Crawford avalanche., 1891-11-26

Where the Need of Early Cash Returns Is
Observation-Disclosures Bending Every
Energy.
| Thousands Of Cars Short.
"We could use 1000 more cars to great
advantage did we have them and the
locomotives to pull them" said Assistant
General Freight Agent Kelley, of the
Chicago, Milwaukee aud st. Paul Rail
road Company. AIN the far West and
Northwest every available cubic inch of
space under cover is filed to overflow
ing with grain. We are striving TO the
utmost to give the necessary aid. We
give the remote sections the preference,
and to demonstrate how earnest our
efforts let me say our locomotives are
worked as they never were before. The
moment one crew leaves another takes
the engine in hand. Seventeen crews to
six engines is the present record. The
farmers, nearly every one OF them, are
behind In their payments and must have
money. Should the snow prevent tho
movement of grain starvation will in
many localities end the suffering of
struggling families. They must have
coal and food. To obtain these they
must secure market for their crops,
and II the country buyers cannot move
the grain then no money can be paid
for it."
The Chicago and Northwestern tells
the same story. An official says: The
lines connecting with the seaboard are
crowded to their greatest capacity.
There are no cars for rental Even the
Southern lines are without extra
@empties" The Northwestern Is doing
its utmost to break the blockade.
Every available car is sent to the North
western grain belts But traffic is un-
usually heavy in all commodities and
the cars must go out loaded. There are
few empty cars in the country at the
present time. The farmers, owing 10
their need of ready money, are striving
to deliver TO the buyers at least so per
cent. of their crops. There is elevator
room for only small portion of this
vast amount OF grain.
George II. Ross, superintendent OF car
and special freight service of the Chi
cago, Burlington & Quincy, said the
company could use ZOO cars more than
IL now had to good advantage. Corn
would soon begin to pour In, and then a
greater shortage in cars would te made
apparent. The new crop would be in
active movement during December, and
a grain blockade would be almost Ger.
tain. The Eastern lines were now un-
able to meet the demands made upon
them. What would be the situation in
December he dared not predict
God help the farmers of the North
west should there be snow blockade
this winter.
This is the sentiment expressed by the
officials of every railroad over whose
AnOs -p10duoAo of the-sroo1- -sr~I..-
foh ho off h0
crops int, cash ~tGe taf9ssyNTUssf6is
moment the carrying capacity Of each
company is far too limited to meet the
clamorous demand. How long this
freight-car famine will continue is solely
matter Of conjecture The enormous
yield of all cereals, estimated at more
than 700, 600, 600 bushels I'm excess Of the
crop Of 1890, and the greatly increased
demand for commodities of every kind
are the reasons why the railways are
short from 500 to $500 cars each. All
employees, all locomotives and all cars
are being worked TO the utmost limit
The poor crops Of the last two years
reduced the tilers of the soil in the
Northwest to extreme poverty. Money
tn must have. The lavish kindness OF
nature in the wheat feds of 1891 has
again filed with hope the hearts Of these
farmers. The interest on their mort
cages may now be paid. Seed for next
years sow ng is assured. But their sur
plns grain must be conyerted II into 1 cash: .:.h:
ing for cars. Their evators-Of limited
capacity-are filled. Bins, bed rooms,
barns, and even tents are bursting with
grain. Five hundred million bushels not
yet thrashed are stacked upon the prair.
les. The buyers can take no more. They
4 IT, ls..H
the railway companies are doing all that
| is possible.
Every railway through the great
Northwestern wheat belt has made spe-
cial preparation for hauling to market
| the phenomenal wheat crop. More
| freight cars were purchas sed than in any
other year In the railroad history of this
section. In addition the cars were en-
larged and 700 bushels of wheat has be-
come standard car insteal of 500 as
heretofore, but all preparations are in
adequate, and every road reports car
| famina. The crop is moving even moro
rapidly than was expected and cars can
not be supplied to meet the demand. The
| Railway Commission has received and
investigate a score OF complaints and In
every case 1t has been shown that IL was
sheer inability on the part of the com
| panies to furnish sufficient cars. The
roads having the longest hauls are suf-
fering the most seS erely, with the excep-
tion OF the Northern lines, from whose
territory little complaint comes. The
greatest apprehension is now felt for the
coal supply. Through that great sec
tion OF Western country supplied with
coal via the lakes and Duluth the de-
mand for cars is now the greatest for
the crop, and the pre- ent cold snap has
so stimulated the demand for coal as to
excite the fear that the car famine will
be intensified later on.
So great is the shortage OF freight
cars on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe that the farmers OF kansas and the
Southwest are terribly depressed over
the poor prospect OF an early movement
OF their crops The company Is exerting
every effort to move the corn and wheat.
and would willingly pay premium over
and above the mileage for empty cars.
The farmers Of the Southwest while
they need money quite as badly as their
brethren OF the Northwest, do not face
starvation as do the latter by reason Of
the inability of the railroads to handle
the grain.