The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-21


more than million and quarter bush
eis OF wheat in his elevators. and Of
3.50o,00 bushels Of wheat arriving from
Duluth, Armour got 100000.
Does anybody realize what IL means
to move six or seven million bushels Of
wheat by boat and rail TO Chicago
To move six millions OF wheat from
Duluth to Chicago would have required
from fifty 70 sixty of the largest steam
ers, ami the freight alone would have
amounted 20 $4,000. The three mil
lions, about, that Mr.. Armour got by
water cost him in freights $4,000.
You can only load from 500 to 1000
bushels Of wheat upon a car. Thus it
takes 1.o00 cars 10 move a million BUSH
els. To bring down the final three mill
lion bushels OF wheat said 10 have been
bought by Mr.. Armour in Minneapolis
would then take 5000 cars, which would
make over 500 trains OF thirty-three cars
each. And the freight would cost in the
neighborhood Of sl50,O0o.
But the boomers said that IL the ''Old
Man" got mis- wheat down here in time
ne could not warehouse II in time for
4Or il1SpSCllOn anu OellEeEy.
Here again they forot that Mr.. Armour
is a warehouseman from away back.
and has the details of the elevator busi-
ness al his fingers ends.
For the Armour Elevator company
controls the largest and best equipped
elevator plant in the country, or in the
world. The elevators standing in this
city have capacity OF II, 900. 600 bushels.
There are eight in all: Armour Eleva
tors A and B. with capacity ot 2-50o. coo
bushels; Armour B Annex. with a capac-
ity of 3.400, ,oeo; Armour Elevator c, ca
pacity 1900. 900 bushels; Armour Eleva-
tor D. capacity 5000. 900 bushels; Eleva-
vators E and F. with 1000. 600 capacity;
and the Minnesota Elevator with a ca
paclty OF 100000. c and D Annex, and
E and F, receive grain from the Chicago.
Burlington and Quincy tracks. The
other elevators are fed from the Chica-
go, Milwaukee and ST. Paul.
Through these lines North and South
Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and
Missouri are drained OF their cereals.
The elevator company even owns 1900
cars engaged in transporting grain
When the crush came the corn and
the oats that lay in the elevators in the
way OF the wheat was loaded into boats
where it will lie all winter. until the
opening OF navigation in the spring,
when it Will be shipped away.
These elevators we're no: constructed
for taking grain from bzoats. but for
l4rn frfn
boats. For. be 1t remembered, that here
tofore Chicago has employed boats 10
ship her grain east only. This is the
first instance IN the history of the city
where wheat has been brought here in
bottoms. But expedients have been put
into operation and the grain is fast dis
appearing into the vast granaries.
So here we see how the great house
of Armour has reached out il. hands
over the entire middle west and north
west, massing fleets at Duluth and pre-
empting hundreds OF trains OF freight
cars that it may have the wherewithal
70 meet ITS obligations. 1t had the
granaries and it secured the wheat and
effected its transportation. II ii had
had the wheat but lacked the elevators
it would have constructed the elevators.
Had il lacked the ships possibly IL
have emula.ed the exploit of Commo-
dore Perry and built its ships for the
occasion
BY the way, the fir malready owns
and operates line of grain steamers.
Perhaps the "Old Man" has made q
million or 80 out OF the deal. Perhaps
ne has dropped million In either case
the reader will never know. for the
''Old Man" will win silently or pay his
loss without wincing.
But ne has brought Goals to New
castle. He has accomplished feat on
the commercial world as signal and as
brilliant in It's way as Napoleon's pas
sage OF the Alps and demonstrated orce
again that tradition cannot put a linn
itation upon the originality OF his ac-
tons.
No man will know until settling day
has come and gone whether the 'Old
Man has called the bluff OF the boom
ers hard enough to make them lay down
their hand.
Meanwhile the riverway Is blocked
with great steamers and huge bsrges
and their captains are fighting for
berths az the elevators.