Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-20
NEW METHOD or FREIGHT HAND.
!. LING TO PREVENT rlE.UP
At cENrERs.
DIVERSION or Fke,oHr
POLLUTION or PRo0LEM
Experimental Work a Clinton, Under
Direction ~ N. J. Sweet, Previns
Successful - Trains ~ FrsiSht Fer
Eastern Points Made up in Iowa City
Instead et chisaSe.
pecial to Times -Republican.

Clinton, Sept. "a new method OF
relieving congestion in big Industrial
and railway esntess Is being. tried out
in Clinton By the United States rail-
way administration. and the man who
has been chosen to handle this big
task 10 NJ. J. Sweet, an old Iowa rail.
road man, until recently commercial
agent for the New York Central in
Davenport . ...
avoid the consested center"
This Is the apparently simple prin-
ciple on which the entire experiment
at Clinton is being based. But while
IT seems simple, its success depends
largely on the Ability. experience and
thorough acquaintance with traffic
routes Of the men handling It, as a
novice coa;d quickly create more con-
eestion than could be untangled for
some time.
For this reason Mr.. Sweet was
chosen for the job.
The experiment in Clinton Is being
watched with keen interest by rail-
road and traffic men thruout the
country. and it's success will mean the
opening Of an entirely new field Of
activity for traffic men with ability
and thorough knowledge Of thru
traffic routes.
Diversion Of Frsi Jht. y
When Uncle Sam took hold OF the
operating end Of the railroads, he
eliminated much waste effort by tax
ing of freight solicitors Of competing
lines. Now : carries this conserva-
.tion one sE1S> Nrther. but this step
means that inshs@ Of these men will be
able to find useful employment in the
new field which will mean the saving
of much time and many a dollar to the
railway administration.
Since Mr.. Sweet took hold Of the
work in Clinton on July % of this year
more than 1000 carloads of freight
have been switched out at this point
and diverted. At present as many as
four full trains SOME times leave in a
day for Atlantic coast territory.
Heretofore it has been the practice
o. tn Northwestern, like movt Of the
western tAaAk lines, to haul cars
destined feP the east into Chicago.
There they would be switched to the
various lines on which the points of
destination are located. BY making up
these trains. for the east in Clinton,
long before reaching Chicago. from
forty-eight to seventy-tw hours are
waved in .,e time the freight is in
transit and large financial saving re-
suits in addition from the reduced
switching operations.
Trains Made UP in Clinton.
Complete trains Of from forty to
Nifty five cars made up in rotation
for the New York Central, the Michi-
gan Central, the N. Y. c. and st. l..
and the Wabash. No trains are sent
over the Pennsylvania or the B. q o.
on account Of the congestion in the
Pittsburgh district, but trains for
eastern points on these lines are de-
toured via other routes No trains are
now sent over the Grand Trunk and
Erie on account of embargoes of
various kinds.
Instead of pulling into Chicago, the
thru freights from Clinton go only as
far west as West Chicago, over thirty
miles from the heart Of the metropolis
Here they are turned over to the E1gin,
Joliet & Eastern. which detolrs them
around the city Of Chicago, delivering
them to the lines over which they con-
To E eastward.
There are many. other points thru
out the country where the railroads
can apply the same principle Of divert
ing cars, and this will likely be done
If this experiment on the Northwestern
proves as successful as present indica-
lions warrant predicting.
Sweet Native Of Iowa.
Among the carloads Of freight
diverted here are many shipments OF
war materials, iron from the west for
special uses in eastern factories tim
Der for ships, carloads Of prune stones
from California to be used in the
manufacture OF gas masks for the
allied soldiers, -four and foodstuf1s
and many other commodities.
Mr.. Sweet is a native of Iowa, hav-
ing been born in Mitchell county,
where he worked on farm before
entering the railroad game. He was
for some time general agent for the
Keokuk & Western at Des Moines
then he went to work for the New
York Central at the same place. and
later was transferred to Chicago.
few years ago he was made CONNER
cial agent at Davenport and held tina;
position until selected for this new
and important task.