Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-08

As stated in The STAR yesterday there is
very earnest and general complaint among
business men of the city on account Of the
vexatious delays in the delivery OF freight to
this city by the railroads.
ThE STAR published statements from . num-
Der OF merchants yesterday. 1t presents more
today. together with what is said BY the repre-
sentatives of the railroad companies.
Mr.. T. ". SMITH ExrrRIExck
"Have suffered from the freight blockade2''
said Mr.. Thomas W. Smith, the lumber dealer.
today, echoing question from STAR reporter.
"Well. should say had II is a very easy
matter to see where the trouble lies. The ter
minal facilities Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road inadequate and until they are bet
tered the merchants of this city will have the
same trouble every wear But stop. You can
get better idea Of what / think of the matter
by reading the following letter which ] sent 10
President Mayer OF the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company on the 2Sd of November"
The letter which Mr.. Smith referred 30 said:
''Delay in delivery of cars loaded with lum-
Der has been a great source Of annoyance and
in some cases of pecuniary loss. To illustrate
hand You a list Of cars showing the number.
initial. date Of shipment and arrival here. The
dates of arrival the actual dates of arrival in
this city. No excuse ca be made that there were
no terminal facilities. for | own a siding on
which your care are put Your Office here has
been notified that the we're due me and
that my siding WAS empty, clerks and wagons
waiting to promptly unload the same. Your
officials in this city polite and gentlemanly
and when called on about DELAYED cars do all
that they can do to expedite the placing of
them in position. provided they are under their
control. The trouble seems TO be outside of the
Jurisdiction of their Office and must be because
Of ineffciency on the line of your road or con-
ma xxhsa sof
cannot afford to let cars stand on side
tracks or at general distributing stations. like
brunswick, &c, earning absolutely nothing.
The car service association makes boast Of the
great good they have done, the shortened time
of cars held at terminal points. Now, can YOU
not start another car service company. which
will have in charge the interests of the con-
signee to the extent of compelling the several
companies in the car service association TO de-
liver to terminal points the cars of merchandise
intrusted to their care. the quick delivery Of
said contents being Of us much vital importance
to the consignee in the light of profits the
quick unloading Of cars is 20 your company.
fair and square deal of this point is de-
manded of the great transportation companies"
The statement submitted in the letter showed
cars from points in Michigan and Wisconsin on
the road a month and some from Baltimore seven
days, from West Virginia eighteen days, and
SO on
MR.. n. II. sHEA's EXPERIENCES
"In my opinion" said Mr.. n. II. Shea, the
wholesale grocer, $50 Pennsylvania avenue.
neither the Baltimore and Potomac nor the
Baltimore and Ohio road has the proper
facilities for handling freight, but l am not in
favor of giving them such facilities right in the
center Of the city. There should be a union
passenger station south of the Botanical Gar
dens and freight depot south of it. 1t is the
cheapest and best improved property possible
TO be had In a convenient location.
Mr.. Shea said he experienced almost endless
trouble in getting his freight. and to illustrate
the delay said that on October Is last car
of hominy was shipped to him from Lafayette,
Ind. and nothing had since been heard Of it.
Nor had ANYTHING been heard Of q carload of
oatmeal shipped TO him from Muscatine. Iowa,
on November 10. A lot of canned
goods left Baltimore on the 2lst
Mr.. Shea thought that good line of freight
steamers between here and New York would do
q great business.
HOW Mr.. BAILEY EXPLAINS II.
Mr.. ]. Il. Bailey, the manager Of J. B. Ken
dali, the hardware merchant, 6lS Pennsyvania
avenue, said their experience WAS but
that of other merchants here. He re-
marked that q great deal Of the
trouble caused was due to the fact
that when freight did arrive here IL Was almost
impossible TO locate ii, and that II was
stuff before it could be unloaded. Mr..
Bailey said he had read the complaints in yes
terdays STAR, and they were Just. At the
Baltimore and Ohio freight station one Young
man was expected to superintend all deliveries,
and the result was endless confusion. "0ften," "
said Mr.. Bailey, 1--WE are told that our
freight has not arrived when we point il out to
them. The trouble is neither road has a force
large enough TO handle their freight business.
That is the explanation in nut she'll"
Mr. J. L. BARBouR's VIEWS.
eve are terribly put out by the condition of
freight affairs here said Mr.. James L. Bar
bour. the wholesale grocer, land The STAR can
engage in no greater and better work than in
bringing about a satisfactory adjustment Of the
troubles We have to contend against. Why. sir.
matters are no better than they were wears ago.
when We were dependent upon one road" Mr..
Barbour's shipping clerk said that to facilitate
their southern shipments they carried their
goods to Alexandria and shipped from there
He instanced the shipment Of goods from
Philadelphia by the B. and p. road November
10, which did not arrive here until last Tuesday
morning. Goods from Baltimore by the B.
and o. had been on the road eight DAYS. Most of
the employees in the freight office Of the b. and o.
road here, he said, were boys unable to do the
work of men. Mr.. Barbour said both roads
were doing all they could to keep the Norfolk
and Western out Of the city, the entrance of
which road would prove Of untold benefit to
Washington merchants
Mr.. N. q. Delarue. produce dealer and COM
mission merchant, said that the firm of Davis &
Son notified them that a week ago a shipment
of goods was made to the firm at Phila-
delphis and they were brought here
over the Pennsylvania railroad. He said that
these goods reached here yesterday after being
on the road for one week, while goods shipped
from New York reached here in two days.
WANTS THE FIGHT KEPT Up
''Tn tell You what think about this freight
business, said prominent merchant to a SrAR
reporter today. 'In the first place 1 am not q
chronic kicker and I don't like to rush into
print. Both railroad companies are treating
the business interests Of this city in shameful
manner and when / read The STARS expose
last night it did me lots OF good. Let the good
work go on. 1t was The STAR that broke the
blockade last year, and IL it continues the good
fight 1t will repeat last years work. Both rail-
road companies are severely independent and
knowing that our feeble protests count for
naught laugh when we complain. III this were
q city where a mans vote counted 1 warrant
you a different state Of affairs would exist. We
would then have q voice in making the laws and
perhaps some Of them would affect the rail-
roads. As it is, both corporations have
attorneys in Congress to look after their
interests, and how well they perform their work
every one knows. ! don't care to single
out particular railroad. but take my word for
it the freight facilities offered the business in