Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-20
PROGRESS OF RAYLRoADs I'M THE
limited

There is nothing more indicative of the
development ofthe resources of country
than the extension Of the means of locomo-
ton, be it by land or water. Few persons
have correct lea of the progress of rail-
roads 10 this country, for the reason that
they do not take the pains to inform them
selves. They know, however, that it has
been very great, for railroads not only span
the continent, but sre reaching out In every
direction where trade and travel promise
remuneration for the investment. A stat
istica work recently Issued shows that the
network of railroads already in operation
in the United States extends over 70,178
miles, while 5000 more are in various
stages Of progress, making together total
OF $4,000 miles. OF the lines completed
the greatest mileage in any one State is in
Illinois, where 6,901 miles are now in, oper-
alton, and it is to its traffic facilities that
that States owes its rapid develop
ment. Pennsylvania stands next In order
with 5,7S7, New York third with 4,9O1,
and Minnesota fourth with 1856 miles:
while Rhode Island with 139 miles stands
lowest on the list. The greatest density Of
railroads is in Massachusetts, with one mile
OF road to every Al square miles of area,
and the least in Oregon, with one mile of
road to every S19.6 square miles of area.
When compared with population the frst
place is given to Nevada, with one mile of
road to every 700 inhabitants, and tie
last TO Rhode Island with one mile of road
to every 1863 Inhabitants; and when COM
pared with value Nevada again stan's first,
with one mile of road to every $42,-
759 of valuation, and Rhode Island
last, with one mile TO every $1,757 ,4O1
of valuation. At The close of 1S4S, the
year of the gold discoveries in California,
there were but 5000 miles of rail in the
Union, Of which but 700 were in the great
West. At the opening of the war, our rail-
road system had increased 6ve-fold through
out the Union, and fifteen-fold ia the West
ern States, which then had over IL 900
miles in operation. But the war did not
stop the progress of railroad construction,
for in 1865 the miles opened numbered
some 5000 more, or $4,000 in sn. This
total, however, has been doubled in the
past seven years; the increase in The United
States since 1865 being more than
the increase in the whole of
Europe during the sans period.
The $4,000 miles of road constructed pre-
vious to the war cost 81 ,070, 100000; the
whole cost of our 10000 miles of road now
open is about So, 4S6 ,69s, 749, which is sum
not much greater than Great Britain has
spent on less than 10000 miles of railroad.
But Great Britain has the advantage OF hay
ing her roads more substantially built, with
stone or brick bridges, solid earthworks
and double tracks, thereby rendering life
more secure whils travelling on them
than it is on our lines; while the land
required for the tracks is much more
valuable there than it is with US, and
thus enhances the cost of the road.
Railroads, however, are being better built
with us than heretofore; but q thorough
comparison of the above figures will show
that the roads constructed since 1860 have
cost nearly double per mile what was paid
for those built before that date. The in
arnacod 10 ir,c -
the general advance in prices and to the
protective duties on material, more than to
any superiority of construction. The prac-
tice Of building on credit and sacrificing
bonds below par has had much to do
with the increase of cost. The
stringency in the money market and the
railroad litigations during the past year have
had some influence upon railroad extern
sion, as only 1913 miles were completed
during the year, against 1873 miles in 1871;
still, the increase cannot be said to be un-
satisfactory, especially when we consider
that the result of railroad extension is to
increase the value of farms, open up new
markets for their produce, stimulate pro-
duction, concentrate population, and lessen
the time and cost oftravel. Though $780,
100000 are now being annually absorbed
by railroad investments, it is computed
that our existing railroads create every
year more wealth thaE is absorbed in the
construction of new lines.