The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-02-07
OF ROADS
BRINGS SCOURGE
ON NORTHWEST
Halted Shipments Till Lake
Navigation Closed---Caught
in Trap.
N LOSE MILLIONS
Lumber Trusts Excessive Prices Pre-.
vent Building Of Granaries and
Mountains of Grain Arc
Covered by Snow.
FARMERS LOSE MILLIONS

ST. Paul, Mimi, Feb. 5.-The railroad
The effect Of the present congestion
will not be ob~literated inside of a year.
| The fuel famine and snow blockade are
bad, and perhaps, as j. J.. Hill says,
the coal dealers are largely responsible
for the coal shortage, because they did
not order supplies earlier; but the fuel
famine is but one phase of the situa-
ton. -
There are 1000 loaded freight cars in
the yards OF the Minnesota Transfer
| every car loaded with Christ
mas goods billed to North Dakota
towns, which have been in the yards
as far ack as December /. There are
also half this mi of cars scattered
| along the sidetracks between the Twin
Cities and the Dakota eastern border,
loaded with God supplies and mer-
chandise, which have been en- route,
some of the cars, since November Il,
long before the snowstorms came, but
still at a time when it Is is said the
railroads had reached IN agreement to
withhold cars from the northwest, S o
that shipments of grain could not be
made to the east until after the close
of navigation on the Great Lakes.
The storms came. and the railroads
have suffered as well as the people OF
the northwest.
Railroads Lose Much; Farmers More
But this loss to the railroads has been
Insignificant compared to the loss sus-
tanned by the farmers of Dakota.
though the railroads canno go through
till spring under an expense of less
than SO, 900, 900, not including an equal
amount in loss of traffic which the
blockade has occasioned.
~ NTi11iNn, Enf hrfCha1CL IF xu6nnf. ~ Ava
stacked upon the ground covered with
nothing but a foot to three feet of
snow, and it is estimated by a travel
ing railroad mar who spent three
weeks in the NORTH Dakota wheat belt
that at least fifty per cent. of this
grain will be a total loss. unit for
marketing.
The amount OF grain on the
ground" said he, lis almost beyond be-
lief. [ saw stacks of grain which con-
tanned 5000 bushels of wheat, covered
with eighteen inches of snow. When
this snow melts it will not run off.
but will soak into the grain and make
it unfit for anything but stock o
Lumber Trust Plays Part.
Lumber in North Dakota is very
costly and farmers cannot afford to
build extensive granaries. They have
depended upon the elevators to store
their grain, but this year. for one rea-
son or another, the railroads did not
furnish the cars necessary to haul the
grain as fast as it was received by the
elevators. The elevators are all full
now and nave not been able to receive
grain since December l. The loss on
the grain crop of this state alone be-
cause the railroads would not haul the
product to market will reach well into
the nlillions, compared to which the
fuel shortage and loss VIII be insignifi-
can't"
One of the great points in the inves-
tigation of the railroads of the north
west was the overlooking of this short
age of transportation facilities from the
grain centers of the wheat belt to the
eastern markets. The fuel shortage
cvershadowed all other subjects and lit
tie attention was paid to investigating
the reason for not taking care Of the
grain crop as in years past, and which
the railroads could upon with a
certainty.
Rich Yet Go Hungry.
AS a result of being unable to real
ize upon their crops and the forced
necessity Of allowing a large percentage
of grain to remain on the ground, the
farmer nave been hard pressed for
necessities to carry them over the Win
ter. while the country merchants have
not only exhausted their credit, but
their stocks have gone to keep the peo-
pie from starving. Fifty million dol
lars is a low estimate for the amount
of money tied up by the action of the
railroads in not early handling the
grain crop.
Or course circumstances occurred
later-the great snow storms-which
tied up the a and made it impos-
sible to take care of the traffic, and
they have also lost heavily. The policy
of holding back shipments so thai
earnings may be equalized the year
round, month by month, has been ar
expensive one, and it is likely to pro
ouce a revolution in ~railroading.
What Experience Will Teach.
The roads must be prepared to take
care of the traffic quickly and clear
1t up The effect will be to do ava,
with agreements to hold back until lax
navigation is over, that the roads may
enjoy a longer hau of freight, and thi!
lesson will teach the farmer the value
OF having storage facilities for hi:
grain independent OF the railroads an
then If he is forced to pay a high rat
of freight during the winter month"; h,
San wait till summer and ship via tn,
lake route. AT the same time he vii
be able to raise money on his store,
grain in case of necessity.
The this fall has taught tn,
railroads, the grain grower and the fue
dealers a less IN that they should neye
forget.
Montana's Worst Storm.
Billings, Mont. Feb. 5.-The seyeres
snowstorm in twenty years prevails /
eastern Montana. Snow covers tn
ground owe a foot Conditions ar
worse than since 1886, when thousand
: of sheep died in a storm.
:, 20 Below in Wisconsin.
Superior, Wis, Feb. 5.-Thermom
:, eters registered zG below this mornin,
Trains are nine hours behind.
I0ND0N pnrponc