Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-09-30
Railroads in the United States.

Interesting Satistics.-The Capitalists Guidi
and Railway Annual by +. H. Stow, contains
/. some interesting statistics eohtefning rfilroass
in the United States, from which the following
, is condensed
1t appears that in nine years, or from 1850
to 359. the railways of the United States in
creased from 1856 to 27,944 miles in length.
In this period the increase in the New Eng
land States amounted to 62 "A per cent, while
in eight of the Western States the increase
was POI Al per cent At the same time the
former gained in population 16 IL per cent,
and the latter 46 %. The total cost of the
roads, up to 1859, amounted to 1865, ,451 ,O7O,
of which large sum it is supposed one-third
has been wasted in construction yet by their
influence lands have been advanced iii value
and the speed of internal communication great
ly augmented and the whole country benefited.
1 There at this time 29,O0O miles of finished
roads in the United States, and about 10000
miles either under construction, or projected,
requiring $400,0000OO for their completion.-
1t is estimated, however, that many years must
elapse before sufficient capital can be diverted
from other objects to carry them through. In
the meantime, many projected in a spirit of ri
valry to other roads will be abandoned It is
calculated that 10000 miles of railway are
sufficient to do all the business of the country
at the present time, and that 5000 miles have
been constructed, in part in rivalry to other
roads, which have proven dead loss to stock
holders, and in the main will pass into the
hands of the bondholderS. The average cost
of railways per mile has been $36, ,328.-
In the middle States, $40,616 in the South |
ern States, $S22 ,9O9, and in the Western States
$36,333
The reason assigned for the cheapness of
construction of railroads at the South is, that |
they were built on the cash plan. Among the |
net earnings, the Panama shows the largest re- |
turns, beng$29, ,564 per mile; and those earn
ing the least or nothing to stockholders, were
found in Maine, Vermont, Mississippi, Iowa,
Illinois, n. York, &c The list of dividend |
paying roads comprises IS; among which, two
pay an annual dividend of II per cent; nine,
10 per cent? two per cent; ten, 8 per cent;
six, per cent; thirty, 6 per cent; five, 5 per
cent; one, per cent; one ~; and one, 2 per
cent. The list of delinquent companies Oh
stock or bonds amounts to 33. The total bon
ded debts of the American railways, all of
which mature between 1859 and 1874, amount
to 411,199,702. The total debts of the
States including all liabilities, direct or indi-
rect, including loans to railroads and expehdi-
lures for canal and banking purposes, amount,
according to MIR. Slows statement to about
1921 ,895,660. Many of the liabilities incur
red, however, for canals, railroads and banks
cannot be considered in the light Of any direct
charge upon the people, as they, in most cases
pay their interest and sinking funds to the
State, and in some cases they yield a surplus
revenue to the treasury. New Jersey has no
direct debt, but an indirect liability on account
of canals and railroad bonds of some seven
millions, which forms no tax upon the people.
Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and New
Hampshire have no debts at all, neither direct,
nor indirect.