THE TRANSPORTATION OF MILK 201 



developed rapidly. It is probable that the shipment of milk by steam 

 began in a small way. Thus, H. N. Woolman has stated that in 1855 

 his family moved to 34th and Bridge Streets, now Spring Garden, Phila- 

 delphia, and shipped milk to the city on the front platform of a passenger 

 car. This was the first milk shipped over the Philadelphia and West 

 Chester Railroad. Whitaker states that Boston was probably the 

 first city in the United States to transport milk by railroad, the first 

 shipment being made over the Boston and Worcester Railroad in April, 

 1838, by Jason Chamberlain. He sold milk at 25 cts. per can of 9J^ qt. 

 Later he sold his milk business to Rufus Whiting. The milk was shipped 

 by express in a baggage car. The first milk car was run soon after be- 

 tween Westboro and Boston by a company of peddlers. Later the Boston 

 Milk Co. ran a milk car to Cordaville and still later Rowell and Kelly 

 brought in milk from Northboro and Fayville. In 1843 the New England 

 Farmer stated that a single dealer brought to Boston over the Worcester 

 Railroad 200,000 gal. of milk a year which was estimated to be 10 per 

 cent, of the city's entire supply. The milk brought 20 cts. a gallon. As 

 the population of Boston was 100,000 there was a per capita consumption 

 of a trifle less than % pt. a day. The milk that came over the Boston 

 and Worcester Railroad entered the south side of the city. On the north 

 side, too, a milk business was built up; milk was brought from Concord, 

 Mass., and from Wilton, N. H. Business at the latter place passed into 

 the hands of David Whiting in 1857. 



An article reprinted from the Albany Cultivator by the New England 

 Farmer of Sept. 6, 1843, tells how the growth of railroads had made it 

 possible to ship milk a distance of 50 miles to the cities and have it arrive 

 in good condition. It states that the effect of this was first felt in 

 Boston when milk was improved in quality and reduced in price and it 

 says further that New York City was beginning to receive the benefits 

 of milk shipped by rail from the country. Merritt states that prior to 

 1870 all of the milk consumed in Boston came from a distance of not 

 more than 65 miles. By 1890 the Boston and Maine was bringing milk 

 from a distance of 150 miles and in 1910 of 275 miles. Prior to 1900 

 all the milk for Boston carried by the New York, New Haven and Hart- 

 ford Railroad came from stations within 34 miles of the city but in 

 1900 the furthest shipping points were 85 miles distant; in 1910 they 

 were 211 miles. 



The first train in New York State that was classed as a rnilk train 

 was run over the Erie Railroad from Orange County to New York City 

 in 1847. 



Merritt says that: 



"Prior to 1842 practically all milk consumed in New York City was brought 

 in by wagons from the surrounding counties. In 1842 when the Erie was under 

 construction one dealer shipped from Orange County. 



