The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04
THE FAST FLYING
FREIGHT TRAINS
CONTINUED from FIRST Page.)
might desire in the collection and de-
livery of commodities.
The South Gets to Market.

livery of commodities.
The South Gets to Market
Many of these obstacles have been
overcome--to what extent is shown by
the fast freight schedules and by the
increase in the shipments of perishable
matter. Families which formerly had
TO do without vegetables until late
spring or summer can now afford new
potatoes and peaches brought from
the South in February-all on the ao-.
count of facilities for rapid hauling
and the decrease in freight rates.
A merchant in Chicago can order
half carload of merchandise from
New York on Monday by telegraph
and get the consignment Thursday
morning. A train of berries can leave
Richmond or Cape Charles or Hamp-
ton u half-past o'clock in the morn
ing ana is in New York the same
evening. Cattle arc carried through
from Pittsburg to the docks in Phla-
delphia in less than twenty -four hours.
Pcrishnble Freight.
The kind Of preference freight that
is best known to the public-the kind
that might be called the FIRST prefer
ence'---is the perishable freight,
fruits and &vegeta bles. There has long
been more or less of this traffic, but
it has assumed new Importance
within comparatively recent years.
The first shipment of early vegetables
for market was made by boat from
Norfolk in 1855. L.astNyear the Penn
sylvania alone hauled 10000 cars of
truck product from the South, largely
berries melons. potatoes and apples.
Modern methods Of tracking and re-
frlgeratng have aided the improved
track and rolling stock to send fruits
and vegetables from the South to
Northern markets with the utmost pos
sible speed. With the exception Of
live stock for the transportation Of
which Congress has made special
rules. early vegetables take preference
over all other preference freight.
Gathering Statistics.
To meet the demands of this traffic
it is necessary to keep close tab
ON the producing country, to ltn6N
Just what the agricultural conditions
are, and how fortunate one section has
n been in conlpar ison ito another. Sey-
eral months before the movement be-
gins representatives of the railways
the opinions Of shippers station agents
and others Of the probable size of
shipments. Later, about a month be.
fore any particular commodity begins
to move. another trip is made TO con.
firm estimates made. at first. Besides
this. station agents made reports II
advance, and when the movement be.
gins alHey make .daliS reports
In this way il Is possible to Ge
fairly accurate figures upon which t.
form judgment of the equipmen
needed 1t has been found that TIL,
boundary of the, producing tcrritor,
moves north at the average rate o
fifteen miles u day. First the greer
vegetables begin TO come from Florid;
IN January. A little later Georgia an
Alabama arc the centre of truckin;
activity and later stu Virginia gets II
the swim Far along in the summe
Maine and Canada send their pro
duets TO the big cities.
With this continuous and rap
change in the position of the chic
source of supply the complications /
the railroads part of the work ar
considerable. Ventilated and refris
orator cars must be on hand for on
kind Of weather but in the col!
months these same refrigerator car
IRE turned into warming cars to kee
vegetables from freezing.