28 
Wisconsin state agricultural society . 
2 21-100c. per ton per mile for all freights ; nor have I taken any 
account of the higher “ special ” rates. 
The company say, in their report, that they have moved 
910,855,195 tons one mile, which, at their stated compound rates, 
1 37-100c., amounts to $12,613,499.35; but, by the rate above 
stated, which cannot be too high, it amounts to $20,129,899.80, or 
nearly $8,000,000 more. 
But the company, on page 41 of their report, give a tolerably 
good clue to the whole secret—that is, they give a clue to the fact 
that whatever error may be committed, it is evident that my 
figures cannot be too high, since they divide the whole amount 
by per cent, of classification, when it will be seen they have care¬ 
fully left out all reference to the higher grade of freights ; but I 
am content, since their own low grade of classification and per 
cent, justifies my computation of their compound rate. At the 
risk of being tedious, I copy their table : 
Classification. 
Per cent, of whole 
No. of tons moved. 
. 6.5 
Stone lime. 
. 3.2 
Petroleum. 
. 8.4 
Railroad and pip 1 iron... 
. 2.1 
Other iron and eastings... 
. 2.1 
Lumber and other forest products. 
. 10.4 
Animals. 
. 9.6 
Grain. 
. 21.2 
Agricultural products, except grain. 
. 3.8 
Flour. A ....h . . 
. 5.3 
Provisions. 
. 5.3 
Manufactures . 
. 4.4 
Merchandize, etc. 
. 17.7 
Total. 
. 100.0 
Now, get the proper per cent, of the whole, and multiply by 
b - 
the rate charged in the class to which the foregoing articles be¬ 
long, and it gives a total of $20,986,432.46, or a little more than 
when multiplied by 2 21-100c, as the rate I have figured per ton 
per mile. This shows that the company must have received 
nearly double the rate they claim to have received, or they must 
have knocked off nearly 50 per cent, of their published rates ; a 
fact that does not often occur to gladden the hearts of shippers. 
The company say their cost rate per ton per mile, was 92-lOOc, 
