thousand of which were brought directly from Chicago. Grain can
now be shipped by way of St. Louis and New Orleans, to New York
and Europe ten cents a bushel cheaper than it can be carried to the
Atlantic by rail.

The growth has been rapid. The following table shows the popula-
tion of St. Louis at different periods:—

And at the present writing the population may be safely estimated at
two hundred and forty-five thousand. At the lowest rate of decimal in-
crease, St. Louis in 1900 would contain more than one million inhabit-
ants. This number certainly seems to exceed the present probability of
realization, but the future growth of St. Louis, vitalized by the mightiest
forces of a free civilization, and quickened by the exchanges of a conti-
nental commerce, ought to surpass the rapidity of its past development.

The total tonnage of St. Louis, comprising steamers plying between
that and other ports, embracing the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas, White,
Cumberland, Tennessee, Upper Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio and Missouri
rivers, as compiled July 1, 1866, amounted to $10,376,000; arrivals at
the port for 1866, 4,096; departures from the port for 1866, 3,066 ;
wharfage collected for same period of time, $80,666.00; the number of
boats that left St. Louis for the mountains during the year 1866, 51;
total tons freight, 10,385; number of steamboats built or completed at
St. Louis, during the year 1866, 24; amount of tonnage, 8,993.62.

The assessment of real and personal property for 1865-6, was as fol-
lows: 1865, $100,000,000; 1866, $126,877,000.

The railroad system of St. Louis is exhibited in the following tabu-
lar statement: