The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-11-02
S1.8S4.541 O4
Making as above stated,

Making as above stated, $1,884, ,541 04
The gross receipts of the Road for IL
months from the 1st of October, 1854 to the
1st of September, 1855, were S116,99O II.
Its ordinary expenses $57, ,718 OF, leaving nett
receipts, S59,172 Is.
From the 1st of December 1854 to 1st of
September 1856, during which time the Road
has been operated from Evansville to Terre-
Haute, the average monthly receipts have been
| $11, 794 80.
These monies have been expended in pay
ment of ordinary expenses-in maintenance
of the trains employed in graveiing and other
matters ofconstructions-in payments of inter-
est and aud in some small degree of principal
of the Company's debt. The Secretary's Re-
port appended furnishes the full items of this
Expenditure.
1t will be perceived that the income of the
Road during the past year has hardly been
adequate to meet its ordinary expenses and
interest account, and thus presents somewhat
discouraging aspect to the Stakeholder
1t is, however, fattering to observe that
during the month of September we have
realized handsome increase in our business
the receipts of which [being S16,653 78, I if
added to the sum of the receipts ofthe previous
eleven months would raise the income of the
year to the sum of $133, ,543 IS, and it is Just
to estimate that if the Road had been complete
to Terre-Haute in the 1st of October 1854
furnishing two extra months business between
that point and Vincennes the actual receipts
for twelve months would have exceeded
Sl45,OOO. This sum it is believed would
have been equal to our interest account and
ordinary expenses. Then from this point to
reason upon the question of the real value Of
the Road, and the future productiveness Of the
Stock, we offer the following considerations.
The past year has been one ofunprecedented
character in these Western States. The crops
raised in 1854 furnished scarcely more than
sufficient for the subsistenc ofthe settled popu-
lation. The effects of the destructive drouth
were much more severely felt south of the CEN
tire of Indiana and Illinois that north of that
line Thus the whole country along the line
of this Road was so destitute of the usual pro-
ductions of the soil that great numbers of do
mestic animals died from starvation. The
whole region of country bordering this Road
and extending beyond its terninni, usually so
abundant of surplus, presented the aspect of
a desert. There was literally nothing for
transportation.
| While during three months, from the 1st of
January 1854, the receipts of the Road between
Vineennes and Evansville for the transporta-
| 1iOAA VI oAoAd dlOliC hClC uOdIIy CAC;NOO, QuI-
ing the same perod from the 1st of January
1915, while the Road was, in operation to
Terre-Haute, hardly bushel of grain of any
kind was transported over it.
With all this the people were psralized;
.avel was stopped-the ordinary purchases o
merchandise postponed and universal inac-i
ton prevailed.
Cur Road was opened to Terre- -Haute with
| the starting of this dark year.
During some five to seven months in past
| years the Ohio river has been at so low stage
OF water as to prohibits navigation by Boats
ofcolsilerable size, and to deny its profitable
use for all travel and transportation. 1t was
supposed that this state of things would IL
eyitably throw upon this Road, during that
period of time, considerable contribution o
passenger business from the region of country
in Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana neishborlne
the southern terminus, and also from the Ohio
! river, to come off from the ascending Boats