Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-09

The Individual Car Owners Association
OF the United States Is now In session at
Cleveland o., Some four hundred firms
and corporations owning special equipment
ears Of various kinds are represented in
the membership OF this Association. They
own approximately 10000 cars. Little is
known of this organization by the general
public, and yet the achievements of its
members affect the entire nation. They
have changed the whole trend of the meat
business in the United States; they have
wrought revolution In the fruit industry
OF the country; they have accomplished re-
markable changes In the vegetable-growing
business OF the nation; and they have made
possible things undreamed OF a century
ago.
In recent years much has been written
about the wickedness of the private car
lines OF the country and the evils they have
brought about. Yet they were born OF
sheer necessity. When Gustavus Swift
started his packing business in Chicago he
found it impossible to market his meats in
the east owing to lack OF suitable trans
portation facilities. The railroads were
transporting the live cattle from the pralr-
les to the eastern markets, and ms the
traffic in live cattle gave them about 100
per cent more business than the traffic in
dressed beef they were, of course not
hasty in welcoming the idea of changing
from the transportation of cattle to the
hauling of beef. Furthermore, feeding sta
tons had been established all along the
lines Of the railroads where the cattle were
removed from the cars and fed enroute.
The people who we're interested in these
feeding stations were no more friendly to
the idea of dressed beef transportation
than we're the railroads
1t was very fortunate for Mr.. Swift and
for the future history of the beef industry
that there was one line running to New
York which was too circuitous for the
hauling of live cattle. That line was the
Grand Trunk railway, and as 1t had no
cattle traffic 1t was glad enough to get
the dressed beef business, provided IT did
not have to furnish the equipment necess-
airy to hauling this class of freight. 1t
agreed that II the specially designed cars
required for the business were furnished
by the shippers, 1t would be glad to route
them over its line. In that agreement
was born the private car line of the United
states After the Grand Trunk began
hauling dressed beef the other roads were
glad to follow suit.
The same sort of condition prevailed when
the Standard Oil people wanted to ship the r
oil in tank cars, and also when the fruit
growers and the stock men wanted to call
into service special equipment. In every
case the railroads refused 10 furnish the
special cars required In the different lines
of business In one sense thu history OF
the private car really goes back further
than the beginning ftHe dressed beef
industry. When railroads tirac were suit
1t was intended that they should be cper
ated on the turnpike or toll-road principle.
All users thereof were to furnish their
own cars. and the railroad company was
to charge toll for passing over its line.
In the earliest days OF railroaiinS the care
were drawn BY hon SEES Then the locomotive
became a Substitute for the horse, and,
for a while, two tolls were levied; tho
one for the use of the road and the other
for the use of the motive power. 1t soon
was found that such plan Of operation
was out of the question. the average rail
road train of that day looking like a VERT,
able Noahs Ark of vehicles, all shapes and
sizes, and In all degrees of repair So the
railroads took over the cars Of all shippers
and the private car was dead for the time
being.
Later on as the Star of Empire passed
westward across the Alleghehies, and or
| toward the Rocky mountains and the Pa
| cific ocean, there was found TO be a great
demand for through freight service. Nc
| railroad could give such service, as eacl
was but small link in a long Chain OF
| little lines Such railroad facilities as
through routes and joint rates were as
yet unheard OF, and the shipper had little
recourse for the unusual damages arising
from the very frequent traus-shipmenr OF
goods from one line to another on thel
| journey from the west to the east The rail
roads were unwilling to be the pioneers ii
the establishment of through routes anC
| joint rates and 1t fell to the shippers them
selves to organize such routes and
rates. through the operation of pri-
vately owned fast freight lines. After
awhile the railroads saw that the fast
| freight lines were making more money ou
OF the business than they were, so they
took over these lines and operated then
on a cooperative basis, the lines beinf
| distinguished by the colors OF their cars
such as the orange blue, red and white
| lines
So far as is known the earliest ettemp
to make q refrigerator car was on th'