Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-01-02
MASSACHUSETTS, RAILROADS.

The Boston Advertiser presents ga full ex-
hibit of the condition of railroads in Massa-
chusetts, a. gathered from returns to the
railroad commissioners. The total number
Of miles belonging to the twenty-three COM
panies reported is l902.43. Twenty-Five of
these roads, says the Advertiser, show an ag-
gregate authorized capital stock of$ll7 $780,
7SO, of which Ss5, 094, s04.O4 has been paid
in. The combined funded and floating debt
amounts to 340, 1888, 29l. So; so that the total
investment in the road, equipment and other
property Of these twenty-five roads amounts
to more than one hundrd and twenty five mil
lion dollars. 1t would not be fair, however,
to estimate on the basis of these figures the
cost Of the roads, because on the one hand
the Massachusetts, Central, with more than
two and . half millions of capital stock and
debt, has not q mile of road opened, and on
the other hand the mileage of the Hartford
and Erie read is included in the report of that
elias. Of facts, while nothing in reference to
the Investment il given. Leaving out both
roads, we find that the total investment on
1885 miles has been $l23, 900 900, equal
to an average expenditure Of $69, 742 mile.
The business Of the roads as whole has
shown good rate of increase, though in the
matter Of freight the increase was smaller
than during the preceding year. In the fol-
lowing statistics the figures are those of eigh-
teen roads with their leased lines. The ex-
cluded roads are the Mansfield and Framing
ham and the Lowell and birmingham, leased;
A. nzI Il sv,~a tS,o
Massachusetts, Central, not opened; and the
New York, New Haven and Hartford, which
having consolidated with the Springfield and
Hartford road, gives no chance of fair COM
psrison with last year. The number of pas
ssngers carried on eighteen roads was 3d.
8,743, against 80 ,092, 457 in 1S7l-72; being
gain of LAG, 2S6 passengers and gain of
10 8 per cent. The increase from 1871 to
1872 was but "a per cent. The total passen.
ger mileage has been sol ,444 ,555, against
46S, 4l8, 1877 last year, the rate of increase be-
ing but per cent. This indicates that the
average railway journey is still shortening,
and, indesd, when we divide the total mileage
by the number of passengers, we find that the
average distance travelled by each passenger
in the past year was but 400 miles against
14.59 miles in 1872, and l4.74 miles on the
same roa de- in 1871. This, of course, proves
also that the number of suburban residents
doing business in Boston and coming into
tosn daily is srgumenting.
The number Of tons Of freight moved by
the eighteen railroads during the past year
was TO- l4S ,842, against o, sos, 096 the year be-
fore,-an increase of 629, 24G tons, and of &C
per cent. The increase the preceding year
was At the rate Of 1879 per cent The total
freight mileage the past year was 800, 5Ci 1899,
against 506, 345,55l in l872,-an increase of
81 per cent. This shows a state of affairs
precisely opposite to that observed in the pas
sengsr business. While passengers are
steadily diminishing the length of their jour
neys. freight 10 going farther. The average
distance the past year was 4,25 miles,
sgainst SO. IA miles in 1872, which was itself
nearly or quite all the difference was in the
larger amount of through freight carried.
The gross earnings of the railroads amount
ed to S27, ia, 37l.50,-of which twelve and
half millions we're from passengers, against
e2C, 229 1888. So in 1872, being an increase of
only As per cent. less than the increase of
business, which shows conclusiyely that the
rates have been reduced on the average.
Al last year, the Boston and Albany road
stands first in the amount of business done,
and the Eestern stands second. More than
one-nAif 0e freight mileage SANDS to the
credit Of the frst-namsd road, and nearly
one-fourth the passenger milage; and its gross
receipts are quite one-third Of the whole.
The Eastern has only this year risen to the
third place in the amount of freight moved
Last year there were seven roads that sur.
passed it, but its position was made good by
the great passenger traffic. This year il
falls but 60 900 short of the Boston and AL
bany in tho number of passengers carried
aad only the Albany and the Providence road,
exceed it ia tonnage, though the Maine ROAD
10 still slightIy ahead in freight mileage. Thu
Interesting columns relating to train brakes
show . gratifying improvement from last year
Then thsss were but so engines and 397 car
90 provided. Now there are 40 engines AM