The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1919-03-14
A STRING OF FREIGHT CARS
$50 MILES LONG

INST think OI n hihrtt btt"h' - A"iA
n, freight cars. extending from Port
land ;, through Boston. along the
Sbore !. 10 New York. across Hen
Cate b. .Ige and through the Pennsyl-
vania tunnels. south past Philadelphia
and across the great bridge OF Susque-
hanna. and on through Baltimore TO
Washington-a single train Of freight
cars. with every foot OF track space
occupied
Or think OF the train as extending
from Chicago east. on any OF the main
trunk lines, and extending as far as
Buffalo and the Falls. or east OF Pitts
burgh past the famous Horseshoe
curve, 10 Johnst0wn. Pa. When ycu
think Of this you will have some faint
idea OF what wartime car saving
means. when expressed In terms Of re-
suits accomplished By single Indus
try.
Before the great war America was
prodIgal OF her freight space as OF
everything else. She used freight
rars lavishly. and In some places, ON
j
small as twelve or fifteen tons. With
this small unit OF carlOadlng. dealers
storages all over the country were
built TO accommodate a minimum car
lead. So IL happened that there was
much waste year after year. because
the freight loading units were on the
basis OF track capacity and engine pow
er of 1870. instead Of 1918
The fertilizer industry IN endeavor-
ing 20 cooperate with the government.
last year undertook 10 ship only In full
carloads. or as nearly full carloads as
the conditions OF the trade permitted.
This entailed a tremendous amount OF
work. as does anything which goes
against long established custom and
prnctice. The manufacturers had TO
"selI'' the idea 10 their statesmen: the
salesmen had 20 pass Il on 10 their
dealers and agents: and the dealer
and agents had TO convince their Gus
tomers-the fertilizer consumers the
country over-that it was necessary
for them TO cooperate in the move
ment-
Customers had 10 order early. so
that dealers could make up orders for
3 full carload. with the understanding
that some Of the customers would haui
directly from the car. ard thus help
relieve congestion IN the dealers stor-
ace. Dealers had 10 receive cars as
soon as they could be sent from tn
facforr. instead OF waiting. as they
j sometimes have done In the past. until
! tzsl before planting season. Manulac-
tu-c-. had % support this In all ways
porsihie. bat mainly by giving prefer
cnoe a. dose dealers who actually did
order .ariy end ia full carloads
The rpsrits of this Industrial coop
Grafton have been wonderful. Tie
prsvious vear the AVERAGE carload 81
fertilizer had been about % t0ns--only
hall OF the car occupied. Last year
this avemge was raised 10 over 70
tons Der acre. with the net result that
the equivalent Of more than $1,000 chr
trips we're saved. This number Of
car trips was set free for other uses.
for transportation OF munitions OF war.
for the carrying Of wheat and other
foods from the great granary OF the
middle West TO the seaboard states.
for the transport OF coal TO the frost
bound cities Of the North.
What was done I'm the fertilizer In
dustry last year must be done again
this year. Other industries must also
follow the same plan. Lime. feed,
fertilizers. all sorts OF materials must
be shipped In full carloads The way
TO accomplish this is for consumers 70
foresee their needs; and foreseeins
their needs 20 place their orders early
so that there viii be time enough for
full carloads TO be made up. 1mmedi.
ate shipment. as early as possible
must also be the rule-so that neither
the manufacturers storage. nor the
dealers storage may become over
taxed.