Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-11-01

not exceeding ], 100 feet above the sea,
and is compelled to lift every ton it car
ries in either direction 500 feet vertically
above the level of Chicago.
When order was finally restored at
the south its railroads were without eN
ception physical and financial wrecks.
1t is within my knowledge that they
were then, and long continued, incap-
able of competing with the lines to the
Atlantic Seaboard
That condition has with ue passed,
through the increase, in the past eight
cen years, of the capitalization of the
Illinois Central Railroad Company from
$3S 1881 900 to $1S5,996,925. We can
now use the advantages of our geo.
graphical position, and give the advan-
tage of theirs to large part of the peo-
pie of the Valley.
Other southern and western roads
being in like case, natural conditions
are being restored, and the products of
the valley are once more seeking an
outlet on short lines, over easy and
generally descending grades to the
Gulf of Mexico.
In physical condition, in the safety
speed, comfort and regularity of service
the level and straight roads of the west
and south equal, if they do not excel,
those of the eastern states. Why,
then, should they not carry their fair
share of the produce of the west to tide
water from their own local stations and
in turn, supply the interior with foreign
goods?
OF the 2,715,9Sl tons of grain, flour
and other mill products carried by the
Illinois Central and the Yazoo Il Mis-
sissippi Valley Railroads during the
year ending June 30, 1899, less than
one-fifth (536,S41 tons) were exported
through New Orleans to European and
other ports.
Although the corn crop of 1898 was
of such VIGOROUSLY poor quality, no
complaint has been received of any
damage from heating having occurred
in the 12,544,So7 bushels which were de-
livered by the Illinois Central and the
Yazoo Il Mississippi Valley Railroads
for export through New Orleans.
OF the 1851, 161 tons of freight car
ried last year by the Illinois Central
Railroad, S36 per cent were local and
1914 per cent through.
OF the 1,840,719 tons of freight car
ried last year by the Yazoo Il Mississip
pi Valley railroad, $3.50 per cent. were
local and 16 per cent through.
When l entered the service of the IL
linois Central railroad company in 1871
the ratio of its local to through freight
was almost exactly the same as at pres
ent, and it has since varied between
very narrow limits, although the ton
mage has increased more than ten-fold
The two companies which have tn
honor to represent are and have beef
developing the latent resources of tn
!, states which they are incorporated t,
serve, without seeking new territory.
J The line of equal railroad distance
) to New York and to New Orleans, res
pectively, may be said to begin on LAX
! Superior, at the boundary between Wis
t consin and the upper peninsula o
!. Michigan, and following the northern
= and eastern boundaries of Wisconsin
: to pass through Chicago, ILL, run theme
i. southeasterly through indianapolis
: Ind, and Bristol, Tenn, and to reac
1 the Atlantic coast near Charleston, S.
j, Every point to the south and west 9
9 that line is nearer New Orleans by ra
than to New York. 1t is in that pal
: of the basin of the Mississippi rive
3 which lies west of that line that our 9,
g portable surplus of breadstuffs an
IS packing house products is made, ant
II 80 long as water runs down hill and
% costs more to move freight up hill, til
# natural tendency of that exportable su
plus will be to reach the sea at Ne
II Orleans and the other Gulf ports.
l. The short rail distances from some
9 the interior grain markets and packil
d house centres to New York and to Ne
J. Orleans, are