The Evening Tribune August, 1891
New Elevator
8/2
GRAND HAVEN’S
NEW ELEVATOR
———
The D., G. H. & M. will build one at once.
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 26.—An important conference has just been held at the Chamber of commerce between a committee of the chamber of commerce and General Manager Spicer and General Traffic Manager Lord, of the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee railroad company, the subject under consideration being the need for a grain elevator at Grand Haven for the handling of grain shipments from Milwaukee by lake and rail to eastern points. A number of commission men and merchants were present at the conference, who explained to the Grand Haven officials the great need of elevator facilities on the other side of the lake. The annoying grain blockade of a year ago in Milwaukee and the immense quantities of grain expected to arrive this fall with the probabilities of another blockade were referred to. Shippers here prefer to send their grain across the lake and thence east by rail rather than via Chicago, where delays seem unavoidable, owing to the immense business during the grain shipping season. In anticipation of this the Milwaukee and Eastern Transportation Company is erecting a large elevator at Benton Harbor, and with similar facilities at Grand Haven. Milwaukee would, it was urged, be in excellent shape to promptly fill all eastern orders and to prevent a blockade. The Grand Haven officials saw the force of the arguments and intimated that they would take immediate steps to secure the needed elevator facilities. Since it started last spring the Milwaukee and Eastern has been daily receiving and forwarding hundreds of tons of Milwaukee freight which is landed at Benton Harbor and then sent east by rail. A vast new shipping business has been created and when the grain begins to move more offers for shipment will be received than any one lake transportation company can handle, and if the Grand Haven company puts in an elevator it can also have all the grain it can carry.—Grand Rapids Democrat.