Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-17

road anxious Tor the development OF the
country have changed it into a land of
the greatest prosperity. Crops worth
millions OF dollars are grown and the
shipping and iobbing interests of the new
country are centered in Omaha, which is
steadily becoming recognized as real
factor in the trade of every great COM
mercial house of the west.
In the network of the Burlington rail-
road system, Omaha is placed in what is
the geographical and the real center. One
Of the two headquarters of the road is
situated in this city, some 1900 persons be-
ing given employment by the road in
Omaha.
From Omaha the Burlington radiates
everywhere, reaching points in twelve
states, and connecting directly or through
their connections all of the great com
mercial centers OF the country. The Mis-
souri, river valley from Sioux City to
Kansas contains the greatest part of their
trackage, although their lines from Bill
inss, Deadwood and Denver to Omaha are,
of course, the long ones. Between Omaha
and Chicago a network of lines through
Iowa and Illinois carry grain trade that
is not edualed by any such amount OF
mileage in the country.
Although the Burlington in Iowa. and,
indeed, all east OF the Missouri. does
large shipping and passenger trade, 1t is
the division west Of the Missouri that has
developed the trading and jobbin3 inter-
ests of Omaha greatly during the last few
years. Omaha and South Omaha together
handle what is approximately one-tenth
of what is the entire trade Of this immense
I os non ,,e and RI on live
stock cars a year being handled by the
road in the two cities.
When the point is considered that there
is a car loading of 100000 cars year
and that Chicago is the only center which
has a larger tonnage than Omaha 1t can
be seen that Omaha is really in need OF
the road An average working day of the
| Omaha freight house is about 2,OO0O 900
pounds, all put through the freight house
| itself.
look at the passenger station OF the
Burlington at Omaha in one of the rush
hours, perhaps in the morning or better
at $50 to in the afternoon, forces one
TO realize the immense amount Of travel
coming into here from both east and west.
Four fast trains to and from Chicago are
run daily, and as a standard OF their ex-
cellence and time service the mail from
Chicago to Omaha Is carried by the Burl-
ington, and also from Omaha to Seattle
on the western service.
One of the most remarkable records of
train service on record was made by the
Burlington system during the month OF
June, 1910 For the thirty days OF that
month the four trains appeared on time
every day in the case Of two Of them, one
train once and another late three times,
The record in detail is as follows:
Fast mail No. on time every day.
Fost mail No Is late one day out OF the
thirty.
Passenger train No. late three times in
the thirty days,
Passenger train No. on time every
day
! A record like this reflects without
further proof the condition of the road
and the service and shows the perfect or
ganizatlon behind it. An equally good
July record was made also.
Road Always Improving.
Improvements are always going on or
| the road, the greatest one of the lest year
being the new line from Guernsey to
Thermopolls, Wyo. opening up new
water level line from the great northwest
to Omaha and connecting this city with
the Big Horn Basin country, land that
is sure to draw an immense amount OF
trade to the Omaha markets through this
new connection. Another connection be
tween the Burlington and the Northern Pa
cific line just being finished is the
Scribner- Fromberg line, affording ad-
ditional transportation from the Omaha
markets and the jobber to the northwest
country. Several extensions on the east
ern section are being considered, on a
southerly line into Padncha, KY, being one
| OF the most important. The Hudson
Greedy line, to be a airline route between
Denver and Cheyenne is now snder course
of construction.
In Omaha the new Burlington freight
depot, an Improvement which the Omaha
officials have hoped for for SONS t,re, II
already started, and 1t will undoubtedly
improve the freight service OF the road II
this city and make 1t possible to handle
any amount in the quickest manner hnown
The building will run from FarnSm &
Jackson streets along Eighth, and Will
entail cost of over Sl,OOC,OO0 to th@ road.
Purchases New Care
Other improvements in operating is tn,
purchase of s,76l cars and engines during
the last year, the recent purchase OF the Col
Worth & Denver CITY, wiclAia Valley anC
Trinity 6 Brazos Valley railroads Alto
gether, with the S94S miles OF the Burling
ton proper and the 2,7yI miles purchased
there are l,742 miles Of track which tn
road controls. On their own lines west o
the Missouri, before these new roads wer
h0ugl.g there was an increase OF 222o2 mile
OF track. over $40OO,OOO were spent by tn
road in balssting track last year and an
other sum of S2OOO,OO spent in the Milfor,
cutoff, near Lincoln Improvements II
the shops at 'Havelock mean an expenditure
of SSO0,OOO
one Of the interesting purchases Of tn
road was the investment In 800 automobl
freight cars. the cars needed having to b
especially wide and high for the shlpmen
OF these machines
AS an illustration OF the trade opened
to omaha through the Burlington, take
glance over the development OF Wyoming
state tributary to omaha trade. Tel
years ago there were 5000 farms, anC
property was Of the assessed value Of 81.
SS5,OOO and now there are 10000 farms of tn
value OF $ls6, OO0,O00 The land in the dry sec
tlon, especially In the great Big Horn Basin
is rapidly being brought under the influenc
of irrigation methods thus increasing
greatly the number OF people to the mil,