Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-21
CHANGED
Redistribution Of Freight Ship.
ments on Burlington
After Jan. 1.
PLACED UNDER THREE HEADS
Close Tab to Be Maintained on Each
Car and fredericksburg
Meeting.

the shippers and receivers of freight is
4 change which is 10 take place on the
Burlington system the first of the new
year Through action just approved
by the officials. plan originated and
worked ont by w. l.. Barnes. the super
intendent of transportation, is to be put
into effect. the object of which is the
classification of freight SO that prefer
ence may be given certain kinds in the
movement of trains. and a method of
reporting adopted which will permit 4
shipper to discover without delay
where his car may be at any given
time.
Meeting at Galesi.ur..
To explain the new system Mr..
Barnes and Car Accountant Fred Clark
met the agents and officials of all parts
of the Galesburg system ut Superin-
tendent Il. l.. Porter's office in Gales
burg The new rules have been print
ed and each agent was given a copy.
By following these printed rules at the
same time the points We're verbally eX-
planned. and all readily grasped tie
meaning of the new orders.
In brief. the new plan is this: Freight
will be classified as time freight"
expedite freight and general
freight" and preference in the move
ment will be given in the order men
toned Perishable merchandise live
stock and many other kinds of freight
go into the first class; implements.
iron and steel products and freight of
similar nature go into the expedite"
class. and the freight not mentioned as
included in the other two classes goes
under the head of general freight
Report Made by Wire.
Upon the car of time freight goes &
placard with the letters ct F." in
white on a red background. with the
place OF shipment, the destination and
the date set forth Upon a Car of ex-
pedte freight goes Il placard bearing
a large letter \. with the place of
shipment and destination. The agent
at the place of shipment each day
sends in consist report by wire.
showing the number Of cars of freight
he is sending out the KIND of freight
III each Of them and their dcstiuat. on
point OF considerable size on the sys-
TEN has symbol.
Passing REPORTS Made.
The cars having been sent ont, they
are closely watched all along their way,
and what is known as passing re-
ports" are demanded from certain
places. These reports so by wire into
Mr.. Barnes office in Chicago. and the
passing report on Rock Island car tai
lies with the consist report sent in or
he will see something is wrong and at
once make investigation. Thus, should
a hot-box necessitate the setting out of
a car, the passing report would show
a missing car.
Keep Track of Cars.
In MIR. Barnes Office is great board
upon which each freight train sent out
is indicated by plugs. AS the passing
reports come in by wire the plugs are
taken out to indicate the progress and
every difficulty or accident is made
clear on this board. Now suppose a
shipper here, having sent out a car to
Denver. finds in few days that it has
not been received He can make in
quiry of the local agent, who, by calling
up Mr.. Barnes office, can discover in
just few minutes the exact place at
which that particular car may be- The
former system of freight movement
permitted no such celebrity in obtaining
information of this kind Every train
and every car is closely watched by
this new system, to the end that Mr.
Barnes may know at any moment all