The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-05-21
THE RAILROAD MAaNATEs
Make an Official Visitation to Pnlag-
ki and Meet Our People.

presence, last Saturday morning, OF
several prominent railroad men who
came upon an official visitation to
our business men and citizens.
They were: Col. E. B. Stahlmap,
third vice president of the L. &N.&
| 9. S. R. R., Mr.. J. NJ. Culp, general
freight agent, james Geddes, super
IiNtendent n. & D., Mr.. Craik,
snn, >rjntendant n. & F., and B. F.
| Champ. general freight agent n.
& D.
Our citiz~ns had been notified
that these gentl%Den would be at
the office of Jones, Son & Ewing
and were invited to q conference
with them. A good nuL7ber OF our
business men were present and Col.
Stahlman stated that the object OF
their visit was to get personally &C
quainted with the people, inspect
the surroundings, hear statement
Of their grievances and complaints,
to the end that better feelings may
be established between the road and
patrons and all errors and unjust
Determinations, if any, be corrected.
Mr.. j. r. d. Williams, represent
ing the lumber interests, made
statement of the rate OF freights
charged or lum Der shipments from
Pulaski, showing that it was prac
tically q prohibition to shipping
lumber at all. indianapolis is a
lumber distributing point. The
rate from Pulaski to Nashville is 10d
cents and frem Nashville to Indian
apolis only IA cents, thus giving
Nashville a great advantage over
Pulaski. Mr.. Cup answered this
statement of apparent discrimina
ton by saying that Nashville neces-
sarily got her lumber from else
where and it had already paid a
rate of freight approXimating 101
cents and thus she had no advan-
tage Of Pulaski. Mr.. Stahlman stated
that locality reached by artificial |
means which it took several millions |
to establish was not entitled to and |
ought not in justice ask to be placed |
on a level with place that had an
equivalent natural advantage. In
other words, it took millions of
money to build railroads through
the interior to reach timber and
S Sd Gcia expect expect &c r syy H.! hs
proportion of a reasonable charge
by way of interest upon such in
Vestment; whereas, as in the case of
the Cumberland river af-
fords facilities tor shipping logs
which cost no man a cent, and
has the right to the ad-
gantages growing out of her superb
Or location. 1t was shown that the
rate was not more than from any
other point on the road.
Mr.. Jas. r. Grove, representing
cotton shippers, showed how Pulas-
Il was Disseminated against in the /
ate of freight upon cotton. The t
'ate to Nashville is $I.75 per bale, 6
whereas other points south of US get
much less rates. He earnestly urg- 1
I'd q reduction of the rate, saying !
t was so expensive that it amount !
I'd almost to sn embargo and forced s
farmers TO quit raising it to some !
eztent. Dir. Culp responded that
he rate here was in exact ratio
With all other interior points and to l
essen it here would necessitate the L
same revision all along the line, and
he end of it would be the loss of
many Thousand dollars to the road.
" hereVer q place on the road was /
given special rates it was to build up e
some special industry and create S
more business for the road through {
,ther channels. Lawrenceburg I
vas given a special rate to foster c
md help her factories, and the road 8
gas reimbursed by the increased c
in coal TO her and e
n her products. The rate charg- i
ID here was q part of uni t
7ersal rate determined by careful C
estimates of probable shipments e
md fixed to meet the prospection
md fixed expenses upon the road.
Frequently the road had opportunl-
y to seize a shipment that legiti- '
nately belonged to another road e
md they were compelled to offer /
ess rates to get it, and when they t
lid get it, it was like finding that S
much. After the conference was /
aver the writer suggested to Mr.. I
Stahlman and Mr.. Culp that if they c
would have examination made they |
would probably find that cotton c
from Pulaski had fallen t
OFF in exact proportion as it had in
creased at Fayetteville, Lswisburg
and elsewhere, showing that the
rate here had forced it over to an
other road and the L. & n. would {
make money by reducing the ,
rate and retaining the business. /
Mr.. Stahlman promised to investi t
gate the matter il this aspect.
Mr.. Craig stated that in the mat
ter of grain he had found it very
difficult to compete with Kansas
City in the Montgomery country.
Mr. Culp promised that the rate
should be made to cover that COM
plant. He said the trouble was in
the difference in the price of grain
here and in the west and not in
freight rates, but if the road found
that this people could not raise
grain so cheaply, then it would
come to their aid with cheaper
freights. There is no doubt that
Pulaski will get all possible advan-
tages in this respect,
Other matters of less Importance
were presented and discussed. We
believe the general opinion of our
people was that these officials came
upon an honest errand and met the
issues and complaints squarely and
satisfactorily. There can be little
doubt that good will follow and
revision of rates made in cur favor
in all things in which We are emit
tied. Mr.. Stahlman grew eloquent
and exceedingly earnest in protest
ing that the policy of the road and
its officials was to bufld up its way
places and help its patrons prosper,
. -. foil in 1lro- |