San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-09
RAILROAD NEWS.


ago.
/ This jam is a result of the utter
| decentralization of rates that ensued
| during the rate war when the various
railroads were cheerfully endeavoring
to cut each others throats in order to
| secure the Texas business from the
| shipping points of st. Louis, Chicago,
| CINCINNATI, Philadelphia and New
| York, when the rates saLk to an
amazing point. Although The rail-
roads failed to secure any permanent
| benefit to themselves from this war,
the Texas merchants did, and as
the war came on just at the time
when they were preparing to lay in
| fall and winter stocks, they took
| advantage of it to purchase enormous
| stocks of general merchandise, and
had them shipped under these low
rates. Freight Agent Fahey, of the
Southern Pacific, estimates that
he has received no less than q
| thousand car loads of general mer-
chandise for San Antonio merchants
| since August 18th, besides the same
amount of local business not affected
by cut rates. AS the depot force is
unable to handle more than 40 cars
per day, the arriving freight has ac-
cumulated in the yards and some 200
carloads were observed standing
about in the yards and in many in
| stances the consignees were employed
at their own unloading. This rush
| of freight is principally from New
York and the Morgan line of steam
ers from that city to Algiers found IL
necessary to put on an extra steamer
to keep up with the demands made
upon 1t. The Arkansas Pass and I.
and G. n. roads are similarly crowd
ed. While the Texas merchants
have been wonderfully benefited by
\ the war it is a matter of doubt as to
whether the roads will receive
any benefit from this enor-
nous traffic, which is being bonded
for a sum hardly sufficient TO pay for
the cost of handling. The consumer
will not be much affected, as many
| of the merchants reason that the in
terest on the large stock on hand will
not warrant any reduction of reg
ular prices, on account of the time
necessary to dispose of unusually
large stocks.
The Southern Pacific has opened
a new station at Aibilo Pit, Bexar
county, and Mr.. H. Guenther has
been established in charge as freight
and passenger agent. This is a great
| convenience to the residents in
that section and was necessitated by
| the large volume of local business Of
the region.
If any proof was required to show
that San Antonio Is rapidly building
up'it would only be necessary
to refer to the building permits
issued and to the amount of material
consumed. One thousand carloads of
lumber received in less than one
month, over the Southern Pacific,
consigned to San Antonio, presents
rather startling argument. While
| tie receipts of the Arkansas Pass have
been somewhat less, the orders have
kept up with the procession.
The large brick establishments at
Calaveras, on the line of the Arkansas
Pass, have enough orders ahead to
keep them running to their full ca
pacity for three months. Just now
the handling of building material
forms good part of the local business
of the roads.
Six cars loaded with hogs for the
| City of Mexico from Kansas City
passed over the 1. & G.. n. to Laredo
yesterday. This hog trade amounting
to 100 car loads per month is now
transferred to the track of the Next
can Central by lifting the cars off the
standard gauge truck onto the narrow
gagged ones, which was formerly
avoided by going away around by
Eagle Pass.
Telegraph reports from operators
along the line of the /. & G. n. show
that fine rains fell north of San An
tonic. Fine rains also fell on the
Southern Pacific west of Del Rio.
Captain Ed. Gilleland, chief dis
patcher of the Southern Pacific at Ell
Paso, is in the city.
The ears for the McCrillis Electric
transit road are beginning to arrive.
Two were observed at the 1. & G. n.
depot yesterday.
The Houston & Texas Central is the
hard-fisted Texas road. 1t makes q
! five cent rate for the San Antonio
| Fair.
General Freight Agent l.. G. Polk
and General Superintendent Merriam,
of the Arkansas Pass, left this morning
down the line of the road OH a fishing
| tour.
Receiver Macnamars, of the Arar Z
sas, returned this morning from Gal
weston.
Some necessary repairs have been
made on the 1. & q. n. depot station.
Milt. Everett, the city passenger
| agent of the Arkansas Pass. leaves to-