, 1872-12-27
CHICAGO FREIGHTS,

To the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
When We claim for Chicago the credit Of being
one OF the great railroad centres of the country.
TIC do not claim too much. Of the $4,000 or
65,00o miles OF railway in the United States.
chicago controls fully one-fourth. The length
OF the lines which now actually centre here. not
including branches and tributaries, is nearly
l0,000 miles. The number OF incoming trains
l69. About the same number leaves every day.
Twelve, or more, new roads are in process Of
construction, which, when completed, will add
about 1000 miles of line
The combined railroad interests Of Chicago
represent an Investment Of nearly $500, ,00O, 900.
1he total earnings, during the past year, of the
roads centering here, we're nearly SS9, 100000.
1t may not be inopportune to say just here
that, in respect OF railroads, the experience of
othar" ar"G has been the reverse Of that Of most
nrosner,tv bEn cities. Instead of her wealth and
tie fact Of her bef2Hs e5f2Hsasureably wholly due to
road centre is. in : ereati'road centre, the rail
her prosperity. Railways have tne result OF
still seeking, admittance; while Ch.> ana arc
done little in the way Of solicitation. H. mas
is, it's location at once points it out the CRED.
distributing, or wholesale, mart Of the West.
This, and the energetic character Of it's mer-
chants, constitute the magnet that focalizes 80
many interests and is the undoubted secret Of
it's success.
Anything more than an approximate estimate
Of the extent Of the wholesale trade Of the city
would be fraught with considerable labor; suf-
fee it to say, the number OF exclusively wholesale
houses is about 800 Cou,itting those connected
with the live stock business, and the large num-
ber Of manufacturing establlshments), repre-
Benting an annual business OF probably $780,
1000.
As the result Of this large jobbing trado,
Chicago becomes at once the great freight depot
of the West; eeventy~fye trains per day being
required to bring hither it's merchandise. It is
estimated that the sixty houses representing the
wholesale grocery trade pay to railroad compa-
MES the sum OF 81, 600 per annum for the
transportation Of their freights from the East.
Should the merchandise which these firms re-
ceive be brought over one road, it would require
daily train Of at least thirty heavily laden cars
Aggrcgations Of capital and business generally
Increased facilities, aud determinations OF
one kind or another. The latter seem to be the
results naturally growing out Of the former
Extensive purchases can usually be made at
lower prices than small ones. This is the basis
Of tho entire wholesale trade. Heavy dealers
expect, and invariably receive, advantages that
light dealers could not look for, and would not
bo givcn. This principle, though Of such uni
yersal application, seems not to be applied to
Chicago in the freight market. To be sure,
many Of our merchants receive concessions On
freights, but they are not regular nor are they
peculiar, favora. Every extensive dealer,
whether resident Of Chicago or place one
Hffiafh 0f ef1n
sions.
We repent, Chicago, as city, possesses few,
if any, advantages in this respect. Her large
capital, her extensive railroad facilities, her i'm
mense frelghts, weigh no more in the balance
than the meagre capital, few facilities, and
trining freights OF many country towns. Rail-
road companies admit the vast Importance to the
West in general, and to their fortunes in
particular, Of the prosperity of this city. They
we'll know that, SO closely connected are the in
te1ests Of their business and the growth and
fortune OF Chicago, that, should disaster over
take the latter, the former would be equally
affected. During our recent desolation these
facts became moro than ever manifest, and, for
time, these so-called sonlless corporations
worked like genuine phi1anthropists
In proof of our statement that this CITY does
not possess advantages over other places in the
way Of freghts, Notwithstanding the immense
business transacted, We will submit only few
figures. Milwaukee, situated IS miles further
from New York than is Chicago, pays no higher
tariff On Eastern freights than does this city
while from Chicago to Milwaukee the rate on
drst-c1ass freight is 80 cents per 100 pounds.
In extenuation Of this discrimination. it il
claimed thnt competition, With shorter line, by
rail and lake across Michigan, necessitates this.
Let us zee how much shorter that route is
Tho distance from New York to Chicago by the
shortest route is 913 miles and from Chicago to
Milwaukee it is IS miles making total Of 99s
miles. The distance from New York to Detroit
is 6S4 miles and from Detroit to milwaukee,. by
the most direct route, it is 279 miles, making
total Of 963 miles. These figures make Milwau-
kee thirty-hve miles nearer New York by direct
route than ria Chicago. Now, at the pro-rating
charge of 5o-100 cents per ton per mile (based
on dietance to Chicago Of 963 miles), the charge
on frst-class freights to Milwaukee ought to be
about 6n cents more On each 100 pounds than to
Chicago, provided the freights we're all trans
ported By the shortest route. But instead. Of
being taken across Michigan and the lake, d
good part Of these very freights pass through
Chicago; thereby discriminating against this
city to the extent Of 80 cents on e1ch 100 pounds.
4 SCORE Of places west Of Chicago could be
named SH..oae rates are less than those to this
city, distance considered, c!,ilo In 40 instance,
We beleys, era DETERMINATIONS Of any amount
made in our favor:
IL. ~. ts::aent method Of establishing through
rates from NeW. York to Western oompeting
points is on the pro-rating systen1, OR, ht fixed
charge per ton per mile. The distances, to be