The Greeley tribune., 1905-11-09
ENORMOUS GRAIN CROP Or
COUNTRY a WONDER
Railroads From East to west
are Swamped in the Whlrl-
pool of Produce-Crop
in Figures

country. and tnaJ the Wl1eat anu
corn crops are phenomenal both as
regards quantity and quality, is. news
that should fiji the hearts Of every
American with gratitude to a bene-
fcient Providence, but there are
some men who do not feel so thank
full for natures bountiful outpour-
ings of her gifts. They are the
traffic managers of the great railroads
that will be called upon to move
this tremendous crop from the grow
ing centers to the eastern markets
and export points.
To the average person the state
ment that the corn crop OF the
United States will surpass that of
last year by nearly 24C, 900, 900 bushels
will mean that there will be more
fodder for stock and that cereal foods
will be more plentiful and perhaps
cheaper: that Europe will probably
get the benefit OF some y corn.
which she wants badly, il all reports
are true.
The statement that there will be
l3l. 600, 600 bushels more wheat for
market than in 1904 suggests larger
bank accounts for the farmers ana
more flour to send abroad.
But to the traffic manager these
statements keep him awake nights.
Every day reports come to his desk
stating that west bound traffic is the
heaviest in the history OF American
railroading He is aware that this
congestion is caused by the most re-
markable revival OF business and
commerce the railroads have ever ex-
perienced, and that in trying to
care for the tonnage on their own
lines individual roads are refusing to
let their rolling stock leave their
rails.
To make matters worse for the
traffic men, the barley crop, which is
unusually good this year, began to
move in August, month earlier
than is customary. This was caused
by lively demand for that grain in
Europe and consequently thousands
of box cars which otherwise have
been used to get commercial products
out of tie way in time for the fall
grain rush have been demanded by
barley shippers. In brief, there is
every prospect OF car famine in the
grain trade during the remainder of
the season.
PROBABLY the road which has the
most difficult traffic problem to solve
is the New York Central & Hudson
River railroad. This is the road
that takes care of the grain brought
from western points by way OF the
great lakes and is loaded into cars
from the holds of the big whaleback
steamers or is temporarily housed in
the great elevators in Buffalo
Reports from that city state that al
ready there are more than 5000, 600
bushels stored there and not a car
yet available to move it east.
Government reports from Mime
sofa and the Dakotas show that from
these states alone the yield OF wheat
and oats will be sufficient to fill ll3,-
900 cars. However astounding these
figures may be, they are compara-
lively Insignificant beside those pre-
pared by the Chicago experts regard
ing the corn crop.
The governments statement that
the corn crop will exceed that OF
last year by 239, go, 7GG bushels means
that the total yield indicated will
be 2,70T, 75l, 100 bushels.
Expressed in dollars and cents, it
may be said that to move the crop
of wheat, corn and oats, if carried
from Chicago to New York for ex-
port, on freight basis OF cents a
bushel on the lakes, . cents rail- and
IA cents insurance on board at New
York, the transportation companies
would receive for the service 1851, =
237, rs.
If the farmers received the value
of only their wheat and corn at the
rate of so cents a bushel for wheat
and 40 cents for corn, they. would
have 81, S73, SIS, 333 to deposit in
bank.
Efforts to meet the present situa-
tion have just about exhausted the
railroad clerks who have charge of
the car records. Car tracers are US
ing all their skill to find box cars
that have strayed or are idle in order
that they may be rushed, loaded or
empty, to the grain growing dis
trictS.
1t is an undertaking of greater
magnitude than. the layman has any
idea of to get together 5000 extra