Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-24
Railroads in the United States.

INTERESTING SrArI>rIcs.-r Capitalists
Guide aud Railway Annual, hy +. II. Stow,
contains some interesting statistics c"ncerIi-
Ing Railroads IN the uuli"I States, from
winch the following il condensed:
1t appears that III min" years. or from iS''
Ia lSj9. the railways of the uni;r'l States
Increased from 7.:II:ii to 27.9ii miles iii
length. la this period the increase III the
New England S;aIeS amounted I" o. II per
cent, while ~ righI eli li,r Western States
the increase VAS ..ol II yer cent. AZ the
saunr time the former gained in population
IL H. per cent. and the latter II -. HE
total r",t I'll IiIr rna'i:. up IT, lSj9, amounted
t" So. Ill 90 If which large sum 1t Is
surpassed one third has been wasted III con
stru''tI"n; Yet 10y their influence lands have
been advanced III value and the speed "i
inlernal communication greatly Augmented
ard The whole country h.urftlri. There
ARE nt this time - 600 miles 81 finished
road. IN the United States. AMI about lh."'"
miles either under construction ar projected.
requiring 800 hnI Mn Tor their complexion.
II il estimated. however. that many years
must curse before sufficient capital can he
diverted from other objects Ia carry them
ted IN n spirit Of rivalry To- ulhrr r"ais VIII
be- abandoned. 1t * calculated that 2o."'o
miles Of railway ARE sufficient t" d" all III"
business al the country ut the present tihc'
and that 5000 miles have been constructed
in part III rivalry 10 other r"nlS. which nave
proved "A dead l"sS to srrrkh"idcrs. ANA III
the main will pass int" the hands "i the
hnndllnIIcrs. The average cost at RAILWAYS
per mile has been Sij.%...S. In The Middle
States, SiO,9l9. ia the Southern States, s.
900. and in the Western States, Si6.i''".
The reason assigned for clrnpnrSs "i con
str,lrtinm nl railroads 1T the uih IS. that
they were built on the cash plan. Among
the net earnings. the Panama shows the lar
gest returns. beng So.I ,56i per mile; and those
earning the least ar nothing I" St"tkl"ihers'
were found in Maine, Vermont, Mississippi,
Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, New York, 1t
The list Of dividend paving roads com,
priS,.s IS: among which, two pay IN annual
dividend Of l. per cent: nine, |" per cent;
twn, . per cent: ten, = per cent. SIX, per
cent; thirty. t per cent; hSe, . per cent;
one. per ct; ono, u: and one, per cent.-
The list nt delinquent companies on stock or
bonds amount tu3i3. The total bonded debts
of the American railways, all Of which ma
ture between 1859 unl 1874. amount t"
Sill .l9g,1O2 The total debts Of the States,
including ali liabilities, direct nml indirect,
including loans to railroads and eSp'n-
diturrs r,r canal and banking purposes,
amount according to Mr.. Slows state
mcnt u about Sol ,S9j .G,iu. Many of the
liabilities inru' red, however, for canals,
railroad, and banks cannot be c"nSId-
cred in the light Of any direct charge upon
the people, as they, in most ca>rs, pay their
interest and sinking funds 10 the State and
in -,,,ne cases they yield Il surplus revenue t"
the treasury. New Jersey has canal aud
railroad bonds ut S,nie seven millions, which
form no TAX upon the people. Connecticut,
Rhode Island and New Hampshire have no
debts ut ALL neither direct nor indirect.