The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-08-01
Railroad Earnings Of Mile
age.

Great has been the progress of the
construction of railroads in this country,
the rapidity of the increase of their
earnings and of the quality and value
Of their gross tonnage traffic is still
more remarkable. Mr.. Poor is of opin-
ion that their tonnage, which in 1871
exceeded 15O, 900 tons, has been
almost wholly created by the railroads
since 1851, the year of the opening of
the Erie railroad and the removal of
canal tolls from the New York Central
line. The earnings of all the roads in
the United States in that year were
$39, 466, 35S, of which rather more than
half, or $40, 1872, 104, was from freight.
In 1861 the earnings of the railroads
had risen to $l30, 1000, 600, and in 1871
to the extraordisarysu sum of $464, 969, 600.
The increase during the first of these
decades-lS51-61-wa about 800, 000,-
600, or $4,000 900 per annum, the rate
for this period being 25 per cent. an
nually from 1861 to 1871 the total
increase was about $320,O0O,OO or
So, 600, 600 per annum, the rate of in
crease continuing to be about 25 per
cent. annually. OF the earnings of the
year 1871 about two-thirds were received
for transportation of freight. Of the
total amount of S454, 969, 600 for the
whole country the earnings averaged
$500 per mile. These earnings were
thus distributed In the Eastern
States, including New England, New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Della
ware and Maryland, having a mileage of
1928 miles, 81, 800 per mile, or an
aggregate of $197, 697, 900; in the West
ern States, having mileage of 28,3S9
miles, $4,000 per mile, or an aggregate
of 1884, 500, 900; in the Southern States,
having mileage of 13, 421 miles, 81, 500
per mile, or an aggregate of SEQ, 1894. 500;
and in the Pacific States, having
mileage of l, 765 miles, $1,000 per mile,
or an aggregate of S12, 1856, 900.
The amount of tonnage conveyed on
all the railroads in operation in 1851 is
estimated to have been about $3.50, 600
tons; in 1861 at about 40, 900, 600 tons,
and in 1871 at about $50, 900, 900 tons
but from these totals it is presumed that
about one-third should be deducted for
duplicate tonnage, so that the net ton
mage for 1871 would be about 100, OOO,-
600 tons. The value of this tonnage is
estimated at $3.50 per ton, which is the
ascertained value of that of the rail
roads of New York. The net tonnage,
reduced to pounds, of all the railroads
of the country, in 1851, equaled AGA
pounds to the head of population; in
1861, 1,912 pounds; and in 1871, 5000
pounds per head. The value of this
tonnage in 1851 equaled 1854 per
head in 1861, $l16.42; and in 1871,
1915 per head.
The increase of the mileage of rail-
roads constructed throughout the Union
from 1851 to 1861 was at the rate of 20
per cent. per annum and from 1861 to
1871 at the rate of about 10 per cent.
per annum. The increase of tonnage
during the. first of these periods was at
the rate of 80 per cent. per annum and
during the last period at the rate of %
per cent. per annum. Stringency in the
money market checked construction
during the last year, and probably led
to about 1,590 miles less being COM
pleted in 1870 than otherwise would
have been.-NetO York World.