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The territory tributary to St* Louis not only takes in Memphis, Kansas City, a part
of Denver, and a portion of Chicago territories, but likewise extends beyond all of these in
competition with such local centers of distribution as Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Hew Orleans,
Mobile and others* The general trend of all distribution in the United States is normally westward
and southward, rather than eastward and northward. The railroads from St. Louis westward and south­
ward are largely St* Louis railroads and primarily are interested in the development of St* Louis5
so that purely as a matter of business they give St* Louis excellent rates and passenger service,
so far as their financial limitations permit*
St* Louis is a composite western and southern oity, unlike any other city in the
Mississippi Talley, since its principal competitors are either entirely southern or entirely western*
The fact has a very significant bearing upon the question of trade* It is almost impossible for a
distinctly southern city to sell goods successfully, and to maintain continous trade relations with
the people of the western states; and it is still more difficult for a distinctly western city to
continue to successfully serve a distinctly southern people*
The question of race, looal sympathy, and sectional understanding are of the greatest
importance in this matter, and this is one of the principal reasons why the territory naturally
tributary to St* Louis, and in ?diich it sells and buys goods successfully, is so much larger than
that of any of its trade competitors*

Reproduced from the Unclassified / Declassified Holdings of the National Archives




Map shows the territory naturally tributary to different cities* This territory
is determined by transportation facilities, both by water and rail; the geographical situation of
the distributing center; and the business and social relation of the distributing centers to the
people whom it endeavors to serve. It shows that some cities, as Chicago and St* Louis, comprehend,
in a general way, the entire territory tributary to other cities, so that in such subdivided
territories there are cross currents of distribution* Chicago, for instance, in its distribution
covers all of Milwaukee territory and a portion of the Twin Cities and gets down into a small part
of Kansas City and St* Louis territory*
This largely because of the railroad service from Chicago
in the way of prompt deliveries to such sections*

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