SQO AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



of service rendered. The highest class of goods is given the quickest 

 and most regular service. A second class of goods, and even a third 

 or a fourth, may also be moved in trains having regular times for 

 arrival and departure, but which are slower than the "manifest," 

 "red ball," or "vegetable express" trains. These classes are distinct 

 from the classes upon which freight rates are based. 



Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually included in the list of 

 commodities which are given this best service. Trains carrying these 

 perishable products are run at greater rates of speed and with greater 

 regularity than are ordinary freight trains. Delays are reduced to a 

 minimum, and especial care is taken to have the cars carrying these 

 fruits and vegetables move promptly along the way. Where the 

 traffic justifies it, entire trains are made up of such produce. 



One feature of this service is the telegraphic report which is made 

 of each car as it passes each reporting station on its route. These 

 "passing" reports, however, are made, on some railroads, for lower 

 classes of freight also. 



Some of the principal parts of this system were in use before 1885 

 on at least one railroad. Cars were reported by telegraph on passing 

 certain points, and their movement was recorded in the central 

 office, not only in writing but by means of pegs. Each car was repre- 

 sented by a peg bearing the symbol of the car and inserted in a block 

 which represented the train. The route over which the cars moved 

 was represented by a board on which vertical lines and spaces indi- 

 cated the various stations from which " passing " reports were made. 

 When a train was reported to have passed a station, the block repre- 

 senting the train was moved past the place on the board that repre- 

 sented the station. The telegraphic report mentioned each car in 

 the train; cars not so mentioned were accounted for, with the reason 

 for delay, or were the subject of prompt inquiry from the central 

 office. This system is now in use on a number of railroads. The 

 information shown on the board is kept also in written form, and, on 

 some railroads, it is summarized in circulars, issued daily. The 

 "board" is a convenient but not an essential part of this system. 

 Some railroads do not use a board at all; they keep all their "passing " 

 records on paper. 



To facilitate telegraphing in some of these "passing-report" sys- 

 tems, each car may be given a symbol after the train is made up. The 

 symbol consists of a letter or group of letters, which indicate the 

 station of origin, and a number to designate the car. The car is 



