New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-30

limited extent. There has never been a time
when there was surplus of milk in the farming
regions, as the Elgin and Northern Illinois cream
erles are lively competitors with the Chicago
dealers for the product OF the milk-producing
region.
The farmer probably finds more favor from the
railroads than from the dealers, and to the COM
petition of the various companies both he and the
consumer are largely indebted. The Northwestern
Railroad was the first to appreciate the impor-
lance OF the milk industry, and was the pioneer
company in the Inauguration of special milk
trains. To this enterprise is probably largely due
the fact that il carries daily twothirds of the
mnk-supply of Chicago--something over 5000
cans. Division Freight Agent Brigham, Of Chi
cago, devotes special attention to this matter, and
every morning two special milk trains, one
starting from Southern Wisconsin and the other
from the Illinois Fox River Valley, speed
along at the rate of forty-tive miles an hour,
gathering up cans at 1870 different milk-shipplng
stations. These trains deliver to the Chicago
dealers at five milk depOts in Chicago, within a
radius of eight miles, so that thereby the system
Of milk delivery throughout the city is greatly
facilitated. The milk cars much resemble the
ordinary baggage cars, and the trains are run
on schedule time equal 10 that of any passenger
train the road. For an average of 16 1-2 cents
per 8-gallon the railroad delivers the farmers
milk TO the dealer, and returns the empty can
the following day without charge.
There has never been a milk-producers union
in the dairy region of the northwest, and the
subject has never even been seriously agitated.
Indeed, the competition is SO lively between the
Elgln creameres and the Chicago dealers, that
prices have never been so low as to cause serious
complaint or impel the producers to make a united
protest The milk trade of Chicago divided as
it is among so many petty dealers, has been
equally effective in preventing any concerted
action among this class and TO establish Milk
Exchange such as New-York has, would be as
lmpractlcable here as its success would be i'm
possible Indeed, the prices paid by the dealers
To the producers varies more or less at all times
and under different conditions, and there is by
no means the uniformity of price here that pre-
walls in New-YOrk. Some dealers who have
achieved reputation for the excellent quality of
their milk receive frequently high as half a
cent more per quart for their milk
than other producers whose commodity
does not sustain this enviable reputation.
There is no defined system Of routes delivery in
Chicago, each dealer delivering wherever he hap
pens that half n dozen wagons belonging to as
many different dealers traverse the same streets
daily. There is great rivalry arlong the dealers
in building up patronage, and esta bshed milk
routes sometimes sell at a figure that would be
surprising to an unsOphisticated consumer-fre-
guently hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of
dollars
Some time ago movement was started and
company even incorporated for the purpose of pip
ing milk from the centre Of the milk producing
region, Elgin, to the city of Chcago-a distance
Of twenty-five miles. The scheme found many
first to declare its impracticability 1t
timated that il would require at least two hours
time to pump the milk that distance and as it's
condition during this time would be that of con-
slant agitation and churning. it was readily seen
that the milk would be curdled. and in the sum
city of Chicago. The scheme. however, appeared
so feasible at first thought that it became i'm
menseiy popular, and was regarded one of the
coming great enterprises of Chicago.