2,767
2,360
2 407
"
1,141
1,471
330
Receipts of wheat,
and flour reduced
to wheat ......... bush.
17,657,252
46,037,578
28,380,326
160.73
Shipments of wheat,
and flour reduced
to wheat ......... bush.
13,427,052
33,676,424
20,249,372
150.81
Manufactures
of
flour ..
.. bbls.
743,281
2,142,949
1,399,668
188,31 2281.47
Receipts of hams
and meat. , 1bs.
34,781,570
92,983,380
58,201,810
167.34
Receipts of lard ....
"
6,391,030
8,415,176
2,024,146
31.67
Receipts of cattle ... No.
94,307
420,654
326,347
346 05
Receipts of sheep ...
52,133
182,648
130,515
250.35
Receipts of hogs ....
99,663
1,762,724
1,663,061
1668.68
Population ....
3 204,327
400,000
195,673
95.76
Value of real and per- sonal property ..
...
$87,625,534 $163,813,920
$76,188,386
86,95
1 1867.
2 Decrease.
3 1866.
STATEMENT showing Amount of Freight, in Tons, received at St. Louis by each Railroad and River for Ten Years.
ROUTE.
1882.
1881,
1880.
1879.
1878.
1877.
1876.
1875.
1874.
1873.
Missouri Pacific R.R. (Main Line)
907,467
850,434 404,172
425,840 245,965 366,797
413,302 191,834 395,049
354,513 178,280 318,768
416,415 173,950 333,757
229,447 196,968
328,201 196,891 223,294
344,375 149,007 252,608
Chicago, Alton & St. Louis R.R. (Mo. Div.) ... St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R.R ....
92,088
154,248 768,652
179,772
143,313 536,318
... ...... 353,172
......... 340,740
... ...... 325,097
451,225
.... 292,842
... 392,634
Missouri Pacific R.R. (Texas Div.)
154,243
114,211
95,176
108,078
78,652
109,864 380,204
110,773 376,488
53,885 406,653
65,734
73,291
Louisville & Nashville R.R.
493,310
330,907
304,369
276,436
223,248
257,536
230,707
221,634
216,898
177,611
St. Louis & Cairo R.R.
212,267
251,915
200,996
88,196
63,885
89,435
107,984
103,808
82,470
17,927
Ohio & Mississippi R.R.
395,122
406,217 298,276
264,679
359,534 207,985
262,952 191,020
243,496 136,977
167,525
184,834
195,691
337,074 203,765
Indianapolis & St. Louis R.R
346,857
370,610
264,541
171,216
128,568
135,487
128,208
134,634
134,498
139,484
739,081
640,764
609,594
493,787
402,252
392,185
372,314
319,658
276,138
294,445
717,935
530,745
358,928
333,433
264,831
169,930
104,319
108,940
118,481
142,232
289,386
253,784
251,383
235,080
224,240
260,530
215,523
213,443
215,252
202,929
Wabash. St. Louis & Pacific R.R. (Iowa Brch.)
19,889 280,710
40,062 285,516
31,328 275,715
31,178 172,103
142,836
31,345 65,098
42,533 57,554
60,993
29,865 107,151
25,727 46,304
Upper Mississippi River ..
135,540
190,815
226,095
221,285
174,065
136,715
224,860
198,100
231,060
... .... 281,175
Lower Mississippi River.
275,175
273,110
223,925
179,400
174,180
147,185
128,020
169,780
226,535
Iilinois River.
168,410
160,555
155,605 59,025 214,195
109,620 33,800 130,785
124,785 56,040 171,900 13,730
192,055 12,045
129,940 50,345 124,125 12,200 100
30,160 146,805 6,345 100
192,770 44,830 87,985 6,000 340
4,850 1,075
Total in tons.
7,702,702
7,602,985 6,990,384 5,352,048
4,500,007
4,108,873 4,119,975 3,896,295 3,897,858 4,046,233
Total by rail .. Total by river.
802,080
852,410
893,860
688,970
714,700
644,485
688,755
663,525
732,765
801,055
In addition to the receipts of 1880 by upper Mississippi River by boats, there was received 198,315 tons of lumber, logs, and shingles by rafts.
1881
=
356,020
=
271,490
1882
962,517 339,243 319,905
335,847
447,449
530,527
536,488
Calro Short Line R.R
534,987
488,615
477,608
446,764
383,739
Chicago, Alton & St. Louis R.R. (Main Line)
288,271
32,285
45,120
....
...
...
...
Chicago, Bur. & Quincy R.R. (N. & N. W. Div.) St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern R.R.
51,821
80,170
71,035
21,055
Missouri River.
34,900 164,625
39,385 165,825
38,630 123,075
Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers.
23,430
22,720
15,015
14,080
149,825 104,200 49,645
153,995
125,715
Ohio River
Red, Ouachita, Arkansas, and White Rivers ..
6,900,622 6,750,575
6,096,524 4,663,078
3,464,388 3,431,220 3,232,770 3,165,093 3,245,178
3,785,307
268,073
280,557
319,217
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R.R. (east) ....
St. Louis, Vandalia, Terre Haute & Ind. R.R. Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific R.R. (East'n Div.) ·Illinois & St. Louis R.R
....
27,225
452,598 2 34,709
Receipts of cotton, bales Receipts of pork ... bbis.
1 19,838
472,436
66,822
32,113
... ... ...
St. Louls & San Francisco Ry
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific R.R. (West Brch.)
238,866
730,705
362,470
445,765
389,779
65,727
......... 28.92
Arrivais of barges ..
999
SAINT LOUIS AS A CENTRE OF TRADE.
Showing the Amount of Freight, in Tons, shipped from St. Louis by each Railroad and River for ten years.
ROUTE.
1882.
1881.
1880.
1879.
1878.
1877.
1876.
1875.
1874.
1873.
Missouri Pacific Railroad (Main Line)
678,706
709,814
407,030
272,250
196,955
202,966
203,169
151,980
171,987
162,435
St. Louis & San Francisco Ry.
180,927
185,147
122,787
78,755
44,495
45,898
51,150
34,881
30,133
39,962
Wabash, St. Louis & Pac. R.R. (West Brch.) ...
246,049
254,902
209,604
197,219
153,294
137,394
134,999
116,674
85,368
90,488
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R.R.
549,991
600,929
390,069
288,768
222,641
215,731
193,833
211,725
155,181
122,605
Missouri Pacific Railroad (Texas Division) ...
248,998
79,866
66,555
61,226
45,039
47,523
45,131
40,635
39,337
54,956
Cairo Short Line Railroad
139,339
135,393
111,609
91,428
68,027
66,992
38,909
76,092
37,753
39,917
Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
81,164
64,199
87,037
41,586
49,416
29,350
30,249
25,944
44,845
53,000
St. Louis and Cairo Railroad.
23,356
22,862
16,391
13,298
12,405
11,806
4,970
13,961
13,968
5,520
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad
195,717
204,006
184,975
141,182
136,677
144,065
207,905 149,285
135,647
97,885
81,158
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. (east) ..
32,808
25,098
218,859
152,955
157,644
183,817
217,786
138,307
175,389
152,669
St. Louis, Vandalia, Terre llaute & Ind. R.R.
265,981
281,299
247,656
272,579
190,685
142,713
140,178
137,884
139,831
100,544
Illinois and St. Louis Railroad.
9,001
9,930
13,573
11,280
7,803
4,637
5,537
7,359
10,000
6,595
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific R.R. (Iowa Brch.)
16,713
13,520
9,923
18,665
13,452
15,672
13,846
13,772
8,921
9,289
Chicago, Bur. & Quincy R.R. (N. & N. W. Div.)
139,925
85,455
69,678
41,197
45,829
30,590
21,423
12,754
11,546
9,551
Upper Mississippi River.
71,325
54,295
55,260
66,990
67,320
68,565
93,360
96,225
95,800
61,966
Lower Mississippi River.
610,205
730,185
813,080
499,040
434,490
426,725
379,970
367,235
469,065
525,445
Illinois River.
4,690
5,175
9,935
9,140
18,300
16,420
20,560
18,470
13,640
11,695
Missouri River.
11,980
13,720
16,415
15,040
22,465
23,185
19,360
25,100
20,390
27,810
Ohio River ..
66,010
77,600
135,360
86,935
72,100
62,100
83,460
129,025
100,660
119,660
Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers
1,150
1,100
1,315
2,040
Red, Ouachita, Arkansas, and White Rivers ..
4,545
1,950
6,160
5,445
34,640
Total in tons ..
4,519,065
4,346,937
3,793,205 2,962,861 2,495,234
2,250,520
2,260,175
1,940,545 1,938,001 1,938,672
Total by rail.
3,749,160 769,905
884,025
1,037,525
677,145
614,675
1,652,850 597,670
1,659,950 600,225
639,095
707,325
783,256
The total tonnage of freights received at and shipped from St. Louis each year from 1871 to 1880, inclusive, is indicated in the following table :
Calendar
Tons Received and Shipped.
Calendar Year.
Tons Received and Shipped.
1871.
4,913,102
1876
6,380,150
1872
5,712,229
1877
6,359,393
1873
5,984,905
1878
6,995,241
1874
5,835,859
1879
8,314,909
1875
5,836,840
1880
10,783,589
But St. Louis is not content with these results, gi- gantic as they arc, and rapid as has been the growth and development of the trade of which they are the indices. Dr. Samuel Johnson, when he was witness- ing the sale of the plant and effects of Thrale's brewery, was asked what he could find in such a scene to interest him. " I see all around me, sir," he answercd, " the potentiality of great riches." That is what St. Louis beholds in her exceptionally great resources and favorable site, and her people will never rest while these things, possessions and promises, re- main undeveloped and unutilized.
All the cotton received at St. Louis, no matter what its destination, and no matter how consigned, breaks bulk there, is handled, compressed, and re- shipped. Thus St. Louis makes some profit out of every bale received. Before Chicago, by means of her railroad, lake, and canal facilities, secured the lion's share of the east-bound carrying trade in breadstuffs and provisions, and so had her fortune made, every pound of Western produce and Western merchandise, destined no matter where, up the river or down, broke
bulk at St. Louis, and that city made a profit in it. This trade, this control of trade, St. Louis seeks once more to restore by renewing the supremacy of what was its source and medium, the Mississippi River.
This is not a dream. It is not one of Governor Allen's " barren idealities." On the contrary, it is a legitimate trade expectation, which may be realized at almost any moment. St. Louis had this control of trade once through superior facilitics and unrivaled cheapness of transportation. The same facilities exist now in a much greater degree, and the cheapness also. The opportunity to make full use of them has not quite arrived, on account of various causes and ob- structions.
But in the mean time certain facts stand out in alto relievo, and none of the commercial rivals and competitors of St. Louis can deny them.
1st. Chicago and New York dread the completion of the Welland Canal, because by that route grain from the former city can be delivered in Liverpool via the Strait of Belle Isle at rates with which New York cannot compete. In other words, Chicago, to maintain her grain trade, must transfer it from New York to Montreal.
2d. But that route is closed five months in every year by ice.
3d. St. Louis is not afraid of the competition of Montreal and the Welland Canal, because she can de- liver grain in Liverpool cheaper by the Mississippi River route than it can possibly be delivered by any other route. This has been proved, and will be
108,998
145,914
158,523
Chicago, Alton & St. Louis R. R. (Main Line).
293,830
252,465
268,309
318,754
256,444
174,454
199,242
201,580
74,837
62,618
68,204
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacitic Ry. (East'n Div.)
239,352
192,109
246,337
233,070
279,753
St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad ..
20,104
27,356
22.942
5,908
10 665
3,515
1,560
2,225
3,462,912
2,755,680
2,285,716 1,880,559
1,301,450 1,230,676
1,155,416
Total by river ..
90,990
72,393
62,346
45,596
Chicago, Alton & St. Louis R.R. (Mo. Div.) ....
.........
....
...
...
Indianapolis and St. Louis Railroad ..
296,209
246,169
1,480
Year.
1000
HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.
demonstrated again still more conclusively. At present all that need be shown in this connection is results, accomplished facts.
SHIPMENTS OF BULK GRAIN BY RIVER FROM ST. LOUIS TO NEW ORLEANS FOR ELEVEN YEARS, FOR EXPORT.
YEAR.
Wheat.
Corn.
Rye.
Oats.
Totals.
1880.
5,913,272
9,804,392
Bushels. 45,000
Bushels.
Bushels. 15,762,664
1879.
2,390,897
3,585,589
157,424
30,928
6,164,838
1878.
1,876,639
2,857,056
609,041
108,867
5,451,603
1877
351,453 37,142
1,737,237
1,774,379
1875
135,961
172,617
308,578
1874
365,252
1,047,794
10,000
1,423,046
1873.
.... ...
1,373,969
1,373,969
1872
1,711,039
1871.
309,077
3,000
312,077
1870.
66,000
66,000
Mr. Joseph Nimmo, Jr., in his notable report of 1881 on the internal commerce of the country, says that
"The regulating influence of the interior water lines is limited and conditioned by the fact that it is operative with respect to the internal commerce of the country mainly through the great interior markets, and notably those of Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Peoria, Toledo, Detroit, Louisville, and Cincinnati. This results from the fact that the movements of commerce are directed by the trade forces rather than by the transportation forces of the country. In the transportation of the surplus products of the Western and Northwestern States to the seaboard and to foreign countries, the regulating influ- ence of the Mississippi River is rendered effective mainly through the markets of St. Louis, and the regulating influence of the northern water line is rendered effective mainly through the markets of Milwaukee and Chicago, but also to a consider- able extent through the markets of Duluth, Detroit, and Toledo.
"The competition of commercial forces exerts an important influence in determining the relative magnitude of the various trade currents of the country. The constituent elements of the trade forces of cities are, first, a large community of intelligent and enterprising merchants having an extensive knowledge of commercial affairs; and, second, the requisite capital in the hands of these men available in the pursuits of trade. These forces at Chicago, at Milwaukee, at St. Louis, and at other com- mercial cities of the interior arrest the surplus products of the West in their eastward or southward movement, such products usually reaching those cities by rail. At these points the option is first presented of transportation by water or by rail. A thou- sand trains a day may pass through towns situated on the lakes or on the rivers where these agencies and facilities for carrying on a large commerce do not exist, and yet the water lines will exercise no perceptible influence over the rates charged on the railroads. This is strikingly illustrated in the case of the rail- roads which cross the Mississippi River over bridges at thirteen different points between St. Paul and St. Louis. The river rates exert no inarked influence over the rail rates from the fact that at very few of those points is there the controlling influ- ence of a market for Western products with its constituent elements, viz., a body of men educated in the mercantile pro- fession and controlling the requisite amount of capital actually employed in trade or invested in warchouscs and other instru- mentalities for the successful prosccution of trade. The rail-
roads are not at those points, in a commercial sense, tributary to the river, but, on the other hand, to the extent to which the river towns arc local markets for the purchase of surplus pro- ducts of the trans-Mississippi States, the river becomes tribu- tary to the railroads.
" It is only at Chicago, Milwaukee, and a few other lake ports, and at St. Louis that direct competition between rail and water transportation presents itself to any considerable extent, in so far as relates to the regulating influence exerted by the two great water lines over the rates which may be charged on railroads. The extent to which the regulating influence of the two great interior water lines is rendered operative through the principal primary grain markets of the country is illustrated by the fact that of the total eastern and southern movement of grain, amounting during the year 1880 to 400,000,000 bushels, about 320,000,000 bushels, or 80 per cent., was marketed at the seven primary markets of the West, viz., Milwaukee, Chicago, Duluth, St. Louis, Peoria, Toledo, and Detroit ; and that only about 80,000,000 bushels were shipped direct from the Western and Northwestern States to the Atlantic seaboard.
"Of the total grain receipts at St. Louis during the year 1880, amounting to 47,697,066 bushels, 40,121,783 bushels, or 84 per cent., was received by railroads, and only 7,575,283 bushels, or 16 per cent., by river; and of the total grain re- ceipts at Chicago during the year 1880, amounting to 165,- 855,370 bushels, it appears that 159,129,984 bushels, or 96 per cent., was received by railroads, and that 6,725,386 bushels, or only 4 per cent., was received by lake and the Illinois Canal.
"About 90 per cent. of the grain, 85 per cent. of the pro- visions, and 8 per cent. of the cattle which reached Chicago during the year 1880 were actually marketed at that point ; and of the shipment of those commodities from Chicago, 61 per cent. of the flour and grain and only 10 per cent. of the pro- visions were shipped by lake. No live-stock was shipped by lake.
' " About 95 per cent. of the grain, 97} per cent. of the pro- visions, and all of the live-stock which reached St. Louis during the year 1880 were actually marketed at that point; and of the shipments of those commodities from that city, 49 per cent. of the flour and grain, 38 per cent. of the provisions, and 1.28 per cent. of the eattle were shipped by river.
"The foregoing facts indicate that almost the entire work of gathering up the surplus products of the Western and North- western States is done by railroads, and that the option of transportation by water or by rail is almost entirely confined to shipments from Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Louis.
" The following table serves to illustrate the comparative magnitude of the grain traffic of St. Louis which is diverted to the Mississippi River from the railroads extending east from that city :
Bushels.
Total grain crop of the United States during the year 1879 .. 2,704,484,762 Total grain produet of the States of Illinois, Wis- consin, Minnesota, Jowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas, and the Territory of Dakota during the year 1879. 1,493,246,213
Shipments of grain and flour during the year 1880 at
Bushels.
Duluth 6,511,100
Milwaukee.
29,691,524
Chicago
154,377,115
Peoria
20,544,508
Detroit
10,366,491
Toledo
53,372,739
St. Louis
46,675,581
Total
321,539,058
Bushels.
Bushels.
3,578,057
171,843
4,101,353
1876.
1,711,039
...
1001
SAINT LOUIS AS A CENTRE OF TRADE.
St. Louis shipments of grain and flour :
Eastward
South ward :
By river.
20,901,515
By rail ..
5,800,535
In other directions
373,642
Total St. Louis shipments.
46,675,581
Grain and flour exported from New Orleans ..
15,755,041
SHIPMENTS IN TONS FROM ST. LOUIS DURING 1880.
Tons.
Total.
North :
By river
55,260 }
157,803
By rail
102,543 }
East :
By river.
145,295 }
1,325,004
By rail
1,179,709 ]
West :
By river.
16,415 Į
818,182
By rail
801,767 J
South :
By river.
820,555 }
1,492,216
By rail
671,661 }
Total shipments.
3,793,205
Total shipments by rail ..
2,755,680
Total shipments by river
1,037,525
Total shipments toward the South.
1,492,216
Shipment by river toward the South.
820,555
Tonnage of New Orleans exports, the product of the Western and Northwestern States, about ....
317,000
Mr. Nimmo adds that,-
"From the time of the first settlement of St. Louis until about the year 1855, that eity was entirely dependent upon the Mississippi River and its navigable tributaries for the means of transportation. During that period it had no competitor for the trade of the States and Territories west of the Mississippi River. A large part of the States of Illinois and Wisconsin was also embraced within the area of the commercial supremaey of St. Louis. But during the last twenty-five years a great change has taken place in the conditions governing the commercial situation and relations of that city, as the result of the exten- sion westward of the railroad system of the country. By means of this extension of railroads all the Western and Northwestern States and Territories have been brought into intimate commer- cial relationships with the lake ports, with the Atlantie sea- ports, and with hundreds of interior manufacturing and trading points throughout the States both east and west of the Allegheny Mountains. This development of traffic over the east and west trunk railroads is unparalleled in the history of commerce.
" For several years the traffie passing over each one of the thirteen railroad bridges across the Mississippi River between St. Paul and St. Louis has greatly exceeded in magnitude and in value the traffic upon the river beneath them. Through these facilities of transportation tributary to Chieago and other lake ports, and also to Atlantic seaports, St. Louis was for sev- eral years practically eut off, even from the trade of important surplus grain and provision produeing areas nearer to her ınar- kets than to those of the lake ports. It was elearly foreseen, therefore, that the growth of St. Louis, as a market for the purchase of grain and other products of the Western and Northwestern States, was dependent upon the seeuring of direet and independent railroad connections with all parts of those States ; for since railroads had become the chief instru- ment of transportation in the gathering up of these products, it was evident that only a very small proportion of sueh pro- duets could find their way to the St. Louis markets by river. Sueh facilities for transportation by rail have within the last ten years been seeured, a fact elearly developed by the statistics showing the rapid growth of the commerce of that eity.
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