The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-02-07
GREED OF ROADS
BRINGS SCOURGE
ON NORTHWEST
Halted Shipments Till Lake
Navigation Closed---Caught
in Trap.
FARMERS LOSE MILLIONS
Lumber Trusts Excessive Prices Pre-
vent Building OF Granaries and
Mountains Of Grain Are
Covered by Snow.

II. Paul. MINI, Feb. THE railroa'.
situation la the northwest N appalling.
| The effect OF the present congestion
| viii not be- obliterated inside OF year.
/ The fuel famine and snow bockade are
/ bad. aud perhaps a. j. j. Hiil says
! the coal dealers are largely responsible
! for the coal shortage. because they dld
| not order supplies earlier. but the fuei
| famine H. but one phase OF the situa-
4 Iinu.
There are 1000 loaded freight cars In
/ the yards at the Minnesota Transfer
| company. every ear loaded with christ
| mas goods billed To North Dakota
towns, which have been Ia the yards
| ns FAR back az December ]. There are
| also half this number OF cars scattered
| along the sidctraCks between the Twin
| cities and tn" Dakota eastern border
! loaded with food supplies and lner-
! chandisc. which have been en- route.
! some of the ears, since November Il,
| long before the snowst orIns came, but
| still at u time when u N Is said the
| railroads had reached an agreement To
withhold ears from the northwest. so
| 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 az Well as the people or
| the northwest.
Railroads Lose Much; Farmers More
But this loss tu the railroads has been
insignificant compared To the loss aus
/ tanned by the farmers OF Dakota,
though the railroads cannot 30 through
TN spring under an expense or less
than 81 coo Coo. not including an equal
amount in loss OF traffic which the
blockade has oCCGsion,d.
Millions al bushels Of wheat are
stacked upon the ground covered with
nothing but foot to three Feet OF
snow. and a. is estimated by "A travel
ing railroad man who spent three
| weeks la the North Dakota wheat belt
that at least my per cent. of this
grain will Ice "a total loss. UNIT for
marketing.
The amount of grain on the
ground" said he. rs almost beyond be-
lief I saw stacks of grain which con-
tanned 5000 bushels of wheat, covered
with eighteen Inches OF snow. When
this snow mclIs II viii not run OF.
but will soak'into the grain and make
A. unfit for anything but stock food.
Lumber Trust Plays Part.
Lumber IN North Dakota II very
costly and farmers cannot afford To
build extensive granaries. They have
deprndrd 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 Hs fast AK II was received by the
elevators The elevators are all fun
now and have not been able To receive
grain since December I. The loss on
the grain crop OF this state alone be-
| cause the railroads would not haul tho
pruduct tn market will reach well into
in. millions. compared 10 which the
fuel shortage ana loss Will be insignia
| can't
one ~ the great points IN the Invcs-
N.tZ - Ia. HF h..
west was the overlooking OF this short
age Of transportation facilities from the
grain Ccuters OF the wheat belt To- the
eastern markets m, fuel shortage
rvcTSh allowed all other subjects and lit
Tie attention WAS paid To investigating
the reason for not taking care OF the
gr.. co. crop as In years past. and which
the railroads could count upon with
certainty.
Rich Vet Go Hungry.
As = result OF being unable TO real
iz- upon their crops and the forced
necessity OF allowing n large percentage
OF grain To remain on the ground. the
formers have 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 u low estimate for the amount
hf llhl'N ANI'N wv ny ANf NNAloil VI the
railroads iu not early handling the
grain crop.
or course circumstances occurred
latcT-ihC great SNOW storms-whiCh
tied up the roads ana made IL impos-
Siblc 10 TAX" care OF the traffic, and
they have also lost heavily The policy
~ holding back shipments so that
earnings may be- rqualiZed the year
} round. month by month. has been AN
J expensive ono. ana II u likely to pro-
Gucv % revolution Ia railroading
What Experience Will Teach.
Tho roads must he prepared To take
car" ~ the traffic quickly and clean
u ~ Tn" effect will be- to do away
| with agreements 60 hold back uutll lake
navigation ~ over. that the roads may
enjoy a longer haul ~ freight. and this
lySsOu viii teach the farmer the value
Of having storage facilities FOR his
:. grain Independent OF the railroads and
then II hc Us forced to pay "a high rate
az freight during the winter months he
can walt till summer and ship Via the
lake route. ~ 10" same time he will
be able to raise money on his stored
! grain On case 81 necessity.
; Tho situation this ruu has taught the
> railroads. the grain grower and the fuel
. dealers lesson that they should never
, | forget.
; Montana's Wsrst Storm.
Iilinga. Mont. rob. a.--Thr' scy"rcst