The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-08-03
WESTERN RAILWAY AFFAIRS.

Grain Traffic the Largest in Years
Urgent Demand for Cars-Wheat Be
ginning to Move.
New York, Aug. 2-The New York
Evening Post this evening says In
dispatch from Chicago:
"The grain traffic of the western,
roads last week was the heaviest sum
mer business known In years All the
roads We're exceptionally busy for this
season, and are having brisk demand
for cars, which some of them find 1T
difficult to meet. The Burlington's
grain traffic has increased 40 per cent.
in three weeks, and is the largest in
the company's history. All its cars are
in use. Other roads report similar
condition of affairs, with about the
same increase in traffic. Southwestern
roads are busy hauling wheat and oats.
out the cotton traffic has hardly start
ed. 1t gives evidence, however, OF be-
ing very large The southwestern lines
have the best prospects for earnings in
their history. Deliveries of grain here
last week We're 6,351 900 bushels, an In
crease over the previous week of 1,l42,-
600 bushels and Of 1646,000 over the
same time last year.
Comparison with 1895 shows a gain
larger than an average weeks traffic,
it being 4,569000 bushels. Compared
with 1894, the increase was 1,6S5,000.
There has been an increased demand
/ for cars from the west and southwest,
and prospects are for a continued free
movement. Farmers have stacked more
wheat than usual, but are commencing
to thresh more freely, and they are now
selling literally. They are getting 10
to 20 cents bushel more for their
wheat, and to 4 cents more for their
corn than they got last year. The mer-
chandise traffic shows a material in
crease to the west, which gives the
roads better earning facilities, as they
are able to keep their cars loaded both
| ways. At this time of the year the
! cars are apt to be almost empty going
] west but as the merchandise move
ment has started this year fully two
weeks earlier than usual most of the
trains are bringing In good revenue.
The shutting down of the coal mines,
! owing to the strike In many sections,
has reduced the coal traffic, and this
is the only unfavorable feature In the
business situation. Passenger traffic
| is above the average.
Rates to and from the west are be-
ing well maintained. The only reduc-
ton of Importance is that taking eff
feet to-day by the Illinois Central,
which makes a Decent rate ON corn for
export from Illinois points to New Or
leans. This Is done to meet the COM
petition of the Kansas City, Pittsburg
and Gulf, which is getting the bulk of
the business to Galveston from Kansas,
Missouri. and Nebraska. The other
lines cannot afford to follow without
disturbing their general tariffs. The
Chicago-St. Paul rate situation contin-
ues disturbing factor, but an effort is
being made to adjust it at meeting
tomorrow. There is also a slashing Of
5 cents or more on flour rates from St.
Paul to New York via lake and rail
The boat lines claim the right to a s.
cent differential, but the rail lines
claim that this is an injustice mas
much as some of the railroads operate
boat lines and by taking advantage
of the differential are enabled to secure
an advantage over their less fortunate
competitors. The all-rail lines have,
therefore, met the differential and the
boat lines have in turn applied the s.
cent lower rate