The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04
THE FAST FLYING
Freight |: I TRAINS A
Moderns ay 81 slli1gs Perish
able Goods 10 Markets 81 the
Country.
PREFERENCE F:RSE5l CHI / !"
."PREFERENCE F.R.Eal Gil. I |"
How Down-South and Virginia
Fruits and Vegetables Are
Now Handled.

4 NEW YORK, July 27.-Not long ago
five carloads Of silk We're carried in a
single train across the continent from
San Francisco9to New York. Each carr
load was worth about 100000, making
the five worth approximately half a
million dollars. The silk came from,
the Far East, and was bound for New
York and Europe. Naturally, on ac-s
count Of its. great value, 1t was we'll
|guarded and sent forward with tho
greatest possible speed. Tho time In
transit from the Pacific Coast to Chi
lcago was six days, and from Chicago
this precious consignment was carried
| to New York in sixty hours.
This was not uncommon; a like swift
movement Of eastern silk happens
every little WHILE, and illustrates the
lstate of development to which the
handling of preference freight, as It Is
called, has been brought by the lead
ling railways Of this country.
Run Like Passenger Trains.
Th 9 more popular name for this class
Of traffic is preference or fast
freight" and that is expressive of It's
| eli aracter. Speed In the movement of
freight receives less attention from
the publlc-it is less spectacular than
1.-THE flight of luxurious passenger trains.
Never theless, 1t Is one of the signit1-
cant achievements of modern railroad :
ling. and Its Importance in the every
day life of tho average citizen Is
something he is little apt to realize.
/ A regular schedule. as definite and
liked as tho passenger schedule. is the
|perfecting step In tho rapid move
|ment OF preference freight. At stated
times the commodity trains. the cattle
trains. and the fruit and vegetable
trains leave certain points, and al
Stated times they arrive at their sew.
eral destinations. On the road ar
rangements are made for their pas.
Sage with Just as much regularity af
for the passage of passenger trains
And the goods are met by consignees
lat the destination. in many cases just
las Il passenger Is met by friend OF
relative at his journeys end.
How 1t Came About.
This condition is n result of steady
l|growth since the days when through
freight was handled jointly by canal
l.railrOad, steamboat and wagon. II
has been brought about by improve
, Iments In every department of the rail
: road Organization. by more tracks
llmore powerful locomotives, stronge
SAND heavier cars, gentler grades ant
y fewer curves. and perhaps, most of all
; by the advance operating methods an
q ever-increasing resources of mnnaS
u ing ability.
t Having long ago passed Europe Il
t, 1.-THE economy and dispatch with whic
theavy, or mon preference" or 4'slow.
; freight is moved, American rail
n roads are seeking to approach
that degree OF perfection In til
banding of commodities which
seen in England British achieve
ments In this direction hav
-lbeen made possible by the density {
and the short distance
IS lover which the goods have to h
/ lhauled; the system Is similar to til
express service In this country. He.
,sIthe great areas, the long distances an
1. the scattered state OF population ha,
l. lput obstacles In the way of attalnin
e, IAN that the public and the carrie,
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