The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-01-11
KEOKUKy IOWA:


THURSDAY M0RNM0J SANOAxg4 IL.
.-.1.-1.l---sSlls - 49,
RailreaA Fre1g11t 3Velsn.
Letter from the General Freight Agent
ofths Chisexo = perfhwscessA ,.
GENERAL FRElsRr Aosxr's OF11CE,
c. & N. w. RAILWAY,
OHIcEoo, January I, 1856.
To the Editors Chicago Tribune:
In YOUR issue this morning 10 On article
You advertise meeting Of farmers, merck
ants, drovers, manufacturers and mechanics
of Whiteside and surrounding counties, and
all others who consider the wrongs now prac-
ticed upon them by the railroad monopoiists
Of the State.
In this article occurs the following:
"When Q farmer has to give three bushels
of corn to send one to market . distance Of
100 miles-100 bushels to get pair of boots,
1000 bushels to obtain Q suit of clothes, it 10
time for him to look around and see what's
the matter. When merchant of Sterling
has TO pay about the same price to get case
of goods from Chicago as the Chicago mer-
chant pays for getting the same case from
New York. he knows there is somebody swim
died, and reaches the conclusion at once that
he is the man. This is question upon
which the people should combine, and so act
as TO give their opinion a power which the
monopolsts will find it very difficult to with.
stand"
Corn is now selling in this market at from
38 to 46 cents per bushel The cost of trans
portation from Sterling to Chicago is III
cents per bushel; therefore, instead of its
costing more than bushel of corn 10 send
one to market, it costs only about one fourth
OF bushel. In 1860, when corn was selling
in this market at q cents per bushel it cost
to bring it from Sterling 81 cents per bushel
no material difference from the present
rate, notwithstanding the enhanced cost Of
materials and operating expenses of railroads,
ranging from 100 to 200 per cent. One hun
dred bushels of corn are worth in Sterling
S25. DO You pretend to believe that pair
of boots in Sterling costs $252 ~
One thousand bushels of corn are worth in
Sterling two hundred and tiity dollars. DO
you pretend to believe q suit of clothes costs
in Sterling two hundred and fifty dollars? If
so, there are other monopolies besides those
OF railroads that require looking after. You
do. in effect, say all this, and intend to state
what you must know to be untrue, or under
take to speak of what you wonid seem TO be
entirely ignorant. Take whichever horn of
the dilemma you choose. IL costs 81 To- per
New York to Chicago. Ii costs 60 cents per
JOG pounds to take the case from Chicago
Aud yet you say it costs about the same.
There would seem to be a disproportion ev, n
at these hgures-possibly there may be; but
any one at all conversant with railroads will
tell you that local tariffs are always higher In
proportion to distance than through tariffs
SINCE the high prices of 1864 and q part of
1850. two reductions In grain rates have been
made by this as we'll as all other Western
lines. June lst, 1866, the rate from Sterling,
on corn and oats, was reduced to 26 cents per
hundred pounds. and again, November 1T,
1865, to Il cents per hundred pounds; and
rye and barley were given the benefit of the
last reduction. 1t will be readily seen that
the advance in grain rates is but trihing over
the rates chargedin 1860 and to those who
know the enhanced value of every single arti-
Gle purchased by railways, it is apparent that
1t Is not sufficient to pay the increased cost of
running expenses. In 1860, locomotives
could be- purchased at $4,000; in 1894 and
TO. they cost S33, 600; and at the present
time they are valued at $4,000 Rails in
1860, $40 per ton; in 1865, Sll0 per ton. In
1860 spike 81 centsper pound; 1865, 4 cents
per pound. Low Moor tyre in 1860, IL cents
per pound; 1866 % cents per pound Cast
lngs IN 1860, 3 cents per pound; 1865, 6 cents
per pound Lard oil in 1860. 20 cents per
gallon; 1860, 81 80 per gallon-and so on
through the entire list OF railway supplies. In
1861 the Galena Company paid to Whiteside
county S4,662 62 for taxes; in 1865 they were
nearly doubled amounting TO $40 81.
From what sources are to be derived the nec-
essary funds to meet these increased expen.
SEES obviously in no other way but increasd
rates on freight and passenger traffic.
Inc arrow you aimed at monopolies has fall
len short of its mark. You strained your bow
until it broke. The very subject of carving,
which you complain SO bitterly, SO uniustly,
about, has not IN any material degree been
affected by what you are pleased to call
monopoly, but remains about the same as
when competition had ripe existence.
~, what good end is to be accomplished?
What beneht IS to accrue either to Chicago,
The great Northwest, or the Tribune itself. by
these lndiscrminate and unjust assaults upon
the railroad interests7 60
lew days since your paper publishad
mighty euloglstic article on the enterprise ex-
niolteo ny the managers of this company in
Inelr attempts to complete projected lines.
FROM "hom IS to come the capital required
70 complete the Missouri river extension.
no is TO furnish the means to build the
great northwestern extension giving Chicago
an AR ilne railway to St Paul? Are they cal
eulated to inspire the Eastern capitalists with
confidence in the safety, not to saw profitable.
ness q any further outlay in this great enter.
Prsef The moneyed men of the East give
their means freely. By their muni6cence the
roads are commenced and completed. When
zone what follows7 Abuse and utilization.
ana such epithets rs ''monopolists,' "swind
iers, 'nmbecile and dishonest managers,
al street gamblers and the like Let
worth alone characterize your railway criti
cisms' and those for whom | write will be
more IMAM satisfied. Your ob't serv't,
(HAS = TApprN O..