OOREESPOTOEUOE BETWEEN OHAIEMAN OP COMMITTEE ON TEANS- 

 POETATIOU AND VAEIOUS EAILWAT MANAGEES. 



The following correspondence passed between Mr. Stephens, as Chair- 

 man of the Committee on Transportation, and William Sproule, Freight 

 TraflSc Manager of the Southern Pacific, Robert Graham, Manager 

 of the F. G. E. Refrigerator Car Line, and others, and is self-explanatory. 

 It is presented herewith in order that the fruit-growers of the State 

 may have a clear understanding of the points involved in the matter at 

 issue between themselves, the railroads, and the refrigerator companies: 



Letter from William Sproule. 



Southern Pacific Company, 



San Francisco, Cal., May 21, 1901. 



Mr. R. D. Stephens, 



Chairman Transportation Committee, Fruit Growers and Shippers, 



Sacramento, Cal.: 



Dear Sir : 



deciduous fruit traffic. 



Referring to the memorial from the fruit-growers of California to the transportation 

 companies through committee of fruit-growers, of which you are the chairman, and 

 copy of which was duly furnished this office. 



I beg to say that we have had extended correspondence with our connections, look- 

 ing to a time-schedule on deciduous fruit from Northern California, during the season 

 now opening, that would be as far as feasible in line with the wishes of the fruit-growers. 



As expressed to you when I had the pleasure of appearing before the convention at 

 its session in this city in December last, it is the desire of this company to do its share 

 in fostering the fruit industry, and lend it our influence in giving it satisfactory 

 transportation. 



Am now able to say to you accordingly that it is the intention of this company to 

 run trainloads of fresh fruit from Sacramento to Ogden, within 60 hours, provided, if 

 there is but one train, it be ready for departure from Sacramento not later than 12 

 o'clock midnight; if two or three trainloads, it will be necessary that the first and 

 second be ready to go out at earlier hours, say at 10 and 11, respectively. 



The Union Pacific and its connections have authorized us to say that their time from 

 Ogden to Chicago will approximate 84 hours for shipments thus delivered them in train- 

 load lots, of which 24 hours will be consumed from Council Bluffs to Chicago. 



You will observe that this will bring the fruit into Chicago in the early morning 

 hours; as a shipment, for example, which leaves Sacramento on Monday midnight, 

 would arrive in Chicago on the morning of the following Monday — this, too, bearing in 

 mind the two hours difference in time owing to meridian. 



If, when shipments begin in quantity so as to make up trainloads, shippers will so 

 arrange their forwardings as to give the whole trainload to one connection through to 



