The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-01
VANDALIA FREIGHT PUZZLE
General Freight Agent Weed Says 1t
Was Purely an Arbitrary Cut
The Loaded Cars Not Being Handled by the
Eastern Lines as Fas, as They Might
Decrease in Local Tonnage business.

While the Vandalia is continuing to load
grain on it's reduced rates il Is not going
forward as freely as the transportation de-
partment had expected. Some portion of
the business is going forward to the sea-
board. while good deal of il is held back
on side-tracks awaiting q change In the
situation. The course the Pennsylvania
Company Is pursuing is a surprise. as the
freight men on the PennsylvaDia lines are
well informed as 20 what forced the Van
dalia TO take the step it did. w. s. Weed.
general freight agent of the Toledo, st.
Lonis Il Kansas City road. takes exception
TO the statement in Saturdays Journal that
this road was in some measure responsible
for the trouble. Mr.. Weed says: Tho
trouble results from the low lake rates
from Chicago. You see 1t Goes not afect
the Wabash. Chicago 81 Alton or our CON-
pany, who have steamboats,, while 1t does
seriously interfere with other roads run
ming into ct. Louis. of the Vandalia stripe.
They nave no boat connections, and conse-
quently find il difficult 10 compete. To
overcome TINS General Manager Williams.
in the absence of Mr. Hubbard. attempted
to arbitrarily force this cut. The Eastern
Vandalia in It's cut but think they
may make it 20, not through the support
OF the b ~ o.. Dut through the Erie. In a
field of six roads the Nandalia ranks third,
and has fair per cent of the tonnage out
OF ST. Louis"
Falling or in Freight Business.
The train records show that there were
464 fewer loaded cars received and for
wnrded at Indianapolis the week ending
July 80 than in the week preceding, but
the falling off is due to lack of power rather
than To a scarcity of freights. as on all lines
the business is now limited by the power
OF cars which can be commanded. Com
pared with the week ending July % the
Big Four lines show lighter movement
last week, and the Pen nsy lvania lines q
heavier one. On the Big -Four every en-
CINE fit for service is In use, and the freight
accumulates in the yards. Yesterday pas
senger as we'll as freight, engines were
brought into service to clear up delayed
freights. The east-b bound movement with
all lines was heavier last week than
in any week for some time past. There
were forwarded over the Decline division
of the Big Four 1.227 loaded cars. against
s21 brought west. The Pennsylvania for
warded So loaded cars against 715 brought
I'm, and the east bound movement with the
Fig Four via CiDcDnatl and the Clncinna-
O., Hamilton, IL Dayton was much heavier
than In preceding weeks. The improve
ment is in export business and New Eng
land freIghfsL Shipments of produce and
of live stock East we're heavy for the last
week III July. West bound the tonnage
was some W hat lig h ter than in either proceed
Ing week of July. This 10 largely due to the
troubles in the region of Pittsburg and at
fects the classification freights, the
shipments of the hlgher.class ireights av-
eraging well with those of some time past
NoTth-and-south roads continue TO do WELL
Shipments of Ice and provisions south
are heavy. and the shipments OF
fruits, vegetables and lumber north
ward are large. Local business could
hardly be better. Most of the manufacto-
ries which shut down In July have resumed
operations. and their shipments are
heavier, Indianapolis manufacturers snip
ping hundreds of ar-loads of goods month
iy TO the Southwest. the North west and
the Pacific coast. The Western and the
Southern lines are bringing in about $50
carloads of grain a day. about seventy
five cars of which stop at indianapolis.
and the rest 90 to the sea-board. The ship
ments to Detroit and Toledo are not as
heavy, while to Baltimore and Phlladel-
phia there has been a marked increase the
last week. Below is given the number of
cars received and forwarded at this point
for the week ending July so. as compared
with the corresponding week of the pre-
ceding two years: