St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-29
A GREAT ENTRANCE.
The Hicks Stock Car Company.
With Headquarters at Mime


apoiis.
Minneapolis will shortly be the head
quarters, and ultimately the manufac-
turing point, of the Hicks Stock Car
company. owner of the new Hicks car
that promises to drive out all competi-
ton in its line of business. Within ten
days the present company will be re-
organized and the capital stock in
creased to s2,000,000, though so little
has been heard and said of the company
that it is scarcely known outside of
railroad circles. One of the Hicks
cars has been in Minneapolis, and is
low in the Northern Pacific yards at
st. Paul, where il is an object of inter-
est to stock raisers and shippers. Bohn
q. Hicks, the patentee, is young Min
neapolitan, and the stock of the COM
pany Is nearly all held in Minneapolis,
but the holders are quite reticent, for
fear the idea will go abroad that they
are running a concern for the purpose
Of stock speculation. DIR. r. E.
Offender is one of the prime movers
in the company, and is known as an
energetic hustler who knows a good
thing when he sees it. The cars are
now being manufactured at Terre
A1oubSs DuO opOiio VII gu OINO DC-
come the distributing point, and the
operative force will locate here. 1t will
necessarily be some time before the
works can be located, and at least
year will be necessary to their erection,
but the company will be one of the
largest in the city, and the enterprise
will be entirely controlled locally.
The Hicks car has certainly many
points of advantage, and should be seen
to be thoroughly appreciated. Its feat
ure is series of adjustable decks. so
that all or portion of it may be double
decked at minutes notice, and thus
cattle and sheep, or cattle and hogs,
may be carried at one time. 1t has also
adjustable partitions, so that the car
may be used as an open car, or may be
divided into three sections, each of which
may be single or double deck. The
decks are double and operate as trap
doors of an elevator. By means of
falling hinge, the decks can be folded,
first against the walls and then up to
the roof, making complete revolution,
and fastening to the roof, out of the
way. When in use, the deck is sup
ported by an iron foot, which folds be-
hind the deck when not desired. On
the top of the car is an elevation, such
as is used on passenger cars, which con-
tains the partitions when not used,
which partitions are rolled down, when
desired, in the manner of the top of a
roll-top desk. The secondary roof, so
to speak, also furnishes ventilation
through its ends. The car is arranged
so as to admit of feeding and watering
the stock without removing it from the
CT.
The double deck is the great feature,
as at presemt,when double decks are de-
sired. it is necessary to construct them
of lumber, and it chances frequently
that stock is shipped from localities
where lumber 4, is both scarce and ex-
pensive. The Street car, which has
now practical monopoly of the stock
car business. is without this feature,
and though capitalized at s7,OOO,oO0. the
stock is at premium. The Hicks
company thinks it has bonanza to a
certainty. 1t claims that in the pull of
a train its car will cut great figure.
1t will enable train to contain great
weight without increase of cars.