Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-12
THE FREIGHT QUESTION.
what Merchants and Other. Say of the Sit
uation.

WHAT MERCHANTS and Others Say Of the Sit
uafion.
As has been shown in The STAR the mer-
chants OF the city are indignant over the con-
taGsd endorsements they suffer by reason
81 the inexplicable delays IN the delivery Of
freight. The STAR reporters have interviewed
numbers OF large shippers. What many of
them said has already been published.
Mr.. Walter II. MARROW coal dealer, says: I've
have had lots of trouble and still have it. In
one instance cars shipped November 16 have
correspondence that frequently we pay for coal
long before we see it. The local officials here
are clever people and do the besothey can with
the facilities they have. The truth is that the coal
Is stopped at the Anacostia yards for the want
Of facilities 90 unload here but do not see
that should be mads to suffer when have
switch to my yard. The trouble is, think,
that the company has not sufficient space in
side the city and has not motive power enough
20 move the heavy freight in. They
have not engines enough here for their
work, and perhaps this Is due to the effort Of
some higher official in charge Of the B. and P.
To make record for economy. What they
should have at once is double the amount Of
power for shifting coal from the Anacostia
wards and more facilities for unloading in
side of the city. The Anscostia yards are about
filed to their capacity and so are the side tracks
beyond the navy yard tunnel / would suggest
that the company acquire more territory and
let the ground be selected by a committee Of
three merchants who know the wants Of the
people and two railroad people"
STRUNG ALONG THE METROPOLITAN BRANCH.
Another citizen writes to The STAR that IL
one goes along the Metropolitan branch of the
Baltimore and Ohio he will find the sidings all
the way from the city to Point of Rocks filled
with loaded cars consigned to Washington mer-
oh, Of haar 81 LA, oxrbt1
cards at has been the regular custom Of the
road all summer" says the writer, ito drop
through cars along the line and, after
leaving them there a few days or few
wosks, pick them up and leave others In their
places. 1t is a wonder that business men who
are daily put of with the statement of delays
on connecting lines have not discovered that
cars plainly addressed to them were lying for
weeks within twenty miles Of the city"
ARE WE TOO NEAR NEW YoRK?"
A correspondent writes to THE STAR: Apropos
of the freight blockade Of which our merchants
are complaining and Of TEE Stars champion
ship of their cause is the following clipping
from the Abba Union, q newspaper published
at Abba, Monroe county, Iowa, point at least
1900 miles from New York;
That these are the days Of rapid transit re-
ceived an illustration last Thursday when ]. II.
Love, jr., received two boxes Of goods by
freight from New York which had been but
five days on the road, having been shipped on
the 26th day of November"
IL must be that we are too near New York
and ether Wholesale markets, or that we belong
to that class of the public which q celebrated
railroad magnate said might be, &c.
The manager of John Pagan, Wholesale liquors,
462 Pennsylvania avenue, said both roads we're
inefficient he said it was q waste Of time to tel
ephone inquiries OF complaints, and when mer-
chant made inquiries at the Offices the answers
were often insulting. Speaking Of the Balti-
more and Ohio road, Mr.. Fagans manager said
that If freight we're sent to a certain express
company prompt deliveries followed. as the
company seemed to be connected in some way
with the road. When this company not
asked TO deliver goods vexAtious delays followed.
I'VE are getting very little freight" said
Manager r J. Earnshsw Of the Washington
Flour and Feed COMPANY, because Of the
blockaded conditions of both roads. We have
stuff yet on the road, which was shipped
from Illinois October Is. We don't know
where it is, and the Baltimore and Potomac |
road, over which 1t is coming, is unable to
locate it, The truth of the matter is the Balti- |
more and Potomac road is in a badly crippled |
condition. They pay their clerical force small |
wages and they have been worked to such an ex-
tent that most OF them have resigned. Now, |
inexperienced men have replaced them and |
affairs terribly mixed.
ut is almost endless Job to locate cars |
when they arrive. On the 29th of last month |
we were notified that car load of stuff
had arrived, but we have not been
paid $4,000 to the Baltimore ard Po-
tomsc road in freight charges, and while We
have no desire to unduly criticise the road,
things have reached such a state as to make a
change imperative"
Maj. II. L. Biscoe, wholesale lumber
dealer, 10th street wharf, said he was
not seriously hampered by the block
ade. He received his stuff in unbroken
car loads. and for that reason he experienced
much less trouble. He thought, however, that
handle freight
MR. MERITS EXPERIENCE.
One Of the great sufferers from the delays ex-
perienced by business men in this city in getting
freigh. is Mr.. Z. p. Mertz, the druggist
Whether he receives or sends freight out it is
all the same-the old story of delay. He is
disappointed in getting goods that he
has ordered, and when he ships to
customers away from the city he is
Obliged to lister. to the stories of delays which
cone pouring in by every mail. When il takes
a month to get bill Of goods from Boskon to
this city onterprising business man like Mr..
Mertz is apt 10 feel real tired. As rule he
would have had all the goods sold II he had the
chance long before the railroad companies
consider it necessary to deliver them. The
companies need 4 week TO get goods from New
FORK to this city. and after an experience Of
the past month of this sort Mr.. Mertz now
has given directions to his shippers to send
goods by express. II comes high, but then
business must go In the opinion of Mr..
Mertz this city would be greatly benefited if
there could be more railroads coming here. In
the meantime he thinks that the present facili-
ties could be greatly improved if the railroad
people would make an effort in that direction.
Eoy Run Over and Seriously Injured.
George Boyde, a white boy Of fourteen, living
at 26 ID street southeast while riding on q BIZ
cycle on the avenue between 9Th and 10th
streets Saturday was run over by one Of
Littleford 4 Alvords wagons, loaded with sand
The wheel went over one of his legs below the
knee, severely bruising and cutting it, but no
bones were broken. He was sent to the Emer-
gency Hospital.
Bible Scholars to Lecture.
Under the auspices Of the Lucy Webb Hayes
Bible School and Epworth Leagues of this city
a course Of free lectures has been provided to
be given by some of the most noted Bible
scholars and divines. DIR. T. J. Leake of Harris
burg, Pa, who ranks as one of the most pop
ulnr and interesting speakers, will speak at the