Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-18
ready large staff of car builders in the
employ of the company. The new cars
will have capacity of 10000 pounds.

ready large staff of car builders in the
employ of the company. The new cars
will have a capacity of 10000 pounds.
There is rather a peculiar state of
things at Portland. Despite the great
amount of freight taken from that port
within the past few days. there is a
great pressure of freight on hand.
There are actually miles of cars in
Portland and at the yards at East
Deering to be discharged. the sheds are
fun and the elevator can take no more
grain The foreign demand for provis-
ions of all kinds is so great as to lit
orally block the line here with freight
With the exception of one month. the
interchange of freight cars between
the Maine Central and Bangor &;
Aroostook Railroads in January, 1899.
was the largest thus far. The cXeep-
ton is October 1885, the NUMBER Of
cars being 1927. In January. 1899. it
YVES 3675. Few citizens are aware Of
the rapidity with which the tonnage in
terchange between these two railroa"
systems is growing. The number of
freight cars exchanged in January.
1897. usually dull freight month in
any year, was 1895; January. 1898.
PIP. The total interchange of freight
cars between the two roads in the year
1898 was 34,96., of which 1896 are to
be accredited to the last half of the
calendar year. or the first half of the
railroad companys financial year
which latter closes with June The
number of freight cars exchanged in
February 1898 was 1868. or about {.
per day. At the rate with which this
month has started in the record bids
fair to double that for February last
year. and to equal that of last month.
although there are two less working
days.
During the present winter shippers in
AroostooK county have been unable to
get Eastman heater ears in which to send
away potatoes and consequently good
many have been obliged 10 resort to the
old method of shipping potatoes in or
binary freight cars that are heated with
common stoves. The days of heating
freight cars with stoves has long gone By
and none of the modern built cars are
provided with funnel holes in the roof
and now that stoves are being used again
an arrangement Is made whereby the car
door is left partly closed, the open space
being filled with boards through which
projects the funnel from she stove in
side Usually a knee joint is used to give
the smoke an upward turn and going
one would not be obliged ITO stretch his
mag ination to note the resemblance of
the ears to the row of shantieS along Cat
alley. and a train pulling out with the
smoke curling up the sides of half or
two-thirds or the cars. presents an odd
appearance. Inside of each car that is
warmed with a stove is man to Keep
the fire going. the arrangement between
the shipper and the railroads being that
this man shall be hauled in the car ,o Tree
and provided with free return ticket.
Though on the trip to Boston this. fire
tender is shut ino q dark car an the
wa. and can see nothing of the country
from the time he leaves his native vii
lage until the car door is opened besides
some big warehouse in Boston. the re-
tnrn ,rip is made under much more en-
joyable conditions. and the shipper, have
no diriculty in finding several apphcants
for every car they send. Many raw,
green Aroostook lad has seen this winter
for the first time in Boston pusy
streets one corner of this great big
world and has gone home 70 tell ms en-
vious friends Glowing accounts o. the
wonderful sights he saw on his "Trip az
1.-The Hub.