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In this letter G. R. Anderson, owner of a general merchandise, coal, and hay store in Caldwell, Kansas, complains to the Board of Railroad Commissioners that the rate of transferring loads of coal on the Missouri Pacific Railroad at Ft. Scott is unreasonable. The flat rate of five dollars per car meant that, proportionally, moving a small load of coal was more expensive that moving a large load of coal. See the Board of Railroad Commissioners' response to this concern, a letter by H. M. Hoxie to E. J. Twiner, dated May 31, 1883.
Creator: Anderson, G. R.
Date: May 21, 1883
This letter provides an example of how the railroads were perceived as being unfair in the assignment of rates; it could be read in conjunction with H.M. Hoxie's response. Discontentment with the railroad was a major impetus in the formation of the Populist Party in Kansas.
KS:7th:4.2: Populism (2005)
Item Number: 210857
Call Number: Board of Railroad Commissioner Case Files, Box 1, Folder 9
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 210857
Business and Industry - Railroad - Companies - Missouri Pacific Railroad Company
Business and Industry - Retail - General stores
Collections - State Archives
Curriculum - 7th Grade Standards - Kansas History Standards - 1880s to 1920s (Benchmark 4) - Populism (Indicator 2) - Railroads
Date - 1880s - 1883
Environment - Natural resources - Coal
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Letter
Places - Cities and towns - Caldwell
Places - Cities and towns - Fort Scott
Places - Counties - Bourbon
Transportation - Railroads - Companies - Missouri Pacific Railroad Company
Type of Material - Unpublished documents - Letters
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/210857