The Dickinson press., 1907-10-12
PLAIN TALK
Mr.. Phelan Shows tho
Northern Pacific People
Where Their Stock Ser
vice Is Poor.
Dickinson, N. d., Oct. :, 1907.

DICKINSON, N. d., Oct. 7, 1907.
To the Editor:
+ In the history of the Northern Pacific
Railway there has never existed more
unsatisfactory condition of affairs than at
the present for the care of live stock
shipments.
The management has provided abun-
dant equipment in the line of stock cars,
motive power is ample, yet the operating
force fails to make good.
With every evidence of vigor and
health about the healthy portions Of the
management, disease germ exists in
places, like fever and ague or malaria,
to foil persistent effort.
With bountiful supply of stock cars
commencing the season these cars have
been sent through en- masse to Chicago
a journey of 1000 to 1900 miles, and while
waiting for them to return, cattle wait
and live mainly on the contents of their
stomachs at 3H pounds per hour, finding
little or no grass at shipping points.
When the cars arrive, the DELAYED cat.
tie start, and few of the fresh arrivals
are accommodated, while the bulk of the
cattle hold for cars again, and the loaded
cars 60 en- masse again, flooding the
mar ket and congesting terminals for a
week, to the loss of every shipper in.
volved, while during the off week Chi.
cago roads use their equipment in short
or ordinary hauls, to the enhancement of
values for those fortunate enough to be
thus served.
Hence, the western cattle suffer from
shrink. waiting cars, they suffer from
protracted service en- route, besides en-.
forced unloading, so that not a hoof oi
cattle but weighs 100 pounds or more
when on the scales less than it should
weigh if properly transported and fed.
Not long ago stock train having 20
hours within the 36-hour limit to com.
plete the run to St. Paul was unloaded al
Haggart. A few days ago Robert Will
cox was held at Dickinson FIVE hours
waiting for orders after being loaded
and was held at Haggart for unloading
though having II hours within the linni
to complete the run, but the rottenes
part of it was that they were held in tn.
cars IA hours after arrival at Hangar
before they had chance to unload.
| "A mixed train of cattle and sheen
loaded by Leutz, Schweigert and Haus
ers at Hebron, September 14th, was un
loaded at Haggart after running onl
27o miles, without proper feeding facili
ties,-i rain storm to mire in we
gumbo until the typewriters east Q
Fargo were ready to let them proceed.
So many instances of this kind are il
evidence that live stock men dread tn
treatment as they would a plague. No
| ~, 11,s e,~~1, Ia
sented as we'll.
The unloading of cattle, loaded east Q
Montana, at any point west of St. Pau
is disgrace to any competent manage
ment. Men who will insist on owner
unloading live stock at such place a
Haggart in wet weather ought to be- sen
to the penitentiary and put to work on
rock pile.
The requirements of law are pleade,
in defense of such practice, yet the lega
department paid for protecting the rev
enue of the railroad company has no
made test of this matter to protect thei
patrons or the revenue from which thei
salaries are paid.
In my opinion, there is not an intelli
gent Judge or any kind of jury draw,
from. the American people that woul'
convict railroad or shipper for run
ming cattle through to St. Paul in prefer
ence to unloading at Haggart in we
weather, no matter what the red-tap
limit may be.
Here on the old Missouri division, the
have chief dispatcher who is the auto
crat of the stock car supply. The supe,
intendent defers to him, he shuts tn
train master out on the telephone line, t.
reach him requires bombardment o
Western Union kilograms at 40 cents
plus 3cents for extras. What he for
gets about the requirements, of shippe
would fill a book. The present agent a
l Hebron plays the mouse to his lion. Th,
i gentlemanly and accommodating agen
at Dickinson can't reach him very often
but he defers some to the practical ant
competent yardmaster here, lik ewise t,
the regular agent at Hebron. Mr.. Hey
wood. II it had not been for the effort
Of Kilmer, Wilson and Haywood, will
Others Of their kind, there would hav,
been a rebellion here long ago. IS
1t doesn't do any good to complain
lncompetents are not discharged an,
more.
What is the result7 The c. M. & ST