Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-01-18

dent, Joshua T. Head Superintendent,
NJ. q. Conwell Chief Engineer, John q.
jackson Secretary, Treasurer aud Gen
eral Ticket aud Freight Agent, w. IL.
Connell.
The Wilmington & Reading-rhe Old
Board Re elscted-Anpual Report Of the
Prosident-Highly Satisfactory Exhibit
The annual meeting of the Stockholders
of the Wilmington q Reading Railroad
COMPANY was held ut the Company's
office In Coatesville Tuesday
The meeting was called to order by
Hugh E. Steel, Esq, President of the
Road and on his motion organized by
calling Mr.. James Gawthrop TO the Chair
and appointing VIM. 8. Hilles Secretary.
The minutes of the previous meeting
showed that 1864 shares had been voted
at the last annual meeting and al cast for
the now retiring Board of Directors.
The annual report of the President and
Directors of the Company was then read,
as follows
The receipts and expenditures of the
company for the fiscal year ending Oct.
3lst 1872 are as follows
RECEIPTS.
From Stock Collections sl,ss4 Il
&" Sale Of Bonds 3oe,iOO.OO
From Passenger and freight earn.
ings including Express and mail
carriage zzs''iS'zo
EXPENDITURES.
Operating Expenses lsI' lo9. o.
CONSTRUCTION and Equipment, l49.33s.45
Reading Birch, Depots Building sc, I2.s32.3I
Sinking fund LIST Mortgage Bonds, l4'Ol0. %
The earnings of the road for the same
period were as followsi
From Freight, l7l9999s
From Passengers 52,O65 %
From FxDress 627. 20
From Telegraph, 1888 "a
From Mail Service, 2l4O.55
From Miscellaneous, o515 80
Total, ~, tI2Zo
Operating expenses were;
For motive power repairs OF ma
chinery, fuel, taxes, &c, 100, AZ %
Ing track Sc, 4l,ge4 O2
Net Earnings, 3l697. Il
22s77s25
For the details of the operations, you
are referred to the reports of the General
Superintendent and General Freight Agent
which ara hereunto annexed.
The gross earnings rs compared with
last wear, show an increase of 500, SS5.7y
in freight receipts 1874 OF in passenger
receipts So, 350.S2 in receipts from other
sources total, S60,9Sl 20.
The total amount of tonnage moved
during the year was 264, 573 tons, being
an excess of S9,076 tons over the tonnage
of last year, an increase of 5l% per cent
Of this Increase, 4, SOL tons is merchandise
%. $40 tons is anthracite coal 9,S14 tons
is bituminous coal 7,4lS tons is manu-
featured iron ANA pig iron and blooms
Il A IL Hnnr aud UraIn x t.ffl iona is
slate and lumber; 1889 tons is sand
lime and stone 20,6l6 tons is iron ant
other ores 80 tons is peaches.
The Company have greatly improved
their track during the past year. Thu
general offices of the Company at Coates
vile have been completed and occupied
during the year. During the same periot
the Company have improved and occupied
the freight and passenger station at foo
of Madison street, In the city of Whining
ton, built four new passenger stations oil
the main road, and laid 4, 465 feet of new
sidings, making the total length of sid'
track. exclusive of Chrisliana branch nui
connections with the Pennsylvania Rail
road at Coatesville, now laid down, ~
miles.
The wharf property on the Christian
has been improved SO as to afford bette
accommodations for the receipt OF freight
The facilities afforded by this wharf hav
added considerably to the traffic OF th
Company during the year.
The siding and tracks necessary to th
accommodation of the interchangeable
traffic with the Philad lphia, Wilmingto
= and Baltimore Railroad, at the Delawai
junction, have been completed since GU
! last reuort, and the necessity of hansferlu
| fntaphad for the DplaWni
I Railroad through the city of Wilmington
e at a cost OF 20 cents per ton, has thus bee
4 superseded. This has given our road
e fair amount of trade with the peninsula
e as is shown by the steady increase on Il
i lime and coal tonnage OF the past scaso
II We need for the accommodation of Il
7, lime an addition to the present stock
d lime cars, and to have them so arrang
e as to dump on the side of the track. Til
addition to our rolling stock, and the e
y tension of our tracks to some of the neare
l. lime quarries would add much to OF
= tonnage.
: Our peach trade shows an Increase
}, 30 tons over that of last year, or % P
, cent. The Indications are that we shf
have a steady increase in this branch
d our traffic, and when our connections wi
% other lines are completed 1t will become
o valuable source of income.
l. Tho additions made TO these establis
Is ments during the past season by many
Is the manufacturers along the line of 20
r road will add much to the tonnage III co
'e aad iron during the current year.
le The ore tonnage shows an Increase
l. 20. GIG tons over that of last year, or
re per cent, which is due to the opening
y new mines and the erection OF a n,
3, anthracite furnace at Birdsboro, on {
c. line of your road. The same causes n
al likely TO increase this branch of y )nr ira
more during the coming season than
L last.
In connection with this trade II may
rs well to mention that a road is now und
Of construction to run from Springfield, alo
j. the north base Of Welsh mountain, whiC
k If completed for distance of four or Il
at miles, will give US a connection by n
I'd with some heavy ore operations, fro
es which it is estimated 10000 tons of {
IL per annum will be mined.
nc The tonnage in sand and building sto
r, has more than doubled during the pi
he wear, and the steady increasing dema
h. for the brown stone from the upper part
I'd your road gives us hope for still larl
ar Increase in this trade.
I'D 1t is a matter of congratulaton that
Z trade OF the past year shows a regular
s steady increase 10 every item OF rCeei
e, In March last the Board ordered
is general Superintendent to make arranl
ments to take the carriage of expr
to matter into our own hands. This v
to done on the first of May last, since VIII
time our receipts from this source are
ng creasing.
ire In the last report it was stated that
surveys for the Reading branch had b.
9s completed, and that 1t was proposed
100 commence its construction at an early d
80 This has been done, and the work of gr
'O' ing has progressed so far that we shall
!. ss enabled to commence laying track as ca
. in the Spring as the weather will peri
70 The construction of the bridge over
''O' Schuylkill at Poplar Neck is well un
, n way, SO that its completion will he insu
]. rs by the time the grading is finished and
. track extended to it. The progress
'.So has been made In the work on the bra
o a. gives us the hope that we shall reach
- City of Reading with our rails early in
la Summer.
Owing to some troublesome litiga
in relation to our right TO enter the Cit
Reading on the east side of the scluyl
il was thought advisable for this comp
2. rs to connect its tracks with those Of
. Berks County Railroad, and enter the
s'4S from the west side of the river over
the tracks of the latter company.
ear The opening of this Reading Bra
= will greatly increase our receipts from
q freight and passengers, particularly
40 this be felt in the passenger receipts a
.sS9 shall then be able to control the tint
uah and Of