Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-05-05

half per cent, on the capital, while the net
earnings were but four and one-half per cent.
Out of this were paid taxes, S207, 179. 0S; in
terest on preferred stock and bonded debt,
which left dividend on common stock OF one
per cent. The road transported l4Z.OOO pas
sengers average distance of forty elgnt and
seven-tenths miles, at fraction over thfee
cents per mile per head, and $50, 1877 tons q
freight, an average haul of ninety -orie and
nine-tenths miles, at a charge of two and one
eighth cents per mile. In doing this business
the road was worked to less than one fifth it's
capacity. In doing this work Quitting the
weight of freight cars at nine tons each) each
locomotive hauled each trip Give trips day.
dead weight of two hundred and eighty five
tons, or a ton of dead weight to each ton of
paying freight. In transporting passengers,
each locomotive hauled thirty tons of cars to
every three and four fifths tons of human
freight. The road cost too much, and has
greater capacity than it can employ
THE DIFFERENCE.
A narrow guage road could be built over
this line at a cost Of $4,000 per mile, or
total cost of 81, 555 $50, which includes roll
ing stock. If it should do the same amount
of business at the same rate of charges, and
with the same cost of operation, the gross
percentage of its earnings on its capital stock
or cost, would be thirty and six-tenths per
cent, while its net earnings would be over
ten and half per cent. The savings at six
per cent. of interest on the bare difference IN
the cost of the two roads would be $780,
600 per annum. With few comparisons,
showing the difference in favor of the narrow
gauge as compared with the broad gauge, l
will close and leave the subject to the re-
Elections, for the time, Of your intelligent
readers.
To transport $50 tons of freight on q mar
row gauge requires 10 cars, weighing Is tons,
To transport the same weight of freight on
broad gauge requires 10 cars, weighing 1876
tons a saving of haulage in favor of narrow
gauge of SO tons. quote:
1.-The common broad gauge box car in the
| Southern States has floor area Of PIG square
feet, and weighs 1880 pounds, and carries
"a bales of cotton, weighing $50 pounds each
! The paying freight weighs 10, 500 pounds, and
the non-paying Is, 800 pounds. or for each
bale of 450 pounds we have no pounds dead
weight. The narrow gauge box car has d
floor area of lG2 square feet, weighs 5000
pounds, and carries Is bales of cotton weigh
ing 8, 100 pounds, or 444 pounds dead weigh
per bale, against no pounds by the broad
gauge"
"The narrow gauge eight wheel passenger
coach weighs six tons, with capacity Of thir
ty-six passengers (another class seven tons
forty two passengers,) and weighs, loaded
nine tons, or six tons less than an average o
broad gauge coaches empty"
These are certainly strong, suggestive facts
/ The annual statement OF the superintendent
of the "Festnoig Railroad" in Wales, gaug
twenty three and one-half inches, makes tn
following showing:
"Transported in 1869 1872 1872 tons net and g. 90
passengers. Gross tons hauled were, exclusive o
| engines, 242 900.
| Total receipts. f23,bsG or $lls.3s
| Expenditures, 1908 IS ,26
Total net, fl0,G23 $751;
NEARLY fifty per cent. 1t is proper te
state here that this road has paid over four
teen per cent. per annum, besides spending
over twice the original cost Of the line upon
the road, from its accumulated earnings"