The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-10
PRIVATE CATTLE CARS.
No Chance of the Transportation
Traffic Being Disturbed.
(Cnn,r-inht 1851

NO Chance OF the Transportation
Traffic Being Disturbed.
Copyright 1881
NEW YORK, June S-The enormous bust
ness interests involved in the shipping of
cattlS from the west to the east have been
considerably affected lately by a new effort
to cheaper the cost of transportation, and,
it is alleged, to improve the system. This,
however, has led to direct conflict with
the trunk lines, in which conflict the
railroads appear to have won a
magnitude of the interests affected,
becomes at once apparent, on consideration
of the fact that the price of meat in the
east depends largely on the cost of trans
porting it from the west. Until the dressed
beef establishments began sending their
products in refrigerator cars, the entire
bulk used to come ION the hoofn in cattle
trains over the various roads, aud great as
the success of the dressed beef companies
has been, the number of live cattle so
brought has not been seriously diminished.
Many millions of dollars are invested in
the various ramifications of the business,
and it is impossible for any radical changes
to be made in the prevailing methods,
+ without affecting these investments. Hence
this recent war; which now appears to be
over. Certain shrewd and speculative men
recently built what they call improved
cattle cars The railroad men avoid the
the use of the word improved" and call
them private cars. They are often called
the Morris cars, Mr.. Morris having been
the originator of the idea which they en-
body. They are fitted up with such ap-
pliances as enable the men in charge of the
cattle to feed and water their charges on
the cars without stopping or unloading
them on their way.
Theoretically, this provides for a quicker
passage, and less discomfort for the animals
on the way to slaughter. Practically, of
course, the time of transit depends entirely
upon the timetable of the railroads. The
theory of comfort to the brutes is also dis
puted by the railroad officials.
Nevertheless the Morris car people have
made a strong effort to secure the business,
or portion of it, of transporting the cattle,
| and recently two trains of the private cars,
! loaded with beef critters from Chicago
arrived at Weehawken on the way to the
great Hudson county stockyards. The first
coming by way of the Ontario and West
ern, was allowed to go direct to the stock
wards, but the second was stopped, by order
of the manager of the West Shore road
and the cattle had to be driven from Wee
hawken over the hills to the slaughter pen
Various statements were made, by par
ties in interest, of the reasons for this ac-
tion, and as ths quickest and surest way to
get at the truth, went to-day toMr. Depew
Whatever Chauncey M. Depew says is in
disputable, and is SO accepted even by his
opponents. He spoke readily and freely.
"The trunk lines, h. said, have agreed
not to handle the private cars, for several
reaso IS. In the first place, we have plenty
of cars IF our own, and if the private cars
are employed, ours stand idle. Then we
have to pay the private car owners three
quarters of a cent mile for the run from
Chicago to New York and return, althou5h
the cars 60 back empty. That amounts to
about SIS per car for each trip, ard we see
no reason for paying SIS for the
use OF o car to carry our freight
| in, when we have our own cars to carry it
in aud t lose cars are ready and idl'.
That, however, Is not the worst of it. The
owners of the privats cars getting the SIS
turn around and pay 81 of it back TO the
shipper as bonus to indnce him to use
their cars. This is precisely the same in
effect as the payment OF lebate by the
railroad company, and brings lnto effect
the precise evil OF rate-cuttlng. which the
Interstate commerce bill was intended to
obvia5a."
''Do the cattle come through any quicker
in the private cars"
''Not an hour
'Do they arrive here in any better condi-
tion9"
mo. We have established stations along
the road, where they are cared for properly
and web"
''Wiil there be any more troubls be-
tween the private car people and the rail-
roads?n
mo. For none of the trunk lines will
I use the private cars"
"Supp sing other smaller roads which
have no live stock lrs use them"
That will not interfere with US"
1t is understood that the private car
owners do not propose to give up the fight
but it is difficult to see what progress tuey
can make if the railroads stand by their
agreement. FALES-CURTIs
| The feminine defendant in divorce case at
| Rockford, ILL.,, was de ended by a woman law
| yer, probably the first instance of the kind on