The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-07
BIO RAILROAD EARNINGS.
The Grain Traffic Continues to Enlarge Roads Still Behind In Their Orders for cars-General Prospects for Business Never Better-Rates Are Maintained.

'ho prhih iramc Continues to fuurHo-
 Roads stil Behind In Their Orders for
 Cars-General Prospects for Business
 Never Better-Rates Are Maintained.
 New York, Sept. GA special dis patch to the Evening Post from Chi cago last evening says: For three weeks the western lines have steadily Increased their grain traffic, until it has reached a point where 1t exceeds all previous years at this season, and there are few weeks on record where deliveries by the western lines have ex- ceeded last weeks. Receipts aggregate 12,939, ,000 bushels, and of flour and grain 3,221 ,000 bushels. The increase over the previous week was 1,463,000 bushels. The increases over corresponding years were sufficient to make the man agers happy if the aggregate at that time had been equal to the gains shown this year. There was an increase over last year of 6,90S,O bushels, gain over 1895 of 9,453,000 bushels, and over 1894 of 7,6l7,O0O bushels. The increase is large ly in corn, S,1S3,000 bushels being receiv- ed. Oats also make heavy showing, With 3079,00O bushels, and wheat 1,375,- coo bushels. The corn movement has reached it's height, but railroads are still behind in their orders for cars, and it will take several weeks before they catch up. Were they to advance rates It would stimulate rush of corn from western ciibs that would only be limit ed by the ability of the railroads to furnish cars before the advance became effective. The Burlington and Rock ls- land handled 40 per cent of the busi- ness. The St. Paul and Northwestern who depend largely upon the wheat movement are just coming into their busy season, as wheat in the north
 west and west is beginning to move.
 Merchandise and miscellaneous traffic is increasing, as business conditions in the west are better than at any time since 1892, Merchants are buying goods freely, and are asking for prompt de- liveries. The traffic in lumber, iron ore and manufactured iron and steel is i'm proving. Steel mills are filled with or ders up to the first of the year, and everything in the west has tendency to move on moderate scale. People are specula ting in railroad stocks in the commission offices here who have never
 been in the market before, and the
 speculative fever is in the air There never was a better time for large earn inss than at present
 Large orders for cars have been giv- en to the Pullman company by the rail roads in the south southeast and south west and they are full of orders These
 heavy orders have stimulated move ment in materials. so that the railroads get the benefit all around.
 The eastbound lines have no surplus
 cars, particularly east of Buffalo, as the shipments of corn from here to that
 port last week by lake were 4530, GOO
 bushels. and of other gains 2990, ,000 bushels, total of 7,620, 900 bushels. A good proportion of this grain will go to the seaboard by rail, and agents of some of the line here say that they
 have hardly enough cars to fill their orders, particularly as the movement Of provisions is unprecedentedly heavy, aggregatlng over 35,000,000 pounds last week Rates are well maintained. AZ cut rates were withdrawn September 1 from the west to the seaboard, and there has seldom been timeisin years when similar situation existed
 As earnings increase and prices in stocks advance there is new talk about the various lines enlarging their divi- dends. Operating expenses have also
 enlarged and the railroads that are managed by conservative people are not in shape to pay out more money for dividends on the eve of little prosper ity, after going through the strain of
 the past four years, which has forced
 them to retrench in every respect to such an extent that many of them now find themselves in a position where | they are forced to use a large part, if | not all, of their surplus earnings to | improve their physical condition and | rolling stock.