TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

Mr. William N. Babcock, Manager

Ambrose H. Lee, Superintendent

The duties pertaining to this department are well set forth in the Executive
Committee rules as to transportation.  The most important of these were the
securing and promulgating of special and highly favorable rates on all the
railroad and steamship lines, for exhibits, etc., destined for and to the
Exposition, and the negotiations for and publication of special railway rates
for Exposition visitors.

Railway companies viewed the exposition with favor, and it may be said that no
reasonable requests upon the railways for assistance were ever declined. 
Through their courtesy, the Exposition management was enabled to send its
agents and representatives to various parts of this country, often in special
cars and trains, promoting the advantages of the exposition and traveling in
its interests.

Foreign railroads and steamship companies also assisted materially.  Exhibits
from the Orient, European, South American and other countries were transported
to and from the Exposition at greatly reduced rates.  Foreign exhibits, by Act
of Congress, were admitted to out ports free of payment of duties.  Import
brokers at ports of entry assumed the duty of clearing the exhibit shipments
free of expense to the exhibitor.  These courtesies were much appreciated.

Domestic exhibits were transported, to and from the exposition on reduced
rated, full rates to the Exposition and return rates free on certificate that
goods had been exhibited and had not changed ownership.  In many instances
exhibits from Nebraska and adjourning states were carried free.

Through a contract made by the Exposition with one of the Omaha Terminal
Railway companies, that company laid a system of railway tracks within the
grounds, which tracks were available to all Terminal Railways, which permitted
the placing of cars at the doors of all of the principal buildings.  These
tracks were covered during the period the exposition was held, then uncovered
and used again for the removal of the exhibits.  Under this contract a charge
of $4.00 per car load was made upon all car loads of exhibits or other goods
going into the exposition grounds in railway cars.  Main lines of Terminal
Railways ran alongside the grounds on the north and with side tracks at that
point, in conjunction with some tracks just inside the grounds, afforded
excellent positions for placing and holding the special cars and trains of
visiting persons and parties.

During the period of the exposition the railway companies made and put in
effect special excursion rates that were generally very liberal.  And this
fact, together with the extensive advertising of the Exposition by the various
railway lines, contributed largely to the success which resulted.

The Omaha Street Railway Co. gave a car service which was generally ample and
very satisfactory.  Better than a one-minute service was given, and on three of
the big days an average of 242,617 passengers were carried.

The matter of caring for and storing the empty packages used for exhibits etc. 
was awarded under contract to the Exposition Transfer Co., to remove all
packing boxes, crated, etc., from the grounds, store them, return them to the
exhibit spaces at close of the exposition for the compensation of four and
one-half (4-1/2) cents per cubic foot; they to care for and store the packages
of the Exposition itself, including those pertaining to the Fine Arts Exhibits,
free of cost to the Exposition.

Handling of freight pertaining to exhibits was done by the Exposition Transfer
Co. under a contract with the Exposition providing for charges of six cents per
cwt. from cars and from freight house on the grounds, and twelve per cwt. from
down depots and terminals to the designated exhibit spaces in the buildings
with a minimum charge or 50 cents per single package, they agreeing to
establish and maintain, without expense to the Exposition, an office and forces
for the keeping of all goods received and shipped.  These important services
were so well performed that not a single loss or damage claim against the
Exposition resulted.  These were handled in this way 5,417 consignments,
consisting of 127,749 packages, weighing 21,205,457 pounds, or 10,603 tons, or
1,000 car loads of ten tons each.

The same regulations and charges governed the removal of exhibits, etc. as
obtained for their receipt.