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that in the business portion of the city a stream can be thrown through hose, with a proper nozzle attached, to the height of about 110 feet, while at the corner of Nineteenth and Francis streets, one of the highest points within the eastern corporate limits, a distance of sixty-five feet has been shown to be the extreme limit of the elevation.

At the present writing something over twenty miles of main pipe have been laid in place and one hundred and eighty-two hydrants placed at proper locations and in working order.

The works were to cost at first $300,000, but the company kept adding to the original estimate until the works complete have cost $700,000 instead of the amount first estimated.

THE UNION DEPOT.

To John B. Carson, general manager of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, belongs the credit of originating a plan for the construction of a union depot at St. Joseph.

After various conferences of the union depot projectors, the erection of the building was finally determined upon in April, 1880, when the St. Joseph Union Depot Company was organized, with the following companies as incorporators and stockholders: Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Company, Missouri Pacific Railway Company, St. Joseph and Western Railroad Company, which is a part of the Union Pacific; Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad Company, which is a part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad; Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad Company; St. Joseph and Des Moines Railroad Company.

The ground which was selected and legally condemned for this enterprise is situated on the east side of Sixth Street, near the corner of Mitchell Avenue, that having been found to be the most suitable location for a common point of meeting for the different railroads operating their lines through this city. It embraces a tract of six acres, all of which will be required for its buildings, sheds, platforms, tracks, etc.

The style of the building is Eastlake domestic gothic, and contemplates a building 400 feet in length and fifty feet in width, set back from Sixth Street thirty-six feet, so as to give room for carriage-way between present street line and front of building.

STOCK.

The transactions of the stock-yards for the past three years are as follows:

Head of hogs.

Head of cattle.

Head of horses and mules.

Head of sheep........

KIND OF STOCK.

1878. 1879. 1880.

169,710199,513|102,150 5,992 15,005 20,592 1,842 3,179 3,505 3,564 2,293 5,990

The capacity of the yards is limited at present to fifty pens, which will accommodate 2,500 head of cattle and 3,000 head of hogs.

LIVE STOCK.

During the year 1880 nearly 10,000 head of cattle were marketed in St. Joseph, which amounted to the aggregate value of about $300,000.

There were about 4,000 horses and mules sold in this market in 1880, of a total value of $350,000. A great portion of this number were shipped out to Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Louisiana and South Carolina.

There were 140,000 head of hogs sold in this city in 1880, of a value of $2,000,000, making the total sales of live stock $2,650,000.

PACKING-HOUSES.

There are at present (1881) three packing-houses in the city. The oldest of these was established by the present proprietor, David Pinger, in 1853. It is near the Francis Street depot. About five hands are generally employed. Slaughtering here is principally done for the butchers.

Hax & Brother were established in 1868. Their packing-house and office are on the corner of Fourth and Mary streets. They employ in the winter season between sixty and eighty hands, and also pack to a limited extent in

summer.

The packing-house of H. Krug & Co. was established in the winter of 1877-8, H. Krug, president; James McCord, vice-president and treasurer; George C. Hax, secretary. The capital stock of the company is $72,000. In the winter of 1879-80 this house packed between 60,000 and 65,000 hogs. In the summer about 24,000 head were packed. In August, 1881, they slaughtered 1,800 hogs per week.

Connett Brothers, who packed in 1880 about 6,000 hogs, on their farm in the county, are now (1881) erecting a spacious brick structure south of the city limits, which will cost, when completed, about $25,000 or $30,000. Its packing capacity will be from 1,000 to 1,500 per day.

ICE.

The past winter has afforded the best ice harvest ever before known in this city. The following statement shows the number of tons taken from the Missouri River and Lake Contrary and stored for use:

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The average cost of storing ice last season was less than $1.00 per ton, while the average cost of imported ice the year previous was $4.50 per ton.

OPERA HOUSE.

No other city in the entire West can boast of so fine a temple devoted to the dramatic art, nor comparing in size and elegance of appointment, with the Opera House in this city.

The building was erected by Mr. Milton Tootle, in 1873, at a cost of $150,000. It is regarded by all as the finest theater west of Chicago. The City Hall cost $50,000, an imposing building.

INTERESTING ITEMS.

In accordance with a resolution of the Board of Trade recently adopted, a committee appointed for that purpose has prepared articles of association for the incorporation of a stock company, to be called the Chamber of Commerce, the object of which is to perfect a plan for the erection of a Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce building in this city. The organization has been completed, and it is thought that the necessary stock can be placed at once. The location has not yet been determined upon, but it is designed to secure a corner lot, if possible, near to the business center of the city.

The St. Joseph glucose company was formed in June, 1880. The name of the company is The St. Joseph Refining Company. It has all of the latest improved machinery, and a capacity for making up 3,000 bushels of corn daily. The building is situated in South St. Joseph, and covers over an acre of ground.

Situated on South Fourth Street, in the premises formerly occupied by the Evans, Day & Co. Canning Factory, are the Star Preserving Works, owned and operated by Albert Fischer & Co. They have recently enlarged the premises with additional buildings until they cover nearly an entire square.

The capacity of the works are 40,000 cans, or 1,800 bushels of tomatoes per day, or from 1,000 to 1,200 bushels of peas. During the preserving season these works have about 250 employes upon their pay-roll.

PRODUCE PACKING.

The packing of butter, eggs, apples, potatoes, and other produce is assuming immense proportions, and as St. Joseph is situated in the heart of the finest agricultural district in the world, this industry must increase with each succeeding year.

The following statistics of this branch of trade were supplied by the principal commission houses here for the year 1880.

100,000
216,250

No. of bushels potatoes shipped from the city.
No. of bushels apples packed and shipped from the city..
No. dozen eggs packed and shipped from the city.... 400,000
No. pounds butter packed and shipped from the city.... 880,000
Total value of the shipments above noted...

$450,000

The military force of the city consists of two battalions, composed of five companies of infantry, all superbly equipped and exceedingly well drilled.

THE FIRST TELEGRAPH LINE

built to St. Joseph was completed to that point on the day of the inauguration of President Franklin Pierce. The first dispatch to come over the line to St. Joseph was his inaugural address. The name of the telegraph operator who received the message was Peter Lovell. His office was on the southwest corner of Second and Jule streets.

POST-OFFICE AND FINANCES.

Letters received by mail....

Local letters received and delivered..
Postal cards by mail....

66

66 local...

Newpaper delivery..

Total number of pieces sent, 1880.

Increase over 1879, 121 per cent.

Total business money order department, 1880..

Sales of stamps, envelopes and postal cards.
Internal revenue for 1880...

Total debt of the city..

assessed valuation, 1880.

Interest on city indebtedness, 4 per cent.
Value of property owned by the city..

....

...

1,043,209

95,061

294,448

72,988

802,190 4,024,170

.$ 1,596,237.26

54,395.36

66,161.43 1,750,000.00

10,000,000.00

250.000.00

St. Joseph is the third city in size in the State, and its population, by the census of 1880, is 32,484. It is gaining moderately, but the spirit of enterprise has never been very highly developed by her people. Her wholesale merchants are opposed to further opposition in their line, and, as a rule, they do little to advertise their business; some of the heaviest never putting a line of advertisements in the papers year in and year out, while many do it grudgingly, as a sort of tax which they are compelled to pay. It is like St. Louis, slow to move, and like the latter city, it has some live, energetic men, but not enough to leaven the mass,

In scope of country tributary to her growth and prosperity St. Joseph has little to complain of, and if an energetic spirit possessed her people she would have a surprising growth the next ten years. As it is, she is likely to retain her present position as the third city in the State. She has a refined and cultivated people, hospitable and generous, but her business interests are carried on to the extreme upon the basis of self. With an increase of population and more extended and broader views St. Joseph's future is one of promise.

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The homestead exemption law of the State of Missouri has been one of the most enlightened laws passed for the benefit of the people. In the last session of the general assembly of the State, the spring of 1880-81, there was a material change in the law, and it is given here in full. Thus every head of a family can be secure in a home of moderate value, if he will not waive his right to it. There are printed notes now drawn up in which there is a clause printed waiving the right of holding such property under that law. When a man signs such a note, his home stands in the same light as his other property. These notes should never be signed unless by or with the consent of the wife as well as the husband. reads, as amended, as follows and is in full force at this time:

The law

SECTION 1. Section twenty-six hundred and eighty-nine (2689) of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, is hereby amended by striking out, "or incorporated towns and villages having a less population," and inserting in lieu thereof, “having a population of ten thousand or less," in twelfth line, and by inserting immediately after "dollars," fifteenth line, the words "and in cities and incorporated towns and villages having a population less than ten thousand, such homesteads shall not include more than five acres of ground or exceed the total value of $1,500," so that said section as amended shall read as follows:

SEC. 2689. The homestead of every housekeeper or head of a family, consisting of a dwelling-house and appurtenances, and the land in connection. therewith, not exceeding the amount and value herein limited, which is or shall be used by such housekeeper, or head of a family as such homestead, shall, together with the rents, issues and products thereof, be exempt from attachment and execution, except as herein provided; such homestead in the country shall not include more than one hundred and sixty acres of land, or exceed the total value of fifteen hundred dollars; and in cities having a population of forty thousand or more, such homestead shall not include more than eighteen square rods of ground, or exceed the total value of three thousand dollars; and in cities having a population of ten thousand and less than forty thousand, such homestead shall not include more than thirty square rods of ground, or exceed the total value of fifteen hundred dollars;

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