Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-21
SOME BRIGHT VIEWS.
Mr.. Allen, of the Nickel Plate, Says
This Will Be a Great Year
FOR ALL THE YANKEE RAILROADS.
Agents Are Banking Much on the En-
cOuraging Crop Reports.
THE ORE AND COAL SHIPMENTS HEAVY

H. Allen, of Cleveland, commercial agent
for the Nickel Plate, registered at the Monon-
| gahela House last evening. He is short,
| stocky scotch-Irishman, and with the ex-
| ception of his sandy beard closely resembles
Andrew Carnegie. Mr.. Allen takes an
\ optimistic view of the railroad outlook, and
| in this season of chronic grumblers about
| the slow traffic his ideas are as welcome as
| q shower in the desert
"The railroad business is good" he said.
"and think this will prove to be one of the
| greatest years for freight movement in the
| history of the lines. The ore, iron and coal
shipments are heavy, and the traffic going
West Is larger at present than the east
bound. This will be changed, to be sure,
when the crops are moved toward the sea-
shore. The revenues of the roads are keep
| ing up, and there is no cause for complaint
Rates are being maintained, and, in addi-
ton, the lines are getting more than for
merly for transportation"
Crop Reports All Encouraging.
From all parts of the country the crop re-
ports are most encouraging. In. many States
| the yield of cereals is far ahead of all previ-
GUS records, and the farmers are rejoicing
| over the prospects. From France comes the
tidings that the wheat crop in that Republic
has been failure this year. In this case it
HdDptlS CuaD Wlat Is one man 3 misfortune
proves to be good luck for another. The
Yankee grangers will find first rate
market in Europe for the surplus
of their crops, and in this way
glut in the home trade will be prevented
Chairman Blanchard, of the Central Traffic
Association, also has great faith in the rail-
road outlook for the balance of the year. He
bases his belief on the heavy crops, and re-
Gently he said when the harvests are good it
is a sure indication of better times. If the
freight movement from certain parts of the
country is not brisk, it is no indication that
the business is bad. Some local freight men
still complain of poor traffic. The coal
shipments are heavy, but the coke traffic is
only fair. The region has not yet recovered
from the late strike, and it will take some
time before the production equals the output
of former years.
A Better Feeling About Business.
Among the agents of Pacific coast roads
there is a better feeling about the business.
These lines fortunately are blessed with a
first-class local trade, and at present much
of the freight is coming East. The salmon
shipments from the Northwest are commenc-
ing to come in. Last year the Union Pacific
had the bulk of the freight into Pittsburg
but this summer the Northern Pacific has
the call. The old report was spread early
in the spring that salmon were scarce, but
few Pittsburgers who like the fish are going
hungry for them. Columbia river salmon
are popular edible in this city, and dealers
state that from 400 to 800 carloads are shipped
here annually One local firm has given
orders for 120 cars.
In the passenger department agents agree
that about as many people are travelling
such long trips, but they go oftener, and
herein they show common sense. The West
no longer holds out Turing attraction for
settlers, and the passenger men do not
scoop in as many big parties, but at the end
of the year the figures show that the busi-
ness has not decreased. Chairman Blanch-
ard says that men forget that the country
grows rapidly every year, and this annual
increase is seldom taken into consideration
by business people.