Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-03-26
NARROW.GAUGE RAILWAYS.

The friends of the narrow-gauge system OF
railways in this country have been actively
though quietly at work during the past two or
three years, with practical results which will
surprise those who have not closely observed
the progress making in this new and impor-
tant movement There are at this time in the
different States and Territories no less than
thirty.eight different narrow-gauge roads eth
er completed or in the course of construction,
and all of them in actual operation, having an
aggregate of 989 miles of track already laid,
and which, if finished according to the plans
on which they have been begun, will give an
aggregate of 8, ISL miles of fnarrow-gauge road.
In late number of the American ManuJac.
t,lrers' Journal we find mass Of interesting
statistics on this subject, showing more clearly
than anything which has hitherto appeared,
the progress Of the narrow-guage system, es.
pecially in the South and the far West. Of
the thirty-eight roads referred to above, the
longest is the Denver and Rio Grande, which
has 159 miles of completed track, and it is to
be extended to a total length of $40 miles;
the Cairo and St. Louis Road, which is to be
$50 miles in length, 144 miles Of track being
already laid ; the Uath Northern Road OF l6o
miles, with 70 miles completed; and the Kan.
sas Central Road, $50 miles long, 65 miles of
which have been completed. Besides the
roads in the United States, there are in the
British possessions Of North America five mar.
row-gauge railways having an aggregate OF
456 miles of completed road, and which when
finished will make an aggregate of I'll miles.
In addition to the roads partially or wholly
built which are in actual operation in the
United States, there are large number of
others already in construction. The Manu.
tacturers' Journal gives the names of twenty
two of these which are to be from 10 to 800
miles in length, eight of them being over 200
miles long. 1t also gives the names of thirty
other companies organized to build narrow
gauge roads, So far as reports have been
made concerning the practical working of the
narrow.gauge system, its results have been
highly encouraging. The Denver and Rio
Grande road for the first ten months of 1873
showed net traffic earnings amounting to near
ly 49 per cent. of the gross receipts. The To-
ronto, Grey and Bruce road in Canada for
the year ending June 80, 1873, reports net
traffic earnings of "a per cent, and the To-
ronto and Nipissing for the same year of 80!
per cent. on the gross. The Arkansas Gen.
tral Road, for its short line of "a miles com.
pleted, showed net earnings at the rate of
$4,000 per mile per year. We. do not know
what this road cost, but the first division Of
the Denver and Rio Grande Road cost only
$13,50O per mile, with its equipment, while
the Canada roads are said to have averaged
$4,000 per mile.
. Whatever opinion railroad men may unite
on in respect to narrow-gauge tracks for the
great established thoroughfares of traffic, there
can be no doubt that their introduction will
be of immense value in developing new Sec
tions of the country where railroad facilities
are required, but where the capital is wanting
to build roads on the plan in general use.