The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-25 00:00:00

the condition the road was in on your taking possession
of it, and of what was necessary to be done, at once to
put it in safe order. This, I think, has been fully done, and,
by reference to Mr. Coolman's statement, you will see the
amount of material and its cost that was required to do
it. You will please bear in mind that to collect the requisite
number of men and the material and get all well organized
took us some little time ; as the season was well advanced
before we could possibly get started it required greater
numbers and more expense to accomplish the work that
had to be done before the close of the season than would
otherwise have done. We have been favoured by the
long-continued drought which was so injurious to our
receipts, but which helped us materially with our work.
We have succeeded in getting the main line well ballasted,
ditched, and tied with sleepers.
The Mahoning division, from the number of trains upon
it and the almost impossibility of getting men to work
upon track at any reasonable price in that mineral district,
did not get all that I would like to have put upon it, but
enough has been done to hold it in good working order for
the winter. A few weeks' work in the spring will com-
plete all that is requisite to make it in good running eon"
dition.
The Franklin branch is in good working order, but
little, if anything, required to bo done to it for the present.
The locomotives are in as good order as will average on
any road. We have made some improvement in thew,
and are running them now cheaper than has been done.
We are now down to 30 cents a mile, covering all elc-
penses ; and 1 am satisfied that we can get down to 21
cents per mile as we progress with our economy. 31011
improvement' has been made in the passenger and
freight cars. 'We aro getting them in better order,
and now that we have a good track to run on, our cost of
repairs should diminish. In November .we took all the
tools out of Corry Shop and closed it np. This we wer°
permitted to do by having the Kent Car Shop completed'
By this change we make our shop force more effective, bi
the consolidation of the work, and will save some $B,BOO
per month in expenses.
We have constructed a good car house at Meadville hi
transferring the frame from Leavittsburg. This will keeP
our spare cars from the weather. Five new stalls for
engines Lave. been erected at Cleveland by an addition t°
the engine house there ; and, by arrangement made with
the Erie Railway, our engines are all provfded with stallo
at Talamanca for the winter.
I regret much that our receipts are so affected by Or
loss in the oil trade, and the general stagnation of bus'
ness, caused by the contraction of the national currenei
and the severity of the drought during the latter part of
the summer and autumn. This affects tray.. as well
freighting. It is gratifying, however, to know that net
legitimate business is good, and we are doing our full pre-
portion with other lines. It has been my especial study
to work economy in every department of the road and
our working expenses down to where they should be. By
reference to the enclosed statements of the auditor PI
will see the decrease in the salary account each month.
call your especial attention to that of "all stores used."
In saying that our construction work was entirely
stopped for the winter I omitted excepting the filling eo
trestles on the second and third divisioas, with the "'i
steam shovels now doing the work. They will be kept t
it during the winter, and, in fact, until the trestles 0";
filled up. They work with great economy, and are a Pero,
feet success in the quantity handled.—Respectfully Ye°
L. D. RUCKER,
General Superintendent' °f
Although there has not been a very la ge amount or..
business in American securities on the London market 400
big the past week, prices have improved all round ; Vel„la
States 5-20 Bonds have advanced to 711 to 727 10
10-40's to 67t to 68f. In Illinois Central Shares there. of
been some good buying, on the belief that the affairs
toff
this company are iu an eminently satisfactory corlitlo_o
they close 851 to or nearly one par cent. higher ttro,
this day week. Lries, also at 481 to 49, exhibit an
provement.
The demand for Atlantic and Great Western Securitl
which we noticed in our last, has continued, and froTio
the Consolidated Mortgage Bonds rose to 26, from
there has been a slight reaction, to 24 to 25 ; the De,',./0
torus are at the same price, although latterly they „so'
commanded some 3 or 4 per cent. more than the 00-0,3 a
lidated Bonds. The inquiries for the First and Becoel,
Mortgage Divisional Bonds are also numerous,, and in 5,,
have been taken at from 50 to 55 for the first and 48 "-
I for the second.
14

(From Messrs. .Bowles, Drevet, and Co.'s Cireular')B ,
PARIS, Jan. 24, 1-°'
The general tone of the Bourse remains unchecgeor
inactivity and a disinclination to new enterprises
tinning the prevailing feature.
In United States Securities transactions have bee° o
limited, but at improved rates, though the full iutllle%lo6l
the decline of gold is largely counteracted by eon,tlfroo
unfavourable political and financial rumours receive,'
the United States.

We quote :
The issue of 1862
The issue of 1864
The issue of 1865
Our advices from New York aro to the 21st inst. •
Gold
1 101
United States Bonds, 1862 (currency) tie,
The Rente closes at 6Bf. ..°,,",
The Italian closes at
Exchange on London 2505c"