Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-09-26
THE LACK OF TEAMS.
OUR BUSINESS MEN SERIOUSLY
lNCOMMODED BY 1T.

The Railroad Contractors Paying More
for Teams than the Forwarding Agents
can Afford-The Grain Market Already
Cornered, and Staples Getting Short
All Around Us-The Railroad the
Only Source to Which We Can Look
for Relief.
S. J. Friedman, w. b. Noble, Cliff
& Mckay, Whitman 4 Walker, Coffin
Bros, and many others of the leading
business houses of Haley, are await
ing the arrival of large invoices of
goods from the railroad, which are de-
layed by the difficulty experienced in
securing freight teams.
The scarcity of transportation facili-
ties has not come Unexpectedly. Early
this summer the teams on the road
between Blackfoot, elton, and Haley,
were sufficient to haul 100000
pounds to trip, and frcights came
down as low as IA cents per pound.
AT that rate the teamsters could not
make big money, but they could still
afford to carry miscellaneous freight
without loss, while they could make a
good profit on heavy freight. But as
the season advanced, and the con-
tractors on the Oregon Short Line be-
came pressed for time to finish their
contracts, they began offering such
inducements to transfers that the
ma ority of them left the road to
work on the railway across the desert.
This withdrawal of most of the
teams from the transportation lines
was soon known, and freights
began advancing. Early in August the
rate was raised from Ii to q cents.
Three days afterward the price was
again advanced to three cents, and
about 100000 pounds Of freight came
in at this rate. The TINES jobbing
outfit, which left kelton on the 9th,
came in, partly at three, and partly at
81 cents. This last rate, was, how
ever, only demanded for eight day
freight. At present the price for all
freight varies from . to five cents
the latter rate being for fast or four
day freight And as the railway CON
tractors are still endeavoring to secure
more teams, while the season is APP
preaching when all our business men
will lay in their winter supplies, the
demand for teams will be enormous,
and tie rate of freight must go even
higher.
There will not, however, be as much
freight to come in from Blaekfoot or
kelton this fall as most people imagine.
Quite a number Of our business men
are already shipping to the end of track
Of the Oregon Short Line, while, not
outstanding the increase Of popala-
ton (Which has been fully 80 per cent
the past summary our merchants are
not going to lay in any heavier stocks
than last year. The reason for this is
the near approach Of the railroad, and
the probability that upon its reaching
Little Wood River the rates of freight
will be reduced by one or two cents.
Bearing this in mind the merchants
are only ordering what they need for
their immediate wants, and will delay
their orders for late fall, winter and
spring stocks until the latest possible
date. Notwithstanding this general
abstention, there is now at kelton
alone over 100000 pounds of mer-
chandisc for Wood River that cannot
be got in because of the lack of teams.
No great alarm is felt here as yet,
however, as last year freight that left
kelton as late as December 5, got in
all right.
Some of our merchants foreseeing
this freight jam, ordered a part Of
their stocks last month. Mr.. Cannady
is one of these. He says that his
house CIV. B. Noble's) will only re-
ceive as large stock as last year, but
that it will be in early, and that $4,000
pounds OF it is even now on the road.
But this is all that can be expected for
that house for some time, as a
recent letter from the Conant
Bros, at kelton, states that they will
ship him his 10000 pounds Of flour at
the first opportunity-thus implying
/ that Mr [