Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-05-12
PALACE STOCK CARS.
First Through Train From st. Louis to
New York-How it All Works to a
Looker-on in Venice"
From the st. Louis Republican, April %

From the st. Louis Republican, April %.
The departure for New York,
yesterday, of the first through train
Of Streets palace stock cars loaded
with cattle, is an event worthy of
note. The train left Venice with
liz head of steers, purchased by
Mr.. Tucker, in Cooper county, Mo-,
and shipped by Joseph Mulhall, of
Communipaw, above New York
city. A number of gentlemen, in
vited by Mr.. James Montgomery,
Vice President OF the company,
went over to Venice and witnessed
the manner in which the cattle were
shipped on board the cars. There
were eleven ears painted green, each
arranged for holding sixteen head
of cattle. To place the cattle in
these cars it required on an average
about nine minutes for each car,
but in one instance the car was
loaded with its complement of live
stock in six minutes and half.
Sometimes an obstinate animal
could neither be coaxed nor driven,
and had to be propelled by winging
his tail and punching him with
sticks in order to get him on the
train, but as general thing the
bovine passengers entered the car
up the inclined gangway with the
alacrity of any other passenger
having free pass.
The cars are arranged with
separate stalls, separated by gates,
which are closed as soon as an OK
gets his place, and these stalls are
easily adjustable to the size of the
animal, SO as to afford ample room
for laying down, and to rise up at
will. \ bedding of shavings is
strcwn over the bottom, 50 that the
animals have all the accommoda-
tions of tirst-class sleeping car to
rest their bones. At the top Of the
car is feed box, with canvass
spouts which communicate with
the feed basins underneath; also a
water tank, atfording a supply Of
water, by which arrangement the
cattle can be fed and watered dur
ing the transit without unshipping.
The ears are built some eight feet
longer than ordinary stock cars, and
in regard to the width, Mr.. Mulhall
expressed the opinion that expert
ence will require them to be wider.
Underneath are the passenger-car
truck, with elliptical springs and
swinging bar, giving to the car, the
same ease of motion as the regular
passenger car, the advantages Of
which are that the wear and tear
will be no greater, the ease Of mo-
ton overcoming all evil effects of
the sudden stopping and starting
of the train. The stock train will
rum through to New York in ninety
six hours, instead of consuming ten
days as formerly, the animals being
stalled, fed and watered without any
unshipping. The cars from here
pass over the Pennsylvania COM
pany's lines, that company having
made contract for transporting
cattle with the Street Palace Stock
Car Company. The latter COM
pany charges three dollars per head
royalty in advance to the usual
freight, which royalty cover the
additional expense Of feeding,
watering and cost Of attendance.
The advantages are that stock will |
be delivered in less than one, half of
the time consumed under the old |
method of stock shipment, when
four stoppages had to be made for
feeding, resting and watering. The
cattle, it is claimed, will now be
delivered at their destination free
from bruises or losses by death, or
being trampled upon, squeezed and
hooked by their fellow passengers.
The shipper can likewise calculate !
to an hour when his cattle VII!
reach New York, so as to meet the
most favorable market, which
with the saving from shrink
age, it is maintained that from one
half to one and one-half cent per
pound will be saved to the shipper.
In connection with this, it may be
that some capitalists and
railroad men here are discussing
he question Of organizing St.
Louis company for manufacturing
and operating this improved stock
car upon the different lines Of rail
road west of the Mississippi river,
extending into the great cattle
regions of the West and Southwest |