, 1880-01-04
THE RAILROADS.

THE RAILROADS.
EASTERN FREIGHT SHIPMENTS.
There is no improvement in the eastbound
freight business. On the contrary, the ship
ments during the past week show still
larger falling off than during the week
previous. The shipments Of grain, flour, and
provisions for the week ending yesterday
were o6 ,591 tons against 29,750 tons the week
previous, a falling of Of 8, 159 tons. For the
corresponding week last year the shipments
Of grain, -four, and provisions were 43, ,684
tons, or 17,073 tons more than the same roads
carried during the past week. As last year
this time business WIS not considered
very good, and the roads were suffer-
ing severely from the cold and
heavy snowfalls, the smallness Of the
business now done shows that the. late
"boom was simply artificial, and that the
ss6ted ale polcV maEnF the be- rates gher
than was warranted by the circumstances
On account Of the high rates during this fall,
great deal Of the business which would
have gone by rail was forced on the lake,
tsined 95S Thus the Country as was % almost In
drained Of grain during the fall, leaving but
little to be shipped in during the winter.
What remains in the country and in the ele
yators ut this point is likely to remain there
railroads should deem it proper to make
large reduction in rates, and the prices Of grain
become lower. At the seaboard and in En-
gland the prices for. grain are much lower
than at Western points, and consequently
there is but little demand either for Eastern
MIA has forced up prices in the West, and
these will have to come down materially be-
fore any considerable purchases will be
made. The present holders will no doubt Try
hope of a brisker demand and bttsr bettesrr rates for
transportation. Should these parties be able
to hold out until that time the shipments
during the remainder Of the winter
will remain light even il a reduction
prices, and the holders be compelled to sell,
the railroads, If they make a fair reduction
in the rates Of Transportation, may do good
business during the balance Of the winter,
down to bottom figures.
There were shipped during the past week
67,034 barrels of flour, es,266, AZ ~ pounds Of
grain, and II ,316 pounds of provisions.
tons; the Lake Shore, 8,1os tons: Fort
Baltimore & Ohio, 1917 tons. This makes
the percentages Of business carried by the
various roads as follows: Michigan Central,
PanHande, he 2s Baltimore i}e ns { oho i Is tfD Tho
Fort Wayne is still turning over business
to the Lake Shore to realize the pool percent
ages, which accounts flor its small traffic
during the past week. -"
Michigan Central, sa,o57 barrels; Lake Shore,
q, ,n35 barrels; Fort Wayne, 7,845 barrels; Pan
Handle, 1,325 barrels; Baltimore g. Ohio,
The grain shipments we're as follows:
Michigan Central, 14,ol, ,sos pounds; Lake
SO V pounds; Pan-Handie, 45o,68 tp pounds;
Baltimore u Ohio, 2, 7644 436 pounds.
The following amounts Of provisions were
shipped: Michigan Central, 1,636, ,21o pounds;
4,5@a5o pounds; fanHaadlsl 1,aS50o
pounds; Baltimore & Ohio, IT'S, ,o20 pounds.
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY.
Mr.. D. ". Hitchcock, Western General
Passenger Agent of the Burlington Railroad,
will transfer his headquarters from Kansas
City to Chicago Feb. /. This change will no
doubt prove Of great benefit to the road, as
there are few men so we'll qualified as atr.
Hitchcock to secure passenger traffic He is
a Chicago man, and knows all the
ms and outs Of the passenger business at this
point, having been connected with the Pas
senger Department Of the Burlington in this
city for many years. There are numberless
rumors in circulation about further changes
of officials Oh this road, but Mr.. r. J. Potter,
the Assistant General Manager, informed
TRIBUNE representative yesterday that for the
present no other changes are contemplated
Some further changes will no doubt be
made when the arrangements now going on
for the consolidation Of the Burlington 81
Quincy with the Burlington 81 Missouri River
in Nebraska have been completed. The an
nouncement that such consolidation is to be
made has given the stock of these roads an
immense boost. There can be 10 doubt that
the amalgamation will prove Of immense
benefit to the properties, as it viii materially
lessen the operating expenses, as only one set
The Burlington d Missouri River in Ne
braska is virtually owned by the .proprietors
of the Burlington g. Quincy, and Mr.. Per-
kins, the President and General Manager of
the Burlington & Missouri River, is also the
Vice-President and General Manager Of the
Burlington g. Quincy, and the former road
has long since been considered Q branch Of
the Burlington. This consolidation will give
the Burlington & Quincy direct route to
Bloomington in the Republican Valley, but
it is contemplated to extend the line from
the latter point at once to Denver, and thence
to Ogden, where connection is made with the
Central Pacific, thus making the Chicago,
Burlington &c Quincy rival line to the
Union Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe.
SETTLED.
Special DispatcA to Ih< Chicago Tribune.
NEW YORK, Jan. Son the very last day