Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-12-09
WESTERN CORRESPONDENCE.
LYONS, Ia, Nov. SD, 1880.

ces than ''hearsay" by this time, as it proves
to be both severe and extensive, reaching no
doubt as far East as Connecticut 1t is but little
past the middle of November and yet we have
had week of mid-wnter weather, the mer-
curry sporting with zero, and freezing the riv-
| er over so that teams cross freely. There are
some half dozen steamers frozen in between
Keokuk and st. Paul loaded for St. Louis,
and as many or more raft boats with RATS of
logs the loss is likely to be considerable in
any event, and serious, should the river re-
main closed till spring.
Most of our sawmills have shut down; few
are still running. The greatest difficulty is
experienced in procuring cars to move the
lumber / was told by dealer that the
| mills here were nearly a thousand cars behind
their order. Davenport on another line of
railroad reports $50 carloads behind orders
There is also a great scarcity TO coal for the
same reason. Schools west of us have been
obliged to close for want of it, and we are in
imminent danger of a local famine. There is
no soft coal in the market and but little hard
This, at the beginning of winter, is a serious
matter with US. The following from the
Chicago Times gives comprehensive view of
the situation:
| The freight yard of all the roads centering
in Chicago, and the side tracks at the subur-
ban stations, are blocked with loaded cars des-
tined in both directions. The movement of
traffic over the Chicago lines was never SO
heavy as at the present time. The yard-men
are over worked, but continue their lab0rs un-
complainingiy, many of them remaining on
| duty twenty out OF the twenty -four hours
The side TRACKS in all directions, on all lines
| for forty, fifty, and even seventy Ave miles
| from Chicago, are crowded with cars Here
| in the city the roads find themselves cramped
| for room in which to handle their rolling
stock. TIE Burlington company. with four
| teen thousand box cars in service, is short of
rolling stock, and is trying to meet the de-
mand by, building twenty new cars per day.
! The Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul has
nearly ten thousand box cars out on its far
reaching lines and could find use for three
thousand more cars to-day if they could be
procured. The Chicago and Northwestern is
giving employment to fifteen thousand box
cars, and ia yet unable to handle all the bust
| ness that is offered. The obstruction is heav-
| lest, however, on the roads leading eastward
| The movement of merchandise from east to
west is enormous The volume of this class
| OF freight was never before half what it is at
| this time. The movement of wheat and grain
| is not unusually heavy for this season of the
year. The railway officials say that if the
| markets should suddenly take such turn as
to cause simultaneous inward movement of
| grain. the roads would be utterly unable to
meet the demands which would beemade upon
| them for immediate transportation. They
also say that the roads terminal in Chicago
| Will be obliged to Increase the amount of their
rolling stock 40 per cent between now and
| next fall. 1t is believed that after Monday,
Nov. %, On which date the new eastbound
tariff will take effect, shipments will be check
| ed to such an extent as to somewhat relieve
the obstruction in the freight yards and on the
side tracks in and about Chicago.
The railroad war leading Southwest from
Chicago continues (after brief truce una
bated, and is extending to remoter parts, and
| greater sweep of country. tgrows fiercerand
| more bitter, while Jay Gould goes on pocketing
| new railroad every few days. The last re-
ported was the Road from Denver to Lead
vile, III miles, for which he drew his little
| check of So 325, 600 If I was "next man" l
should not like to wait at the bank for it to be
i
had month or two of time could dis
pose of in no other way. =.
We are having miniature railroad war
here at home: The Clinton and Dubuke
road has been ''gobbed" by the Milwaukee
and st. Paul, formidable rival of the North
western. The former was using about six
miles of the Northwestern's track. The lease
ran out, and the Northwestern refused to re-
new, prohibiting Its further use, compelling the
Milwaukee and st. Paul to build new track,
and stopping all traffic in that direction. But
as this gives US competing line to Chicago
and other points as soon as completed, we
look upon the fight with good deal of CON-
placency. They are crowding the work of
grading along with AL possible speed, offering
double wages On Sunday, while the North
west keeps an engine on the track at the cross
ing night and day to prevent them putting in
connecting 'frogs" where it crosses their
road. -.s....
The last new phase in the lumber deal is
the purchase of rs, 900 acres of pine timber
lands, surrounding and including Shell Lake,
Wisconsin, by company recently formed in
which Litchheld County man figures con-
spicuously, Mr. David Joyce from Salisbury,
but an old resident of Lyons. He tells me
| that about the last thing he did before start.
ing West was to deposit his vote in favor of
A. Lincoln. president, in 1860. leaving the
same day. He is one of our most successful
| mill men. He came direct to Lyons and very
soon identified himself with the lumter inter-
ests, which have grown on his hands to vast
proportions as the above will indicate. He is
one OF our most public spirited citizens and
has DONE mach for the Interests of our city
| not only employing a. large number. of men
but in other ways. AS an example, he sent
our Fire Company over into Illinois last fall
| to compete for a prize at a tournament, and
sent man along to look after their interests,
all at his own expense. 1t is thought that all
the pine timber contiguous to streams for
rafting will be7cut off in less than ten years
/ and the business of saving on the river here,
will dry up. Hence this new move which
contemplates putting up large mill on the
shore of the lake and floating logs to it to be
cut The lumber is to be shipped by rail,
being located on the North Wisconsin rail-.
road from which most of the land was bought,
with the refusal of nearly as much more.
The project calls for over, a million dollars.
Mr.. j., has about 5000 acres besides on the
rivers. He has Bluff residence commanding
a fine view, overlooking the two cities, and is
one of the principal owners of the horse rail-
road, the stock of which is SO valuable it can
hardly be bought at any price. He has an
only son and heir, young man. steady, capa-l
BILE and industrious. and for all / can learn,
fancy free.p Here is chance for some am-
bilious young lady to better her fortunes but