The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-03
FREIGHT THE RAILROADS CARRY.
The Coal and Coke Tonnage IL More
Than Five Times that eff Grain.


American railroads carry in a year the
great total of 1000.0OO,0 900 tons of freight.
The freight so carried Il much diversified
and the rates of transportation are cheap.
two important items in railway freight
service. Ii is common belief that the cher
freight on American roads is grain, and
that the earnings of the various roads are
dependent largely upon the haryests of
cereals. Indirectly this is true, for large
baryests at remunerative prices mean
money to farmers for other articles which
railroads transport, but actually, the prof
its made by railroads from the transporta-
ton OF grain are less than from other ar
ticles of freight.
Last year the American railroads trans
ported 6O,OOOO00 tons of grain of all kinds.
wheat corn, rye, barley and buckwheat.
While the transportation of anthracite or
bard coal was 80, 900 900 TONS or 30 per cent.
more than that of all the grains collective
ly. Coal, which is the easiest and least
expensive of freight TO handle. furnished
the railroads of the United States with
their chief tonnage. The figures of antra-
cite coal transportation are greatly ex-
ceeded by those of soft or bitumious coal
transportation, which amounted last year
TO 200000.000 TONS that is to say. about one
fifth of the total freight tonnage Of Ameri-
can railroads is i'm bitumnous coal and
nearly 30 per cent. of the total freight tom
mage OF American railroads is I'm coal. hard
and soft. Another very important item liz
lumber. The railroads of the United States
carried last year 65,0o0.000 tons of lumber
ests, notably i'm the Southern States sup
plying yellow pine. and in Michigan and
Wisconsin, supplying hard woods, is steadi-
iy increasing. Another very large item in
the freight business of the railroads of the
United States Is ore, particularly iron and
copper ore, and lead and zinc. The rail-
roads transported last year 60, 600 600 tons of
ore. Still another item OF importance is
stone and sand. usually grouped together.
o. which 35.ooo,000 tons were transported last
year.
Since England has become an important
market for American dressed beef and
since Germany and France have admitted
II without invidious restrictions and West
ern beef has largely superseded Eastern
beef i'm the Eastern market the railroads
OF the country have had a large business
In the transportation of meat products.
Last year they carried 25O00.000 tons of
these-l5, 100000 tons of live stock. 5000 600
tons OF dressed beef and 100000 tons of
packing house products. of which ham,
lard and bacon are the chief. Another con-
siderable item of American railroad freight
is flour in bags and barrels. and OF which
100000 tons were transported last yeaf
Cotton, though one OF the most important
of American products. is shipped chiefly by
steamers except from field - shipping
point. an important item of business for
Southern and Southwestern roads. Seven
million tons of cotton and Il. 000. 600 tons OF
vegetables and fruit were carried by rail-
roads last year Some of the other large
items OF freight tonnage last year were
petroleum. 100000 tons. hay. s.000ooo: to-
bacco. 1.5eo.0oo. poultry. game and fish. l.
10000: wool. s.00o.0oo: hides and leather.
100000: rosin and turpentine. l000O00:
sugar. 1000. 600: lime. brick and cement, lS-
eoo.0o0 iron. =. 00o.o machinery and cast
ings. 100000; bar and sheet metal Il. 900
900; agricultural implements 20O.000; wine.
beer and liquor. 3.5oo.0o0: wagons. carriages
and tools. 100000. and coke. g. 600 600 tons.
| Such are the chief items. but they do not
| include what I'm railroad designation Is
''merchandise," dry goods. clothing. house
| hold effects. boots and shoes. hats and
groceries. The amount Of merchandise