Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-18

In arriving at the actual expenses for the
year, II should be borne in mindth the wood
and ties now on hand, for which cash has
been paid, are counted as expenses, whereas,
their use and value will apply on the subse-
quent working of the road.
We have transported 1850 766 tons OF
Government freight one mile, being an
average of 49, l9 IONS over the entire length
OF the road. This freight we are compelled
by military order to carry at an average of
about three cents per ton, per mile-being
the rate adopted in 1862 by Northern rail-
ways, not considered remunerative by them,
but given as 4 patriotic lift to the Govern
ment during its troubles. Had we been re-
Enumerated by say even ten per cent less
than our through rates, which would have
been merely justice, our receipts for the
same work would have been S930l5, or ten
per cent. Of entire freight earnings. So
with Government personal transportation.
We have carried 1896, 800 passengers one
mile, or 22,300 over the entire line At
Government rate, this amounts to S67, 1856
40; but had we carried the same number at
ten per cent less than our regular rates, we
would have increased our passenger earn
ings $751; 10 or 145 per cent. of our
gross earnings from passengers.
The above items, added to the gross earn
ings from freights and passengers, would in
crease that amount by $143,725 63, and
form l0.l per cent. of entire earnings from
those sources which would have reduced our
ordinary expenses to Az per cent. of gross
earnings.
1t is well known to you that the close of
the war left our country perfectly destitute;
four-tlths of the territory tributary to our
road was desolated and laid waste, which
has, of course, materially interfered with the
local business-always the most profitable to
a railroad company. By the last printed
report made to your Board, I find that the
per centage of local" or through" bust
ness Of freight alone was 40 per cent, where
as the last years business has been but q
per cent, or one-third less. We have good
reason to believe that the coming year will
show a better state of things, and with the
probable increase, as shown above, add
larely to the receipts:
We have transported for charitable pur-
poses as follows:
For the poor Of Alabama. ia tons. free
For the poor Of Georgia, ia tons, at half rates.
Which barely paid the actual cost of being
transported, as it consisted of grain, species
Of freight which always rated low. This
item should not pass entirely unnoticed At
tariff rates this freight would be S24, 8SO.5O.
During the year just ended, our cars have
run 4.62l, 1873 miles, being an average of
30,606 cars over the entire road. We show
an average of 1l.5 trains per diem on the
road, and an average of 1I.6 cars per train,
making l34.5 cars daily on the line between
Nashville and Chattanooga, for the whole
time embraced in this report. The expense
in the car department has been very heavy,
owing to the wretched condition in which we
received the stock from the Government,
and found that part known as the old COM
pany stock. OF the cars brought from the
South, we have been able to make use of
but 40 box and 20 flat-69 in all The box
cars were put in order at an expense of Sl4,-
700-an average of $500 each; the fats at a
cost of So, 260, or 1912 each. There vet re-
main p box and fats that may be made
available for a time by an expenditure of
about 1925 each. The passenger cars-l2
IN number-were in deplorable condition;
nine Of them have been put in running or
der at a cost of Sl0,S50-an average of ST.
2G5.55. One of the nine was converted into
a baggage car. The remaining three Of the
u are utterly worthless. the baggage cars
have been stripped and remodeled at cost
Of $500, and there remains one which can
not be made of service, and is fit only for
the scrap-pile.
A very large amount of money, some
500, 600, had to be expended on the cars
bought from the Government before they
were fit for use, the sides, doors and tops
having been cut and destroyed.
The above figures show that to put our
cars in order, it was necessary TO make an
expenditure Of SIO2,3 01 or II per cent. of
the gross earnings. The freight cars are now
in very good order, and the same may be
said of the passenger cars, except the old
Company cars not heretofore overhauled,
aud which ought to be put in the shops for
thorough repairs as soon as possible. The
expense on the cars repaired has added just
so much to their actual value, and the COM
ing year will show a great reduction in the
outlay of that department
The present car classification and outfit
is as follows, viz: