, 1880-03-28
THE RAILROADS.,

EAST.BOUND FREIGHT MOVEMENT
Never before have the Chicago roads leading
East done such an immense freight business as
during the past week The amount OF Hour,
grain, And provisions carried by the Michfgnn
Central, Lake Shore, Fort Wayne, Panhandle,
and Baltimore g. Ohio Railroads during tho week
amounted to nearly $4,000 tons, or more than
twice as much as was carried during the busiest
time previous to the late reduction In gr1in
rates. The business done by the Chicago &
Grand Trunk is not included in the above ex-
hIbit. As this road has done nm unusually largo
business during the week, and also had the ad-
vantage Of its new lake line between
this city and Ludington. the amount of
traffic done by it may safely be estimated
at 10 900 tons, which swclls the total amount to
about 90, 900 tons. No such amount, or anything
near like 1t, has ever before been taken from
this city by the rail lines in one week. And had
it not been for the fact that alI re r3ads were
heSe exeeeded '1 W IS z s
pcctcd, however, that this boom will continue,
pericnced next week. The rush grew out Of the
fact that number OF large shippers some time
March delivery, expecting to be easily able to
get it all forward in time. But they have
been mistaken in their calculations, the
The companies got short of cars, and the result
is that not more than one-half Of the shipments
can be delivered In time. The spectators will
certainly come to grief, as the Eastern parties
have got corner and will make them feel it on
the last day Of the month, when the time for
March delivery expires
The inability Of the roads from this city to
handle ali the freight thnt offered has had the
effect Of dverting considerable business to To-
ledo whence steamers are now running to Duf-
fAlo and Sarrfa, the former connecting the Wa
bash, and the latter in the interest of the Grand
Trunk. The anticipations OF the trunk lines that
the lake rates will ba so high this summer as
to enable them to maintain the present freight
rates are not likely to be fulfilled, as the lake
rates have experienced a. falling OF from the
figures first quoted, and there will no doubt be
q still greater drop when actual competition has
commenced. 1t was the intention of the rail
roads to mako the summer rnte On grain 20
cents, but from present indications they are
The principal movement during the week was
in corn, there being shipped about 81 00o tons of
this article alone. Thus far but little wheat has
been shipped. The great bulk OF 1t still re-
mains in the elevators, and will no doubt con-
tinue there until navigation has fairly opened:
The specuIators have all along hoped
for an advance in the price Of this
article to let them OFF without much loss,
but instead Of an advance there has been
steady decline, and the prospects are that the
prices will go down still further. The lowcr
freight rates the specufators will get utter the
opening of navigation will hardly compensate
them for the falling OF In price.
The total amount of flour, grain, and proyis-
ions shipped the pnst week by the five pool lines
was K, ,s:3 tons, against G414S tons the week pre-
yious, an increase of Is. .016 tons.
The following statement shows the amount of
business done BY the various lines.