The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-23
Railroads
IT GOT THE. FLOUR
Wisconsin Central in 1902 Jumps
Into First Place as a sss
Flour Carrier.
It Took Out, of Minneapolis 1881
Per Cent Of Entire Output
p. Of the Mills. ~

The year 1902 witnessed a shifting in
merchandise movements in and out of
Minneapolis, 80 important as to change the
relative position Of several of the railroads
entering the city. A surprising change
is found in the outward movement of
flour, three Of the greatest systems en-
tering the city being forced into the back
ground, while a SMALL, aggressive road
moved up to first place., The Wisconsin
Central has become the most important
distributing factor in the Minneapolis flour
industry, having taken out of the city
2,912.000 barrels-a greater quantity than
carried by any other road. . -. II. :
The gain is better illustrated by the
percentage figures. For the ten roads
whose solicitors met in competition in the
rich field of the Minneapolis milling in.
dustry, there were last year l6,S1S,000
barrels of flour to carry out: The Wis
consin Central saw this as an inviting field
and was at all times an aggressive. bid
der for business. From figures compiled
in the office of the secretary OF the Min
neapolis Chamber Of Commerce, 1T Is
shown that while in 1901 the Wisconsin
Central got 9.07 per cent. Of the total bust
ness and ranked seventh in Importance
in 1902 it captured 1871 per cent, jump
ing from seventh to first place. While
there was gain of $4,000 barrels over
1901 in the flour tonnage provided by the
Minneapolis mills, this was not enough to
account for the phenomenal gain In Wis
consin Central shipments, even If the road
had been able to get all the increase
against the other nine roads. 1t was not
enough for the Wisconsin Central man
agement that their road should have
proportionate share of the business. They
had the ManitoWoc car ferry airline route
to utilize; they proposed to make their
| road carry the largest proportional ton
mage of flour Of any road In the world,
and they came into Minneapolis not to
ask for business but to take it.
The 500 about held its own. The Great
Northern hauled little more flour to the
head of the lakes than in the previous
year. The Burlington and Minneapolis
& ST. Louis made slight gains. The North
ern Pacific lost slightly. The Rock Island
was too new in the; field to cut much
figure. But the big Minneapolis Chicago
lines had business taken away from them.
From 1915 per cent of the total traffic IN
1901, the Milwaukee: fell to 1850 per cent,
shipments decreasing from OOO par
rels to 2,2S1, 900. The North western took
| out i .651 900 barrels in 1901 and l,4s8,OO
in 1902, falling from 1881 to S.S4 per cent.
The Great Western handled 2,5O9, wy par
rels in 1901 and 2,O77,OO0 In l9O2' 1allns
from 1870 to 1875 per cent.
The fact that at times the Minneapolis
Chicago roads were congested with mis-
|cellaneous freight made them somewhat
l. less active in defending themselves
against the wisconsin CentraIs agrees
siveness than would otherwise have been
the case. The Wisconsin Central mean
while has been exhausttng every eHorlc IN
exploiting Sthe ManitoWoc-Lake Michigan
line al the natural eastern outlet for Min
neapolis. with a view to maintaining .nrst
position in a year of less general activity,
when competition for Minneapolis hour
business may be f1ercer. = .4s. -