The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-07-26
Big CROP FORCES THE
ROADS TO BUILD CARS

Minneapolis, July 23-The first
sample of the new wheat crop in the
northwest was received on Change
yesterday. The Stinson, Tenney
company received an envelope con-
tanning some freshly hand ehreshed
blue stem wheat from Hitchcock, in
Beadle county, South Dakota. The
wheat was of excellent quality and
was graded No. l northern by the
grain experts at the Chamber of
Commerce. Wheat cutting was re.
ported at several points yesterday in
Farmers around RedfieiG, s. d., had
binders in the fields cutting velvet
chaff wheat and there was a report
from Redwood Falls, Mimi. reporting
The wheat harvest on.
New Grain Cars.
Nearly 10000 new grain cars are
being built by the roads having
headquarters and large terminals in
the twin cities. The cars are being
rushed to the grain-producing points
III order that there may be no dearth
of rolling stock when the grain be-
gins to move. All roads are prepar-
ing for a heavy grain traffic.
According to officials it is expect
ed that every one of the new cars
will nave been distributed throughout
the northwest by September l. Sam
G.. LutZ, traffic manager of the Min
neapolis & ST. Louis road, said there
was every reason to believe that the
crop would be taken care of better
than ever before
Not only are the railroads getting
age of about twenty-five new engines
for every road A large number OF
refrigerator cars to handle perishable
goods are being built. All of This
equipment is rushed from the shops
as fast as it is completed.
The 500 road has provided 1000
standard box cars and the Minneapo-
lis and ST. Louis has provided SIM
liar number.
Given General Overhauling.
Recently the company let 4 large
contract TO the Peteler Car company
to rebuild a large amount of rolling
stock for the fall rush.
Superintendent Foster of the Mil
waukee road said his line was turn
ing out twenty-siX cars a day in the
Milwaukee shops. By September l it
is expected that all the way from
$500 to 5000 cars will have been
finished. The company has provid-
ed 100 new engines of the latest type
and 100 more are being built.
The superintendent of transporta-
ton of the Great Northern road has
reported that 1000 new box cars
have been built to handle the North
western crop. They are being rapid
" distributed The road has also
built $50 refrigerator cars, 1000 ore
cars and twenty-five Iew locomo-
tives.
The Northern Pacific has provided
5000 new cars for grain carrying.
These are being rushed west as fast
as they are completed. The Northern
Pacific also has built 1,500 refrigera-
tor cars and ten new engines.
Many Refrigerator Cars.
Traffic men say that the fact that
many new refrigerator cars are be-
ing built is a good sign. There was
great lack of refrigerator cars last
winter an perishable goods were held
in terminals, railways refusing to
ship them because of lack of proper
facilities in the extremely cold
weather.
Large coal shipments are being
made from Duluth. The railroads
are doing all in their power to make
the coal cars available for the big
rush this fall. Cars are being called
in from the Atlantic seaboard and
southern points and as fast as they
reach the twin cities are being rush
ed to the wheat field.
1t is the opinion among railroad
men, according to Mr.. Lutz and Mr..
Foster, that the grain traffic is to be
heavier than it has been for years
this fall.