The record-union., 1891-09-10
HEAVY FREIGHTS.
Reports Indicate q Period of Great
Prosperity.


Prosperity.
"Our traffic reports indicate very clearly
that a period of great prosperity is lust
beginning on this coast said Vice-Presi-
dent c. f. Crockerof the Southern Pacific
Company to CAronic{e reporter. 'sThis
is particularly true of California" he
added. 'Grainis moving in large guam
titles over our lines to tide water. the
shipments being far greater than at any
other corresponding period in former
years. This is the result of good prices
At this time last year there was a ten
dency to hold wheat in the warehouses,
and the farmers had anything but q bright
outlook. Now, however, the conditions
have all changed.
IL IS generally an easy matter to gauge
the prosperity of a State when its balance
Of trade is on the right side, or is even.
~ former years the shipments from the
East to California by rail We're much
larger than those from this State East
bound. We used To haul many empty
cars TO the East IL order to secure West
bound tonnage. The volume of the East
and West bound shipments is about even,
and the cars that come in loaded 90 back
loaded. This is the direct result of the
change of the character OF the products of
California. Cereals have been supplanted
uous and citrus fruits and other crops, the
movement Of which has equalized that of
the manufactured goods coming here by
rail from the East. The fruit shipments
have been very Heavy this year. You
may get the figures in the freight depart
ment, and you will see that great gain
has been made, but the prices realized
have not been wholly satisfactory to the
growers.
81 have no fear that the construction of
the new overland lines into the North
west or Into Southern California will
greatly injUre San Francisco. To be sure.
much trade has been diverted from our
! city, but the increase of population is
bringing it all back again. We are try
ing to Introduce a system to enable COM
mercia1 travellers from this city to enjoy
more privileges in the matter of railroad
travel in order that our merchants may
| be benefited. This system is not yet in a
condition TO talk about but we hope to
| perfect it before long. l feel certain that
| when the producers get returns from
their crops and the money begins to
move about, trade in this city will be
! greatly stimulated.
| san Francisco, as q manufacturing
center, is laboring under great disad-
Vantages III the matter of securing cheap
coal and iron. Another thing that milf
| tates against our manufactures is the high
scale of wages. Il am glad that wages are
! high, but | do not look for any great adj
vance in our city as manufacturing CEN
| ter until we can get coal and iron in here at
| lower prices. Persons ordering from the
! rolling mills rails for electric lines and
for the short lumber railroads in the
mountains have had to wait for months
for the arrival of English ships with steel
| blooms to be rolled into rails. New rail-
| road enterprises have languished because
they have been Obliged to suspend work
| While waiting for iron. We have also
had to shut down our shops at Sacra-
! mento from time to time because of the
difficulty in getting coal supplies. / look
for changes in these unfavorable condi-
tions, however, and that very soon."N
The reporter was provided witksome
figures from the Office of General Freight
Agent Smurr, which tell the story Of the
increase in eastbound shipments over
| land.
Up to yesterday 2,075 carloads of green
fruit had been shipped over the Southern
| Pacific to the East, against |, $50 carloads
last year. II is estimated that at least
500 carloads of raisins will be shipped
out of the State this year, judging from
the good crops everywhere in California,
or an increase of $50 carloads over last
year, the total shipments for 1890 being
l. ,450 carloads, or 100000 pounds. The
wine shipments will be in excess of last
! years shipments of $500 carloads, or
| 49,350,000 pounds. The prune ship
ments by rail will equal last years, which
were 100000 pounds, or 600 carloads.
| There has been a slight falling off in
canned goods shipments, but they will
| doubtless exceed 1900 carloads. It will
thus be seen that the rail shipments of
California's leading products, aside from
cereals, will amount to about IL 900 car
! loads