For a few terse comparisons and statistics with regard to the St. Paul of the past and of the present we are indebted to a writer in the "Soo Line edition" of the St. Croix Standard:

"Twenty-six years ago there were no railroads in St. Paul, now there are 26 trunk lines entering the city, with over 3,000 miles of track and more than 20,000 miles of mileage, 90,000 cars in use and 100,000 men employed. Beside this is the river trade, which employs two lines of boats and affords a very considerable commerce to St. Paul. In the manufacturing interests St. Paul has shown a great increase, and in every department of trade manufactories are springing up in all directions, and the business has already reached the large sum of $45,000,000, with not less than 1,200 factories and 22,000 men employed. Forty-six hotels accommodate the traveling public. The fire department is one of the best in the West, consisting of 8 steam fire engines, 7 chemical engines, hose carts, 159 men, 78 horses, etc., and the value of all the property belonging to the fire department is $316,367. The city is abundantly supplied with good, pure water, obtained from several lakes. One year ago there were 1,800 miles of mains and 1,000 new water connections, so it is safe to say that at present there are 2,000 miles of mains and 1,200 connections. The receipts of the department for the past year were $2,109,026.09. The real estate sales in 1887 will reach as high as $32,000,000."

Beyond this year we shall not follow the history of the city, except so far as a few tables of statistics and the biographies of a few of its leading citizens may be concerned.

POPULATION OF ST. PAUL.

1849, April200
1849, June840
18554,716
18579,973
186010,279
186512,976
187020,030
187533,178
188041,498
1886138,074

SCHOOLS IN 1886.

Number of school houses, 26; valuation, $816,650; number of teachers, 246; number of scholars, 9,600.

STATISTICS OF BUILDINGS COSTING $100,000 AND OVER.

Capitol$300,000
Custom house500,000
Court house1,000,000
Hotel Ryan1,000,000
Merchants Hotel500,000
Metropolitan Hotel100,000
Globe building500,000
Pioneer Press building650,000
Chamber of Commerce100,000
High School building137,000
Hamline University175,000
Macalester College100,000
Baptist church100,000
German Catholic church100,000
Central Park Methodist Episcopal church100,000
New York Life Insurance Company building1,000,000
German Life Insurance Company building250,000
Northern Pacific office building250,000
Manitoba office building200,000
Omaha office building160,000
Union Depot150,000
German American Bank250,000
Germania Bank200,000
First National Bank100,000
Watson block300,000
Hale block150,000
McMurrin block150,000
Willius block150,000
Gilfillan block125,000
Drake block100,000
Drake block100,000
Union block100,000
Albion block100,000
Gotzian block100,000
Wilder block100,000
Mayhall block100,000
DeCoster & Clark block100,000
Sherman block100,000
Astoria block100,000
Steele block100,000
Shuter block100,000
Dawson block100,000
J.J. Hill's residence350,000
Kittson's residence150,000
Wilder's residence150,000
Stickney's residence125,000
Griggs' residence125,000
Merriam's residence125,000
Opera House100,000
United States Army headquarters100,000
Lindeke Flour mill100,000
Elevator A100,000
Elevator B100,000
Bohn Manufacturing Company120,000

MAYORS OF ST. PAUL.