The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-12-01

AnnuAeA,
American rah ' g
great total of SG1sV0O,y
freight The freiSE 50 carrf
diversified, a8f the rates of tran
are cheap, two important items in
freight service. 1t is common belief e
the chef freight ON American roads is graln,S
and that the earnings of the various roads
are dependent largely upon the harvests OF
cereals. Indirectly this is true, for large
harvests at remunerative prices mean money
to farmers for other articles which railroads
transport, but actually the profits made by
railroads from the transportation OF grain
are less than from other articles OF freight
Last year the American railroads trans
ported 60 900. 600 tons of grain OF all
kinds, wheat, corn, rye, barley and buck
wheat, while the transportation Of anthra-
cite or hard coal was %, 600, 900 tons, OF
so per cent. more than that of all the grains
collectively. Coal, which is the easiest
and least expensive item OF freight to
handle, furnished the railroads Of the
United States with their chief tonnage.
The figures of anthracite coal transportation
are greatly exceeded by those of soft or
bituminous coal transportation, which
amounted last year to 200, 600, 900 tons;
that is to say, about one fifth of the total
freight tonnage Of American railroads Is IN
bituminous coal, and nearly 80 per cent
of the total freight tonnage of American
railroads is in coal, hard and soft. Another
very important item is lumber. The rail
roads Of the United States carried last year
65. 900. 600 tons of lumber and the develop
ment Of the lumber interests, notably IN
the Southern States, Supplying yellow pine,
and in Michigan and Wisconsin, supplying
hard woods, is steadily increasing. An
other very large item in the freight bust
ness of the railroads of the United States Is
ore, particularly iron aud copper ore, and
lead and zine The railroads transported
last year 60, 900, 600 tons Of ore. Still
another item of importance Is stone and
sand, usually grouped together, Of which
80. coo, 900 tons were transported last
year.
Since England has become an important
market for American dressed beef, aud
since Germany and France have admitted
il without invidious restrictions, and West
ern beef has largely superseded Eastern
beef 10 the Eastern market, the railroads
of the country have had large business 10
the transportation Of meat products Last
wear they carried 25. 600. 600 tens Of these
-15, 900, goo tons of live stock, ., 600,
600 tons of dressed meats aud 5000, 900
tons Of packing house products, Of which
ham. lard and bacon are the chief. Another
considerable item Of American railnoad
freight is -four in bags or barrels, and OF
which ID, 600. 600 tons were transported
last wear Cotton, though one OF the uiosi
important American products, Is shipped
chiefly BY steamers except from held to
shipping point, an important item Of busi-
ness for Southern aud Southwestern roads
Seven millions tons Of cotton and ;, 600.
600 tons vegetables and fruit were carried
bv railroads last year. Some ui the other
large items OF freight tonnage last year
were petroleum. 9. 600, 900 tons; hay, 6.
600. 900: tobacco. !. 500, 600; poultry,
game and fish. / 200. 900; wool, 5000,
600: hides and leather, 1000, 900; resin
and turpentine, 900, 900; sugar. 1000,
600. lime. brick and cement I : 600. 600,
iron, %. 900. 600; machinery aud castings,
IL. 000. 900: bar and sheet metal - 900,
900; agricultural implements, 1000 600
vine. beer aud liquor, 3, 500, 600; wagons,
carriages aud tools, 2,0e0 600, aud coke,
g.. 600 900 tons. Sneh are the chief
items. but they do not include what IN
railroad designation Is merchandise. dry
goods. clothing. household effects, b'o's
and shoes, hats and groceries. The amount
of merchandise transported pnAmerean
railroads last year was 10000 600 tons.
Dairy products furnish ! 500 00e and
miscellaneous articles, not otherwise classi-
fed, 10000, 600
The gross reveuues Of American railroads
from freight amounted last year to 81 600,
900, 600, or about the rate Of ; for each
ton Of freight carried remarkably cheap
rate. There are about million and a
half freight cars in use on American rail
roads carrying from fifteen to twenty 1--WE
tons Of freight each The policy Of Amer
lean railroads IN recent years has been %
increase the carrying capacity Of freight
ears, and 70 lenathen freight trains and in
crease their speed