Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-08-06

$3.50 ~ AphAS anu u HILL.
Perishable freight is the bane of the
railroad mans existence. He some
times loses more sleep over 1t than
ne does over passengers. Ii involves
problems not met with In most kinds
OF freight 1t must be delivered in the
quickest time possible. and In this
connection the railroad, like the ship
pers and the commission men, must
always reckon on the market day. The
loss of one market day on perishabe
freight like strawberries often means
the loss of the entire shipment. The
failure of railroads. freight schedule
to insure delivery of this kind OF
freight for a certain market day may
mean the loss to that railroad OF this
entire business; to the commission men
and marketmen 1t means so much less
business to get returns from. On the
other hand, the ability Of the time
table experts and the traffic men to
knock OF half an hour even on the run
ming time of freight train may mean
to the road thousands OF dollars of new
business and for the commission men
may open up brand new line OF
trade. For years men have worked
over these freight train schedules try
ing to lop of precious minutes Of time
In the yards, In the stops en- route and
In the delivery. Always their aim has
been In the case of New England to
get table luxuries. such as early
strawberries, melons and peaches, into
Boston by the second market day.
There is no more perishable produce
than Strawberries, and next to them
comes fish. The New England rail-
roads must bring the first into New
England and carry the second out. In
the case OF berries 1t Is absolutely es-
sential that they be consumed within
seventy-two hours from the time they
are picked for them to command a
price that will make the business
worth while. When one considers that
gtnia and points farther south the
problem confronting the New England
railroads In getting them on the New
Engiander's table within this limit Of
seventy-two hours is thus seen to be
big one. IL carload of Strawberries
consigned to a New England produce
merchant misses market day ut the
South Boston yard 1t means usually a
depreciation OF at least cents on
every box: on melons 1t means prob
ably n cent apiece. That may not
seem much. but in the aggregate 1t is
enough frequently to wipe out the
profit on an entire shipment
In order to make a market day with
this kind OF freight, the railroad must
get 1t into Boston, say, between the
! hours OF . a. IN. and 6 a. IN. The
| market day begins promptly at a. m.
That Is. the hour when the big bell
| rings out In the perishable freight
/ yard and there begins scene of ac-
/ tivity among the markeben. When
4 this bell rings the cars must be ready
/ to open so that their contents can be
/ inspected and sampled and the fruit
or vegetables sold right as they stand
I In the car. Ten minutes after this
/ bell rings the contents OF the train
may be on the way to the market
ipui VI " u M 10 hAtN
I goal upon which the eye of the operat-
ing man and the traffic man in the
/ railroad organization is fixed. 1t Is
[ the hour they must make, not one
I day. but every day, or lose the bust
ness. Down In Virginia, through Mary
land and Delaware freight train
| loaded with the luscious early berries
Of southern plantations, the first to
[ feel the vltalizing effect OF the spring
I sunshine, may be rushing through the
night toward this goal with the speed
! OF n passenger train. The engineer
( has this goal in mind, the yardmen
along the route have 1t In mind, and
up In the railroad offices the operat-
| ing men have II In mind too. Like the
man with the ball in the football game,
these men are all working to put the
train with Its produce over the goal
line before the big bell In the Boston
! yard rings out as signal for the
market men that another market day
| has begun.
, New England has not always enjoy
| ed the privilege Of having strawberries
In February or even melons in May.
II was not many years ago that the
average householder had to rely chiefly
on his local fruits and vegetables. He
| waited until July for his strawberries.
His melons and peaches he got later.
| Vegetables out Of season were rare.
This was when New England, by the
then means Of transportation. was
many market days away from the
south. These were the days Of inten-
sive railroads, as Mr.. Brandeis would
probably call them, short railroads
connecting with one another, hut op-
Grated separately and involving many
transfer points When freight has to
go over several railroads operated on
the intensive principle It is bound to
suffer delays Between Boston and
New York there were the New Haven.
| the old Stonington road and the Boo