The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-08

CHICAGO. Dec. THE first official act
of D. j. Roberts, as general passenger
agent of the Erie system, was to lift the
boycott, so far as that road is concerned,
against the Alton. Mr. Roberts appoint
ment took effect today, and today he
issued an order resuming relations with
the Alton OF course the other roads can
not afford to continue to boycott after
this.
The Pennsylvania and Grand Trunk
have notified their western connections
that they can no longer receive shipments
of grain to be received at Chicago for
eastern points. These were the last of the
roads east of Chicago to give such notice,
and the movement of grain through
Chicago is checked, as none OF the western
lines will allow their cars to be taken east.
OF course the latter anticipated this action
on the part of their eastern connections,
and majority of them has been prepar-
ing for it as best they could, At St. Louis
the situation is the same as at Chicago.
Relief is looked for only when lake and
rail shipments of grain are all out or the
way and that will probably not be for hVe
weeks to come.
Railroad officials declare that a Goa
famine is imminent in Nebraska and
western Iowa. The scarcity of cars is the
reason. On Saturday the Burlington road
had LOO car loads Of grain and 300 OF
stock to move on the Iowa division. The
stock had to be transported, but only
small portion of the grain could be
touched. The car famine is becoming
more serious every day. The ~, has an
equipment of 20 900 cars, yet 1t finds IT.
self unable to do the business which
naturally comes to that system. The 20"
is possibly equipped better than any other
trunk line, ana this condition of affairs Is
not the exception just now, but is the rule
on all the roads, east and west The east
ern roads have used up all their cars, and
when they get cars from the u Ghey
utilize them instead of sending them back.
Another thing that adds to the famine is
the fact that the minor roads are never
equipped for az emergency like this, and
they, too, retain all the cars they get
from other roads and hold them as long as
possible.
This state of affairs is bad enough now
from a railroad standpoint, but it will be
worse in two weeks and coal famine is
predicted for western Iowa and Nebraska.
The coal miners are digging more coal
tn IN they get cars for and the output at
tn time of year is greater than it has
be n for years before Information re-
ceived from the eastern roads shows that
if there is not relief somewhere the only
thing to do will be to simply stop loading
cars unless the business Is cleared uD.
The 20" has given orders for 2, 7J0 addi-
tional cars and twenty-five engines to be
used from Ottumwa to Galesburg All
the car shops and engine manufacturers
are crowded with orders, and there is
greater activity along this lins than ex-
perenced before in nearly decade. Seven
years ago there was a similar rush of grain
and stock eastward, and the O. was able
to handle then from 500 to 700 cars day,
but now, on account of the famine, they
cannot average more than 400 daily, when
the demand is as great as it was seven
years ago.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, Dec. THE su-
preme court today, in opinion by Judge
Sherwood decided an important railroad
question. It WAS the case of Thomas
against the Missouri Pacific, and was to
the effect that it is a constitutional and
legal duty of all railroads to receive and
transport each others passengers, tonnage
and cars. Unbroken cars must be ac
cepted, no matter what the variation in
coupling arrangements. This is believed
TO be the first decision in which such
action by the railroads has been considered
mandatory upon them. II was also de-
cided by the court, that a road cannot
plead danger to employees because of varia-
Uions in couplings, as all employees, by
reason of their employment, assume all
periIs incident to the proper performance
of their duties.