The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-26
SAY RAILROADS
FACE LONG IIE.UP'
TRAVELLERS REPORT THAT CON
DITIoNs GROW WORSE.
Plenty Of Empty Cars Strung Along
North Dakota Lines but No Effort
Is Made to Have Them Loaded or
Moved Many Hopelessly Showed in.

Travellers coming in from North Da-
kota say there is danger of the worst
tie-up of that country ever known
Snow is predicted for tonight. #
there should be a heavy fall, just at
this time, it might block the country
until spring. At 1 pm today Com
stock, N. D., reported a blizzard.
Fred M. McCord Of the Chamber Of
Commerce returned today after trip
thru the congested grain area Of the
northwest The American Cereal COM
pany sent out Mr.. McCord, who is their
northwest representative, when it de-
veloped that transportation conditions
had broken down, and stories Of grain
congestion and fuel famine appeared.
Mr.. McCord made some of the most re-
mote points. The situation, he says,
transportation facilities. It is a de-
plorable state of affairs. There are
signs of prodigious efforts on the part
of the roads to do better, but no effects
appear as yet. >.-t".a
Plenty Of Empties.
From Grand Forks to Devils Lake
Mr.. McCord found 1853 empty freight
cars, and at stations from Lakota west
from five to twenty empties could be
seen at every point. But heavy snow
one and half to three feet deep on
the level. r"..s- -.
At Lakota $4,000 bushels of wheat is
on the ground, piled there recently, and
all the elevators of the town are full
The elevator men said they were un.
able to get empty cars. Mr.. McCord,
In looking around the yards, discovered
twenty-seven empty cars. He reported
to the elevator men that these empty
cars were there. They said they knew
1T. The cars had been there for ten
days. The agent did not give them to
the elevators for loading because he
said if they were loaded the railroad
could not haul them out anyway. It
out of railroad possession until there
was assurance Of being able to move it
to avoid railroad esponsibilities. ~
At Hillsboro Mr.. McCord met s..
7. Sarles, the banker. Mr.. Sarles says
there has been no relief worth noting.
From Grand Forks out to Minot MT,
McCord found the sidetracks full Of
cars, loaded or empty. Snow, had drifted
In about them, and it will be difficult
to" move them. Mr.. Sarles agrees with
Mr.: McCord that there will be no gen
erai relief until the breakup in the
spring. ,.s
An Illustration Of operating methods
which recalls the testimony given by
Mr.. Phelan, the cattle man, in the Min
neapolls inquiry, is cited by Mr.. Nc
~.' Inexperience Is Costly. ..5 ,."-
There were eleven big engines in the
roundhouse at Minot. An engine was
coming In. The man in charge. mex
perienced, pulled the. lever the wrong
way, upset the engine on the turn
table, and blocked the outlet, tying up
these eleven engines for nearly twelve
hours. This for the time being: affected
the whole, Great Northern system. Co
ing over a three-hours run, Mr.. Nc
Cord s train, due at $3.50 pm, made its
destination at 5 am. Coming to Min
neapolis, he was due at 1880 am. and
reached here at pm. This, he saws.
IS common experience everywhere at
this time.
Conditions, he says, with relation to
the inability Of the roads to handle the
business OF the northwest with their
present equipment, have not been over.
stated in the least. AS to COMPOSITIONS
Of grain, he found that Statements
were most conservative. He visited 9ev
cry point where there was known ia
be a congestion, found that the piles
had increased in many places and found
| new open bins filed with grain at >
number of other stations that had moi
yet reported any accumulation. -
Mr.. McCord believes that the recent
| storms, coming down upon the rail
roads trying to do business that they
| could not possibly have handled in any
case, with their insufficient motive
power, has put a double handicap upor
them, and while he believes that con
ditions will improve, he looks for nc
general relief until next spring,