ANNUAL REPORT—COMMERCE. 
The following figures will show the increase in length and 
the relative amount of business done by our railroads in the 
past three years : 
Number of miles of railroad in Wisconsin in 1808. 1, 042. 99 
....do.do.do.18G9. 1,128.21 
....do..do.do. 1870. 1,234 
Gross receipts of roads in Wisconsin in 1868.$7,851,714 56 
-do.do.do. 1809. 8,277,035 83 
-do.do.do. 1870. 8,022,615 6 0 
Number busbels of wheat transported in 1808. 23,533, 913 
... do.do.do. 1809. 29,872,351 
-do.do.do .' . 1870:. 31, 673,172 
INCREASE OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL FACILITIES... 
We are not aware that there has been any material increase- 
in the facilities for grain storage at the various, leading mark¬ 
ets on the lake shore during the year 1870. The aggregate 
capacity of the elevators at Milwaukee considerably exceeds 
three millions of bushels. With the facilities they afford 
about half a million bushels of grain can be handled in twen¬ 
ty-four hours. 
Wharfage has been considerablj 7 improved at several points. 
Of Milwaukee in particular,, the secretary of the Chamber of 
Commerce speaks in the following terms : 
“ Considerable progress has been made on the interior improvements of 
our harbor, in the extension of dock lines and opening new channels, partic¬ 
ularly with reference to the handling of iron, lumber, coal and other heavy 
commodities, but there is still room for improvement to any possible extent 
that the future commerce of the city may require, the advantages of the 
harbor of Milwaukee in this respect are unsurpassed. 
“Number of vessels belonging to the port of Milwaukee, in 1870, 243; 
tonnage, 38,494.” 
The progress of the State in railroad improvements has been no 
less marked during the past than during the previous year. 
The Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company has made 
considerable progress in the construction of a line between 
Madison and Baraboo, to be ultimately, and it is supposed at 
an early day, extended thence to Tomah, for connection with 
the West Wisconsin Railroad ; thus making a very direct line 
between Chicago and Saint Paul. 
