Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-07-12
HANDLING FREIGHT.
HOW IT IS CARED FOR AT THE "INy
AND "OUT" DEPOTS.

many people imagine that freight frOI
5 one after another of hundred wagons |
E simply dumped on a platform and fro1
there showed into car, and that incomin
and outgoing freight is handled on tn
same platform. In country town, O
J even in city ambitious to metropolita
! honors. one platform does suffice. and O.
D that all freight is received and from tha
all freight is shipped. But in large cit
the railroad of any prominence maxim,
half living must have two depots, on
an lin and the other an "out" house
Through the latter all of the receipts q
except in heavy and bulk goods. in larg
lots. when track receiving and unloadin.
is the most convenient and cheapest. Il
receiving freight all such cars are cut ou
or off of the train and switched to what
ever points may be desired. The bills q;
lading always come ahead of the train
long enough generally to get through the
office and out to the yard men before the
train arrives. or at least on its arrival
This is done so that no time may be lost
Receiving the bills, the yard force know
exactly what each car contains and where
|
to go to certain parts of the yards. others
to private ware houses, and some are to
be left where they are. These are all cut
out. taken away. and the balance of the
train switched into the freight house,
where the broken Qess than car load) and
valuable or perishable freight is stored to
await the call Of the owners, the latter
hyyr fol Of ho Ty
receiving freight in this way there is a
great deal of handling and rehandling
that cannot be helped; but so far as possi-
BILE it is avoided by storing as loosely as
possible. so that one consignment may
be moved without touching another If
the housemen only knew whether John
Smith would be more prompt than Samuel
away his goods. much rehandling could be
obviated and the goods could be stored
closely without loss of space by putting
in Browns property first.
But this is knowledge that cannot be
had. There may be a dozen Samuel
Browns and two dozen John Smiths, and
every one of the Browns may come for his
goods at the same time, while the Smiths
may never come, and may leave their
goods to be finally sold as unclaimed
This, however is only the case with small
merchants and plain every day citizens,
who do not receive pound of freight as
often as they celebrate Christmas. The
merchant who receives with any regular
ity authorizes his drayman, or, in St.
Louis. the Transfer company to receive
his freight whenever it comes, and the
drayman or transfer agent is always on
hand to receive it, and it does not have to
be stored away. Still there are enough
men Of the Smith variety, and entering a
large receiving ware house after few
trains have been unloaded the floor has
the appearance of succession of mounds,
made out Of boxes, furniture, baby carri-
ages. implements. etc.
The most interesting Of the platforms,
however, is that where goods are received
for shipment. This is where there is sys-
tenn There is no dumping together of
anything that simply comes to hand first.
On one side are strings of empty freight
cars, pulled up so evenly that the doors
from the one next to the platform open
into the one on the next track, and the
cars ON the outer track can be loaded by
pushing the truck Through the ones next
to the platform and over connecting
bridges. Tho shipping platform can in
this way be widened to as many tracks as
there are on which to stand the cars. On
the opposite side. the receiving side, where
the wagons pull up and unload, are nailed
signs to pillars representing divisions.
The first Is marked "Jonesville," while
the board on The second pillar may be
marked Brownsville, and half dozen
other villes, while the one next to it may
have double that number, or only one.
This is an indication that on this line
Jonesville is a heavy shipping point, and
that Brownsville, and the other villes with |
it. are of small Importance and have to be
numerous to count.
At the merchants ware house the goods |
are loaded into the wagon by towns, and |
the driver knows Just what towns he has. |
If he has lot for Jonesville he backs into |
that pillar and unloads. He may have
few pieces for Brownsville or some Of, its
sister villes, in which case he cam unload
at Jonesviile and roll them over to the
Brownsville division. If he has a lot for
Smithville, further on, however, he must
swing around with his wagon again and
back in there Here the freight accumu-
lates. in these divisions, until time for
loading. by which time quite respectable
amounts is gathered Jonesville is situated
100 miles away, Brownsville eighty, Jack
sonville fifty and Yellowville forty miles
,ut. There's not enough of Jonesville to fiji
4 csr. and Just enough of the others to sup
Div the deficiency. Jonesville is then
oaded in first, Brownsville next, and so
IN until Yellowyille is reached. The
oaders 90 through the house loading in
his way. filling each car. taking inter1ne-
late stations to the extent required to
make up the required weight, that from
he station nearest the shipping point
irst.
Then thetrain is made up in the same
way. general1yso that cars can be dropped
If from the end If desired without losing
ime to cut It out. switch around and con-
lect again with the rear portion ana
aboose. Arrived at Yellowville the
reisht for that town is piled on the plat
orn. the door is resealed. and the tram
nils ont for the next station There
cain the cur is relieved of portion OF