Uncommon Carrier

One of the shortest railroads in the U.S. is the little Ohio & Morenci, which hauls freight 20.2 mi. from Berkey, Ohio to Morenci, Mich. About six months ago, the Ohio & Morenci petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission for authority to go out of business: there just wasn't enough traffic to make it worthwhile.

Last week ICC Examiner J.A. Prichard tartly recommended that the application be turned down. He said the road should be a profitable operation, but was actually trying to lose money. At Morenci, it had allowed its tracks to be torn up and given its right of way to the New York Central. (The owner, a Columbus scrap-metal firm, said it had been ordered out for want of a franchise.) The owners' real object, said the examiner, was to go out of business so that its trackage, bought for only $33,-450 in 1933, could be sold as scrap for $242,800.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.