Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-11-21
ORANGE, ALEXANDRIA AND MANAs.
!, SAS RAILROAD.
Reports Of the President and Chief
& Engineer.
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT.

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT.
To tile Stockholders of the ORANGE Alexandria
and Manassas Railroad Company
The Directors respectfully submit the cigh
I teenth annual report of the state of the COM
nany and operations of the road for the fiscal
| year extending from the lst October, 1866, to
tho 3Gth of September last, inclusive.
In reviewing the business of the year, and
the operations of the road, the official exh iblts
present highly fsttering results, and afford we'll
| grounded assurance of the more valuable future
| traffic in store for the liue, as the adjacent
tributary section of country regains its produc-
tive capacity, and continues through the agen-
cies of additional capital and labor, which its
inviting climate and soil must attract, to deVe
on it's great natural resources The crops Of
the past year have not realized expectation, Or
reached the average standard OF production. =
The principal agricultural staple, the wheat
crop, was much reduced in quantity by the I'M
favorable season, and the inability of the farm
| ing community to put the usual area OF former
years in cultivation on account OF the scarcity
| of capital, and uncertainty of the present sys
tenn of labor. These last depressing influences
have not been confined 10 their operation to
the local business, but have extended to- our
| southwestern connections and contributed to
curtail the value and volume Of receipts derived
| from the through trade Notwithstanding the
above adverse elements of calculation the rev.
enuc of the company for the past year IS rela-
/ lively large in amount and presents, consider
ing the How rates of transportation, very
striking and remarkable result. Ii the same
ratio or increase in the business of the road.
from che same sources OF supply can nc MAN
| tanned for next year which the revenue OF the
year just past exhibits over that OF the year
/ preceding the aggregate amount Of receipts
must be large and remuneratlve.
REVENUE
From The lst of October, 1866, TO 30th OF
i September, 1867, inclusive, which embraces
1 the past financial year, the total receipts derl
/ we'd from the transportation OF passengers,
i freight and mails amount to the sum OF $780,
i 242.l7 OF this aggregate, 1910, 7G7.9J have
been received from passenger fares $275, SS3.-
/ G5 from freight, and the residue collected from
the transportation OF express matter and the
| mails The expense account and cost OF work
| ing the road for the above period amount to
i the sum of 81 9, 404 IS, leaving as bulancc OF
nett revenue 1886, $50 A. For the operations
of the year The receipts of each month show
/ an average amount received OF $685. 853.GS, OF
! which the months Of February and March arc
/ the least, making q total return tor those
mouths together, nearly the same eacb,) of
1856, 80 50; and the months Of August and
1 September, the largest, the receipts Of the
/ former month amounting to the sum OF S75,
i oS7. IA, and the latter to $97 1852. The re.
duction in the revenue in February and March
4 last, however, is due in large cart to The loss
| of the bridge across the Potomac by the ICE In
the former month, and the consequent break OF
| connection for through treights caused thereby.
The deficiency in the revenue from this source
may be calculated at moderate estimate at
$25 900, which otherwise would have been ad-
4 ded to the gross receipts of the com pany, and
! made an,average monthly business for the year
of about SEQ 600 90. In the report submitted,
at the last annual meeting the average estimate
| of anticipated receipts for the then ensuing
year was put at the sum of $50, 000 90 per month.
| From the receipts now actually returned it
will be seen that the revenue exceeds the ag-
greeato estimate then made by nearly one hun
dred thousand dollars, Notwithstanding the
casualty above referred to.
TRANSPORTATION.
| The organization of this department cmbra-
ces within its legitimate scope, the manage
mcnt Of the roadway, equipment, and carry
Ing business Of the company. The accompa-
nyng report OF the General Superintendent
| herewith submitted presents full account Of
the operations and condition Of his department
| 142, COG passengers, and &c, leo tons Of freight
| have been transported over the road during
| the past year. For the proper maintenance OF
| tic track, GO 900 cross ties have been purcha
sed, some new iron rails laid, and several small
permanent bridges constructed in place Of tenn
| porary structures, where most needed. The
| station houses from the Rappahannock river to
| Lynchburg, destroyed during the war, have
been rebuilt, and ticket Office reception
rooms, and dining house and passenger shed
erected at the Alexandria station; all much
| needed for the pubic accommodation. The
machinery and rolling stock has been taxed to
its full capacity, and the amount of work per-
formed affords the best evidence of the skill
and efficiency Of those in charge of this branch
| of the service Two first class passenger cars
have been purchased, and thirty -eght freight
| cars built in the shops during the year, and
added to the equipment OF the road. The d.
| rectOrs are aware that some com plant has
arisen in regard to the delay in transporting
freight over the line during the last two months.
| That some ground existed for this disSatlstac
ton is not denied, but the answer will he found
in the unexpected accumulation Of business,
which may be measured by the expansion Of
receipts from SIS, 1O5 30 taken in the month Of
July, to $97, 1856 %, received in September. =
! AS the purchase of additional cars and locomo
| tivcs could only be made for cash, and involved
largo expenditure of money, the financial
condition of.thc company did not justify any
speculative enlargement of its equipment. 1t
is due, however, to the management of the road
to state that as soon as the increase Of freights
| became apparent, measures were at once adopt
cd to purchase some additional rolling stoc to
meet the demands of business. These, of
course, could not be obtained on the instant,
| but contracts were made for their deliveries at
| tlIeearliest practicable period
The transportation of through freight upon
| the road has developed into very large relative
proportions, and now constitutes one of the
most important and valuable sources OF rcve-
nue. For the improvement Of this class of
transportation, close connection by rail is re-
nnired 1qith the dnnnt of the Nirginia and