200 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ALTON-SOUTHERN 



Messrs. Hollister and Browne read papers discussing the reason 

 why fruit-growing was not more largely carried on about Alton than 

 at other places that started later in the business, and not so favor- 

 ably located. Both writers agreed in ascribing the cause to poor 

 freight accommodations and the high rates charged by the railroad 

 companies. 



President Pearson — Centralia, DuQuoin and other points on 

 the I. C. R. R. are further away from market than we are, and ship 

 much more than we do, yet started in the business later than we did 

 and have not so favorable locations, and there must be a reason for 

 it. Doubtless the fact that the I. C. had lands to sell, which the C. 

 & A. had not, induced it to give shippers facilities and rates more 

 favorable than our growers could get, and they have prospered and 

 we have not. Our growers not having as good freight rates and ac- 

 commodations, have been limited to the express and more of a ped- 

 dling trade. 



Mr. Browne said the fruit train on the I. C. R. R. left Centralia 

 at 3 p. M. and arrived in Chicago at 6 a. m. the next day, in time for the 

 early market, and although a greater distance than from Alton to 

 Chicago, paid less freight than we had to pay, and went into market 

 in better shape, because better cars were furnished. 



President Pearson said the C. & A. R. R. are anxious to get our 

 business, but want the grower to first grow crops that will pay them 

 to put on a fast train; but growers would not and could not go into 

 the business on such indefinite chances. To grow an orchard is not 

 the work of a week, and the growers having Once demonstrated that 

 such a train can be run at a profit to the railroad company, such a 

 train would be put on to stay for all time. 



Mr. Starr asked why it was that the C. & A. R. R. charged 

 eighty-five cents to haul a barrel of apples from Godfrey to Chicago, 

 when the C, B. & Q. charged but twenty-one or twenty-two cents 

 from Alton to Chicago, which was a longer haul, or why the C. & A. 

 should charge $-i a ton more from Godfrey to Chicago, than from 

 Alton? 



This everybody gave up as a question they were unable to an- 

 swer, being deeper in the science of railroading than they had yet 

 gone. To their simple minds it seemed that it should cost more for 

 a long than a short haul. 



