Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-10-06
Kenosha aud Bcloit Railroad.

Having Deen Solicited Dy many Inter
ested in the Kenosha Il Beloit Railroad
from abroad as well as at home on the
line, to give my opinion as to the paying
character and capabilities of the Road ov-
er which have charge, as the Engineer,
was about preparing a report, when an
article appeared in one of our city papers
the Tribune. the reliability of which
1t seemed desirable to substantiate. |
have thought proper to give my own
opinion in regard to it, in conjunction
with that of Professor Twining, the for
mer Chief Engineer.
Mr.. Twining's report and estimates.
made to the Board in June last. was per-
fectly satisfactory as to its being pay
ing Road, in which he says, after discus
sing the subject as an intelligent Enein-
Ger Of reputation and standing, After
dividing equitably, your North Terrific
ry with the neighbouring Railroads. sub
Quoting from your South 50 much as the
channels pointing to Chicago may claim,
as peculiar to themselves and excluding
strip of kenosha County five miles back
of and parallel with the Lake Shore, there
remains five hundred square miles
averaging five miles North, and eleven
miles South, Of your Road, over which
you may compete at equal rates, for the
entire product and business, any pos
tive advantage of prices such as your
city (Kenosha) eau offer. will attract tie
mass to itself, as the mart.
Your five hundred square miles, when
fully settled and cultivated, will show a
census (including Kenosha), Of not less
than seventy thousand and as much bur
den as the full crop of one quarter of the
aggregate acres. may be ultimately cal
cuated on, in my opinion, as a purely To-
cal business, besides the passengers and
return freight. 1t is infcrable from these
considerations, that the down tonnage of
this large agricultural district finding a
market somewhere, would amount to as
high as eighty thousand tons year, while
the groceries. fabrics, furniture, material
for manufactures, return manufactures,
and pine lumber taken inland, with the
numerous but unenumerated accompani-
mcnts, on the list, may be set down doubt
less. at twenty thousand, swelling the
amount to one hundred thousand an ag-
gregrte which would rise in valuation to
three or four millions of dollars, and
which if it traverse your Road on an av-
erage of half the length or twenty five
miles, would yield in its destined time a
gross proceed Of a hundred thousand dol
lars. As yours is essentially freight
Road. | shall add but half that amount
for passengers and mails constituting a
e a
thousand dollars, of which six tenths or
ninety thousand would remain as profit.
These are the statements of man
whose experience as an Engineer has Civ
Ell him a reputation that should inspire
confidence beyond question.
The data for the income Of Road be-
ing given, or assumed, the results are ca
silly deduced, SO that any man, at all con-
versant with, or caI gain access to, Rail
road reports can give true system Of
estimate, if the rules are properly observ-
cd as laid down for direction. The qucs-
ton tn al arises as to correct d ia. The
cost of the Road Is taken rs certain fact
and is the foundation OF the profits, as de-
rived from balance Of income and eXpens-
eS. The question turns on the revenue
from tonnage within known area for
local business. probable through business,
mails, and passengers.
In IA country so undeveloped, and com
paratively thiniy peopled as that on the
line Of our Road, IT Is impossible To arrive
at precise results but there would be
doubtless more liability to andeT-esti-
mate than oyer-estimate, as the country
will soon be more densely populated,
in ratio probably far greater than
the past.
While in the employ Of the SGco River
Railroad, in Maine, in 1919 as Chief En-
gineer, ON survey and estimate of the
route, deemed it necessary in my report
to the Board, to lay before them svs-
tenn of statistics, compiled with great Ia
Dor and care, availing myself of the able
cooperation, of A. c. Morton, Esq, the
distinguished Engineer of the Atlantic &
ST. Lawrence Railroad. The following
were the results, taking Massachusetts as
the standard:-with a population of an
average density of ninety-four to the
square mile, in 1913 the total number of
passengers transported by the main lines
only, running out of Boston, was over
five times the population Of the State;
the freight transported by these, and
other Roads within the limits Of the
State, was equal to about 81 tons to
each inhabitant; and the increased valua-
ton of real and personal property i'll the
city of Boston alone, from 1910 to 1913,
ascribed to her Railroads, was about
500. 100000. or more than the cost of all
theRoais in the state. At that time |
found the average density Of population
on the line of our Name Road to be nine
tv. and with these data deduccd results
which have been very satisfactory, and
proved an eight and a half per cent divi-
dend on the cost of the Road. The cost
of working two of their Roads. the Bos-
ton & Maine, and Portland 4 SacO, was
forty-three and thirty-siX per cent Of
their receipts. The average increase of
receipts on several Roads at that time
running, was ninety per cent, or equal
ling an interest on the whole cost of eight
and nine per cent. Such are the facts in
Massachusetts,. where the average cost OF
their Roads is $4,000 to $4,000 per
mile.
Being familiar with the routes of most
of these Roads, and their grades and curry
atures. am able to speak more confident
w of Western Roads, in comparison, as
to cost, revenue, expenses, &c. 1T will
be perceived appropriation is not 50 dense
to the nile as that on the New England
Roads. yet it is seen our Roads cost much
less to build and maintain, by reason of
our slight gradients and gentle curves,
and if the business is not SO large, the
economy of management. and decrease
of working expenses will oyerbalance.
There has been a great mistake in
Eastern Roads, in loose management,
which is now being examined into. re-