The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-20
PACKERS AND ROADS
CONFER ON TRAFFIC
Discuss Plans to Better Service
in Handling Cattle at
Stock Yards

conference between the heads of the
operating departments of the various lines
doing business at the stock yards and
the stock yards officials was held yester-
day morning at the Commercial club to
consider plans and exchange ideas in rela-
ton to the proposed improvement of the
methods of handling traffic at the yards.
During the season for shipping cattle
last fall there was such jam of traffic
that for two or three days it took six and
eight hours to deliver cars of live stock
to the pens to which they were con-
signed. That was after the cars had ar
rived in st. Paul and when they should
have been delayed only an hour or two at
the most.
The shipments were unprecedentedIy
heavy during the late shipping season,
but as the cattle movement to this mar
ket is growing with each year and has
come up from II, 600 cars in 1894 to 81, 600
cars last year., the officials think that this
year the movement will be even heavier
and will continue to grow.
Thus the problem of better handling
facilities has come to be looked upon as
j the next great question be settled by
the railroads and stock yards people
Under the present system the Chicago
Great Western acts as kind of belt line
and hauls in most of the cars destined for
the stock yards from the points where it
connects with the CARRYING lines. 1t also
picks up and distributes cars of foreign
lines after they have been emptied OF
their loads.
During times Of pressing shipment the
work of the road is wonderfully increased
and on account of the congestion that oc-
casionally occurs most of the delays are
charged to the fact that the facilities are
not wide enough to accommodate the
traffic.
1t was to discuss this phase of the sit
uation that Gen. M. D. Flower. on behalf
of the stock yards company, called the
meeting yesterday.
The talk from both sides was amicable
and turned on the point made by Gen
Flower that a common yard located al
some convenient point where the lines may
deliver the cars to the Great Western,
| which road could then pick them up and
deliver them to the yards, would help the
situation. The reverse of this procedure
could be-followed in caring for the empty
cars.
The plan seems to find favor in the
was named to look into the question and
report in the near future as to the details
OF plan to accelerate delivery and hand
ling, consisting of General Manager s. c.
Stickney, of the Great western; General
Manager Harry J. Horn, of the Northern
Pacific, and General Manager Trenholm
of the Omaha.
The following were present: A. R. Fay
general traffic manager Swift & Co., Chi
cago; j. s. Bangs, Swift & Co.; M. D.
Flower, president, and J. B. Terrell gen
company; e. d. Sewell general superin-
i tendent, and ]. T. Conley, assistant gen
eraF>freight agent of the Milwaukee; H
j: Horn, general manager Northern Pa
cific; S. c. Stickney, general manager
Great Western; A. w. Trenholm, general
manager Omaha, and G. s. Strickland
general superintendent: S. HI. Steven
Minneapolis & st. Louis; R. P. Stevenson
Wisconsin Central; G. T. Slade. general
superintendent Great Northern; H. s. Ca
bic, general superintendent Rock Island;
A. r. Lyman, assistant general freight
agent Burlington.
After the conference luncheon was
served.