The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1895-02-15
CHICAGO THE SWITCHING CITY.
SIX Thousand Cars Transferred There
Daily From One Railroad to Another.

SIX Thousand Cars Transferred There
Daily From One Railroad to Another.
Chicago is known among the peo-
pie of the United States as the
Garden City, though why this vast
expanse of irregular buildings along
LAKE Michigan should bear that tide
has never been made very clear. Re-
Gently another name has come to be
applied to Chicago, and it is certain
~ far more eppropriate-the Switch
City.
Ninety thousand miles of railroad
Or thereabouts center in Chicago
Thirteen hundred and fifty trains
leave or arrive every day. Thirty fivo
railroads have terminus there, ard
With eight railroad stations Chicago
is second only to London in the num-
Der of passengers arriving and de-
parting daily. But more important
than all this in its practical effect on
what is called by congressional cru
tors interstate commerce is the rail-
road interchange OF cars. The actual
number of cars arriving in Chicago
each day is 10, coo. OF these G, 600 are
interchanged from one road to an
other by an extensive and ccmpli;
Gated system of switching. For in
stance, train arrives from Kansas
City on the Atchison, Topeka and
sante Fe road containing perhaps 80
freight cars consigned to various
points. Before the freight terminus
Of the road is reached the various
cars are switched of toward their
destination. Some ara sent south on
the Illinois Central o. tho Louisvil,a
ind Nashville, and some east over
the Vanderbilt lines OF tie Pennsyl.
vania, and some go TO the southeast
over tho Big -Four Or the Baltimorj
ard Ohio. The b2l&1co CO into Chi
cago.
BY this process the only cars that
reach the freight stations of the sew:
erGl roads are those containing mer-
chandise for Chicago locally. Trains
for out Of Chicago are made mp 81
the various crossings that bew!lder
the traveller who visits Chicago for
the first time.
1t is fact not generally known
except to railroad men that there is
a railroad entering Chicago which
does no other business t!ian facilitat-
ing the interchange of cars. It Is no
small concern eithCr, having a bonded
debt of $40, 0C0 600 and capital stock
Of IS, 000, Geo additional. 1t operates
only II miles OF track. but il the
Chicago entrance Of seven roads.
These roads own the company joint
" and pay trackaGe fees vhicj
amounted last year to over 81, C0Q,-
GOO. The company has So Iocomo.
tives and some freight hy.t no pa
sengcr ccrs. It's function Is to trans
fer from one operating road 10 anotl-
er cars il such q manner that ths
expense of transfer in Chicago may
beavoided and each train car syyit IL
cd to the line to which it il consirn-
ed. This company. however, does
only q part Of Chicago s monumental
business IN switching
Recently there has been some talE
among railroad men of forming
combination OF roads at Chicago nos
only to transfer freight and passon-
ger cars, but also 10 mako repairs.
Under the present systoin Il disabled
car i sent to tho repair shop of tA5
road. Hereafter it is proposed that
each railroad shall repair disabled
cars which come under its control
and shall charge such repairs to the
company III whose interest they ara
made. Tie accounts would be bal.
anced quartcrly.-New York SIM.