Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-12-12
IN A STEADY FLOOD.
RUSH OF GRAIN FROM THE WEST
FOR SHIPMENT.
Dificutt to Get Lake Vessels TO Ac.
com MEDIATE the itnr,cnsc Traffic
Doe Traiu to Carry the Cora Crop
Would Ercircic the Globe.
Method os Handling Grain.

NhittN SUITES EttCltS wei up 10
100000 bushels. two classes of individ- |
uals are quite as busily employed as
the farmer in handling the same. In
storing 1t, caring for IL. furthering its
shipment-thc elevator and the vessel
men. That amount OF grain Is some
thing enormous. 1t would I'LL a train
of 3,Go2,3OS ears of the average size
of $50 bushels capacity. aud such Il
train. 22.2Si miles long. would nearly
encirCle the globe: 1t would make car
goes for 2i,OOo lake steamers of the
average capacity OF 100000 bushels.
but. OF course. from this amount should
be deducted the amount Used for home
consumption. and from the estimate
Of lake cargocs liberal allowance
should be made for the portion which
goes by way of all rail routes to the
coast.
Chicago handles so much grain when
now double large crops are In move
ment. that for many weeks In the fall
of the year there il u car famine on all
Its dlvcrging railroads. while storage
room Is at a premium. ana scarce. In
q single month Chicago can take care
VI --,psVtV" DuSutlS vi grain OI IuHt
shipments. aud 100000 bushels a day
of rail receipts. The receiving facili.
ties are 50 great and 80 accurately sys.
tenatized that where q person unfa.
miiiar with the business would ant.cl.
pate tremendous blockade. every car
coming in Is moved to its proper place
ny an unvarying routine. dumped, sent
out again; every other carrying ve-
hicle Is brought to Its dock. and the
.oag chutcs Of the elevators lick up
the grain Ia a continuous stream. dis.
tribute II. transfer 1t. as easily rs
pouring water from one cup to another.
1t is at Buffalo where the blockade
usually occurs. There carsoes have to
he shifted for scaboard events. Boats
are sometimes detained. awaiting a
chancc to unload, anywhere from q
week to ten days. Craft moorcd along.
side each other get In Jam every
hour. In some cases steamers with
cargocs OF grain billed clear through to
thc seaboard. with ocean room en-.
gagged to take the grain to Europe. are
towcd directly to the elevators on ar.
rival and unloaded. but In any case
where there Is q chance Of being de.
taincd In the elevator any time at all,
the boat IL compelled to hold Its load.
Ia busy season. storage room at these
great grain points Is completely filed,
aud elevators are barely able To handle
cargoes direct from boat to ears.
The contents Of a small country ole.
vntor. located at some little railway
town. soon lose all Independent Iden.
uty when the selling movement starts
In. The corn IL loaded into cara.
which are added to long freight
train made up OF similar cars OF corn
aud started toward Chicago. Each car.
load Is noted by Itself and has place
~ the records Of the railroad company
The journey Is soon made to the out.
skirts OF the city. and. after being
dumped about over miles Of switch.
yards. the consignment from the coun.
Try Is run Into some big elevator. The
doors are opened and the grain In.
spcctor passes along from car 10 car
carefully inspecting each sample taken.
The corn IL up to the grade and tho
grain doors are lifted out. The vel.
low corn pours In a bright stream into
che chutcs on either side Of the rack.
where 1t Is Immediately caught IN
0y conveyOrs and carried up Into the
big cupola on top Of the elevator. The
weighing hoppers are ready to receive
1t. and after being weighed It Is run
nto bins Of corn Of similar grade. The
identity OF each car Il now lost, and
IL only appeared on the receipts of
the Board OF Trade as u unit In con.
signment.
The following morning a representa-.
tive OF some large commission Arm. "a
whom the grain has been consigned.
appears on the floor Of tho board of
trade, walks over to ''vesselmen's
aisle between the corn and provision
pits, and salutes vessel broker with
an inquiry as to the rate for corn 10
Buffalo. Say 1t Is stated at 2hs cents.
Tho operator offers "a, and Interviews
many brokers, until he secures hi
rate. He demands n l5-minute option
on the steamer finally accepted. !,
carries 10000 bushels. In Ave minutes
he has sold that amount OF corn by
telegraph In New York. has engaged
elevator room at Buffalo. and rail ship,
mrnt thence to New York. He then re,
turns to the vesselran and completes
his charter. In all probability the re-.
cclyer OF the grain at New York has
in ten minutes more sold the grain to
Liverpool firm and In a very short
time charters the ocean room to carry
IL there.
The vessel agent, having placed his
boat, at once arrangcs for the loading
The orders for the grain at the eie
'ator are given him. he engages the
trimmcrs and tally men. and as the
steamer Is ready TO load, In an hou,
Tugs pull 1t up TO the dock under tho
towering walls of the elevator. The
told Is all clean. all the coal dust from
the mp cargo having been swept out.
Che spouts at the bottom of the bin
where the corn has been stored are
opened, and the yellow grain pours into
the same hOppers In the floor where Il
entered on its arrival. Into the same
c0nyeyOrs 1t goes and again Is sho
into the weighing hoppers. All grain
must be weighed In and out Of an rle
vator. for that Is the way 1t Is meas
urcd. After being discharged from ,h'
weighing hopper this time 1t Is turned
into the spOuts and takes a leap Into
the sunlight and then into the dee;
hold of the steamer. There II encOun
tiers the grain trimmer, scoop In hant