Arizona republican., 1899-12-06
TRAFFIC IN THE WEST
Passenger Business Increasing and
 Freight Less Satisfactory.

Chicago, Dec. 5-Railway passenger business is quite heavy just now, and it looks like continuing so until the end of the Christmas holidays. Meantime, there are various changes in passenger systems going on that point to a bet ter passenger service in various direc- tions. The St. Louis, Peoria and Northern's tracks. for example, will be divided between the Chicago and Alton and the Illinois Central in such way that the former gets it's own entrance into Peoria from Springfield and the latter it's own tracks all the way from Chicago to St. Louis, the ar engagement of the latter road with the Big Four" coming to an end at the close of the year. Then, too, the final and long-expected acquisition of the Minneapolis and St. Louis by the Hi nois Central has been completed. and this means a good route between St. Paul and Omaha over the Central by using the Minneapolis and St. Louis to Fort Dodge. As a result of the new control, however, the Rock Island will lose its present entrance into St. Paul. It is however, expected that an extension of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern from Albert Lea to Minneapolis will be made to give the Rock Island a proper northwestern outlet.
 As to additions made and opened during the last two months through out the west they have been quite numerous and for the most part have been duly chronicled from time to time. In all, the 4,C0O miles indicated by the Railway Age as the amount of new mileage to be added by the end of the year is pretty nearly accounted for.
 There has been little change in the freight situation the past week; ad- vancing rates. a restricted grain move ment and heavy movement of general freight, but a slackening not very marked, but still a slaciening, in the movement of high-class freight. The holiday trade is now well supplied. As regards northwestern wheat receipts, there is less difference now between this and last years movement, al though the movement is still light. Having stated in these dispatches some two weeks ago a comparison of the present farm movement with that of this time a year ago. those who are dogmatic in their assertion that rail- way earnings were never better are bringing forward statistics and fore casts Of heavy increases in November earnings. For example. the Rock Island officers declare that just now they are carrying fifty per cent less grain than at this time a year ago, al though the general movement has been 1 heavy enough to produce an increase in the earnings for this month over the same month in 1898. Supposing even | the latter part of the announcement respecting November total earnings to | be true, what does the decreased farm movement ultimately mean? Fifty per cent difference in sales is a big item, especially With elevators so well sup t, piled with wheat and the visible con stantly increasing. Atchinson officials say their general freight business of late has been perhaps fifteen per cent | better than that of this time year l ago. Be this as it may. the general | situation has not been quite as satis- factory as far as first sources of traffic are concerned since, practically, the middle of October.