I remain, Yours very truly, THOMAS BROWN. LOUISVILLE & NORFOLK R. R. CO., _Office of Superintendent of Transportation_, LOUISVILLE, KY., Jan'y 3, 1889. TO THOMAS BROWN, ESQ., _Gen'l Supt., W. & A. L. R. W. Co., Winnipeg, Canada_. SIR: Your favor of the 31st ulto. was duly received and contents noted. I call your attention to the enclosed mem. from our Car Accountant, which shows that we have but seven of your cars now on our road; of these but three are bad cases, Nos. 28437, 34516, and 28873. One of these cars was crippled, and is in the shops; the other two are loaded with wheat consigned "to order." The necessary instructions have been given our agents, and we will do all in our power to hurry the return of your cars. I am, Very truly yours, JOHN SMITH. (Mem. enclosed.) MEMORANDUM. W. & A. L. Nos. 28542 to Ohio Northern, Dec. 5th. 34210 " Ohio Northern, Dec. 10th. 34762 " Kanawha Junc., 12/15 crippled. 29421 " Elmwood, 12/15 unloading. 28437 " Norfolk Shops, Dec. 6th. 34628 " No account. 34516 " Blue Ridge, 12/4 ordered out. 29781 to Ohio Northern, Nov. 27th. 28274 " Niantic, Dec. 12th, loading home. 34333 " Louisville Belt, Dec. 8th. 29842 " Brockton, Dec. 14th, empty, will load home. 28873 " Blue Ridge, Nov. 18th, ordered out. This is but an example of a correspondence that is constantly being exchanged between the officials who are in charge of the Transportation Department of the various railways of the country. The demands of trade necessitate continually the transportation of all manner of commodities over great distances. Thus, wheat is brought from the Northwest to the seaboard, corn from the Southwest, cotton from the South, fruit comes from California, black walnut from Indiana, and pine from Michigan. In the opposite direction, merchandise and manufactured articles are sent from the East to all points in the West, the North, and Southwest. The interchange is constant and steadily increasing in all directions.