The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-02-15
II A LsR o A ID S !.


The economy of construction. AT first the
idea prevailed that rail roads must be con.
slructed nearly npop a level. Thirty feet
to the mile was considered as the maxi
mum elevation, without stationary pow
er. Experience has since shown that
80 feet, and even somewhat more, can be
easily overcome. The difference of ex-
pense in a country where there are con.
siderable elevations is obvions. Various
Improvements in the mode of construction
have also contributed 10 the diminuion of
cost.
The difference in The cost Of the rail
roads which have been constructed 10
Great Britain and the United States is
very striking. In Great Britain the
whole length of rail roads. as stated six
months ago was | ,456 miles. Cost,$26
600 900; equal to $4,000 per mile.
The following is statement Of the cost
of several rail roads in the United States.
Albany and Schenectady, Isl miles. cost
per mile $7O,966
Western, l56 48,5O5
Worcester-double track, AS Gl,209
Lowell do 26 76,088
PIovidence-singie track. AZ 45,057
Eastern in Ms. q NH So 5O,555
The es!ima ted cost of the Fitc hburgh
rail road is, per mile. a little less than
800 600, and it is believed that the cost Of
Its extension to Burlington through
Mount Holley will not exceed that rate
The statement am about to make of the
dividends on the stock of several rail roads
in the United States whose cost has very
greatly exceeded the estimated cost of the
extension Of the Fchburg road, taken in
connexion with the amount of business
which will probabIy be done on the
road thus extended, will give some
idea Of the probable value oft the stock.
The dividends on the stock of the Al
bany and Schenectady rail road, was in
1910, per cent. on an outlay of about
S7I 900 per mile. More recently the
dividends on the rail roads from A Ibany
10 Buffalo have been from 7 to II per
cent.
in 1912 the following dividends were
made.
Worcester rail road
POlfOOO psi uilSs % pei III
Lowell $4,000 4" y
Providence $45 0Oc 65 "
Eastern $50 800 /" A Clio
! Western S4S,500 G. a
The small dividend on the stock of the
Eastern rail road is presumed to be owing
TO the competition between that road and
the steamboat lines from Boston, eastward
The per cent dividend on the West.
ern, was for the first year. The proba.
bic increase in subsequent years may be
conieclured from the following compari
son Of the receipts on that for the two
weeks ending December 9th 1913 with
the receipts of the corresponding two
weeks in 1912.
Receipts, two weeks, ls49 S24I09
1912 Sl5,G77
Increase nearly 50 per cent. $8,43l
A similar result appears in the Central
rail road, Georgia: thus
Receipts, A months ending November so
l843 Sll0,46O
" corresponding a months 1912, 67,693
Increase a little over GO per cent. S42767
A similar increase appears in the Cen
trail rail road, Michigan: thus
Receipts, for Nov. l843 Sl9,373
1912 $l6,612
) Increase nearly II per cent. $276l
This las: Increase corresponds more
nearly with the generally estimated aver
age increase Of the business on rail roads,
viz: 20 per cent. per annum, for five
years. In other words, it is calculated
that the business Of rail roads will double
within five years after they are opened. -
1t is evident that, with regard 10 some
roads the doubling will take place in a
shorter time than that.
The following is a statement of the div
idends for the last six months upon the
stock Of several rail roads, with the amount
of capital invested in each, and The cur
rent value ofeach 500 Of the stock, as |
find it in the Boston Atlas.
Roads. Div. Capital. VAL. Of 81 ks.
Lowell A prct. 81 100000 $3.50
: Worcester 3 100000 III
) Eastern 81 100000 l08
Providence 3 100000 108
Boss Me. 3 100000 10Y
2 Nashua 100000 $50
! N. Bedford 100000 1O7
Taunton Br.5 $4,000 1870
Charm Br. 8 100000 78
Concord 5 100
Such is Rail Road stock. 1t need,
therefore, occasion no surprise that the
balance of the stock in the Fitchburgh
road ($i00,000) has been recently sud
denly taken up, and that the stock is now