The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-11-25
CARS ARE IN DEMAND.
FARMERS RUSHING GRAIN TO
MARKET.
FearsS Of a Blockade I'm the Northwest
Where fhe Need of Early Cash Returns IL
Observation-Disclosures Bending Every
Energy.
Thousands of Cars Short.

Thousands of Cars Short.
ave could use 2, 600 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 and st. Paul Rail-
road Company an the far West and
Northwest every available cubic inch OF
space under cover is filled 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 I'm 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 the
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
"cmptes The Northwestern l. doing
its utmost to break the blockade.
Every available car is sent to the North
western grain belts. But traffic is I'M
usually heavy in all commodities and
h.a L.
few empty cars in the country at the
present time. he farmers, owing TO
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 sn all portion Of this
vast amount of grain.
George III. Ross, superintendent OF car
and special freight service of the Chi
cago, Burlington 81 Quincy, said the
company could use 1000 cars more than
1t now had to good advantage. Corn
would soon begin to pour in, and then
greater shortage in cars would lie 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 I'M
able to meet the demands made upon
them. What would be the situation in
December he dared notspredict
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
lines the products of the great grain
belts are to beimoved. BY reason of the
anxiety OF the farmers TO convert their
crops into cash at the earliest possible
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
a matter OF conjecture. The enormous
yield of all cereals, estimated at more
than roc, 100000 bushels in excess of the
crop Of 1890, and the great ~ increased
demapd for commodities of every kind
are the reasons why the railways are
short from 800 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 tillers of the soil in the
Northwest to extreme poverty. Money
tn must have. The lavish kindness of
nature in the wheat g DIS of 1891 has
again filled with hope the hearts OF these
farmers. I he interest on their mort
cages may now be paid. Seed for next
years sow ng is assured. But their sur.
plus grain must be converted into cash
These are the principal rea ons why the
peop'e of the Northwest are clamor-
ing for cars Their evators-of Himited
capacity-are filled. Bins, bed rooms,
barns, and'even tents are bursting with
grain. Five hundred million bus hels not
yet thrashed are stacked upon the prair-
tnu httxy ta1-
have no place 20 store it. To give relief
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
fr light cars were purchG I'd 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 instoa of 500 as
heretofore, but all preparations are in
adequate, and every road reports a car
famina. The crop is moving even more
rapidly than was eXpe ted and cars can
not be supplied tn n eet the demand. The
Railway Commission has received and
investigate a score of complaints and In
every case it has been shown that 1t was
sheer inability on the part OF the COM
panies TO furnish sufficient cars. The
roads having the longest hauls are suf-
fering tho most Sc erely, with the excep-
ton 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 nap 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
y. Al.