Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1889 — Growth of Freight Transportation. [ARTICLE]

Growth of Freight Transportation.

In the early period of railways in this oountry, when they were built chiefly to promote local interests, and the movement of either freight or passengers over long distances was a comparatively small portion of the traffic, it was customary for all roads to do their business in their own cars, transferring any freight destined to a station on a connecting road at the junction or point of interchange of the two roads. While this system had the advantage of keeping at home the equipment of each road, it resulted in a very slow movement of the freight. As the volume of traffic grew and the interchange of commodities between distant points increased this slow movement became more and more vexatious. Soon the railway companies found it necessary to allow their cars to run through to the destiration of the freight without transfer, or they would be deprived of the business by more enterprising rivals. So that to-day a very large proportion of the freight business of the country is done without transfer; the same car taking the load from the initial point direct to destination. The result of this is, however, that a considerable share of all the business of any railway is done in cars belonging to other companies, for which mileage has to be paid; while, in turn, the cars of any one company may be scattered all over the country from Maine to California, Winnipeg to Mexico. The problem that constantly confronts the general superintendent of a railway is, liow to improve the time of through freight, thereby improving the service and increasing the earnings of the company; and, at the same time, how to secure the prompt movement of cars belonging to the company, getting them home from other roads, and reducing as far as possible upon his own line the use of foreign cars, and the consequent payment of mileage therefor.— Theodore Vc or been, in Scribner’s.