The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-25
TEXAS FREIGHT TALK

Dallas, Texas, November GA great
many good and honest men raise their
hands In horror at the nsre mention Of
government ownership Of railroads. am
unable to see why.
Lancaster is fifteen miles from Dallas.
Practically all the freighting between Dali
las and Lancaster Is done by dirt road and
wagons. Suppose Ave men were running
wagons and doing this hauling, and these
men went around each morning TO the
wholesale dealers Of Dallas to inquire II
they had any freight for Lancaster. and
tho first wagner strikes house having
freight for Lancaster, he says: II want to
| haul IT. The wholesale dealer asks: "At
what price will you carry It for?" wag-
oner--"Fffty cents per 100 pounds"
Wholesale Merchant-"That IL too much"
Wagner leaves; next WAGNER comes along
and offers to haul for 40 cents per 100
pounds. Merchant replies: ..Too much"
Finally one wagner comes along and Of.
fers to haul for 20 cents per 100 pounds.
The trade is closed and the goods go to
Lancaster But suppose these FIVE wagon.
| - %. uotsSsAe' "u "a one p'Aoo VI nauie
ing from Daiias 70 Lancaster oo cents per
100 pounds and pledge themselves not to
take less What then? The wholesale
merchants OF Dallas and their
customers at Lancaster have al meeting and
put wagons of their own in to run between
| Dallas and Lancaster ara h,rr ,o,au :.
| On ,.or+. ,oo
e,,a "a 80 p.i Nv pouhus. "nat next! Inc
ana $50. " .tye 20 10 tnese inercnahts
| nsnts -, m, we VIII MAUI LOT ~
go, my iIeIcnants answer NO, you
80 US W invest IN wagons and teams
y-a,.ht -, ~ oluer TO set ialr ana Just
an,,s ~. raues, anu we must patfonize our
~ 1870. iHe oV-cenl Wagohers must
s 81 else 10 DO hauling, go 70
sell n,,t Mn w. I'm, .l.m wagons ana mules or
oharts ae , eney .ry 70 seil to the mer.
~ ~, S.ney having al tney need, VIII
80. 1872. az a sieat sacrlnce sup
t"m "nen .he merchants hrst begin to
~ VI puens III tnelr own wagons. one
vi .ne "%sohefs Deionsins TO the 50-cent,l
% ''. nears oI IL, anu goes to the other
ou ecneers' ana says; These merchants
~, soins 70 put IN wagons OF their own,
and an uone WIN our ou-cent combine
a ana. "a. solns 70 maui at ~ cents, and
suss anu ADVISES the merchants. This
u 7, az up the complne' all 90 to hauling
a.. ~ oeh's' ana tue merchants put In no
""sons.
Now tnere are. say hye railroads run
nlns nortn anu south between Red river
anu uaisestoh !ueep water) and these roads
~ in.o combine and either through a
pooi OF tnelr own, or one made by the |
alio"u commission, they all make the
same charge Tor hauling-and they charge
lor nIs.-class reight from Galveston to
~ VI texas % Genus per l0O pounds. when
.ne same soous are carried longer distances
by ran IN other States for rs cents per 100
pouhos' anu % per bale OF 300 pounds OF
eU''on from NORTH Texas to Galveston,
wnen IL is carried elsewhere. longer dis
lance for 30 cents per 500 pounds bale
ineh every day 4hese roads go around to
tle merchahts manufacturers. cotton buy
els ana otner shippens and say Qike the \
"asune,y. we want TO haul your
i.rs Wnat DO you charger" they say,
is 100 much but when all the rail
roau asehts nave been around to see them,
Inc merchants, manufacturers, cotton buy
ers ana farmers find that these five rail-
roads are in combine, and have agreed
10 cnarge the same Tor hauling, then the
psUpie Oh ieNas get together and say:
we must put In railroad or canalize
river, OF open UP river to navigation.
as lncse railroads are all in combine to
t,ssr US lnese extortionate prices for
nauHns. Ana through their legislature
ana governor tand the government is SIM
ply. the people, reduced through represen-
.anon to bodies small enough in numbers
10 be efhoient and do business), they go to
worh TO get ther own river. or railroad
.which they would likely do unless the
railroads should be able to bride the gov
ernor ana representatives, with free passes
ana such like Establishments, to 20 back
on the people who elected them). Right
mere is where the wagner has the advan-
taee OIL the railroad; when the wagner gets
shocked out between Dallas and Lancas-
yer ne can go somewhere else to haul, or
ne can Take his wagon and mules and go
TO farming. The railroad can not pull Zip
its rails and go to some other place to do
hauiing, and 1t could not use the cars for
any other purpose. Neither could the loco
motives be used to run saw mills or stem
boats or cotton gins. So, as they are sup
posed generally to be owned by sensible |
men, 1t is probable as soon AIS they get
satlsiied the people were in earnest about
getting their own freight line to the gulf, ;