The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-09-25
NARROW GAUGE RAILROADS.

Tho Result Of FOrty.IiVc Years
ENDCriCncC The Abandoning
OI the broad Gauge All over the
Civilized World Comfort for
the Brl1nire a. Southwestern
Project.
At the recent meeting Of the Cheap
Transportation Association, Mr.. j. X.
IIUrnish, President Of the F0rty-Iirst
Parallel Railroad, delivered an interest.
Ing address ON narrow gauge railroads.
lie said that capital was demanding in
creased rates for transportation and the
public reduction, and, as the ease stands,
commerce must have reduction and
capital an advance in rates. The StrlIg-
gle had been going on Tor two years. 1t
was paradoxicaI struggle, Tor both con.
testanLs were actually on the same side,
and both would suffer should either gain
victory. The entire trouble, he thought,
grew out Of the nature Of our railroads.
Railroads Of the standard gauge a feet
81 inchcs) were not adapted to the COndl-
tions Of the, commerce of the country,
and hence were failures as means OF
cheap transportation and safe investment.
The remedy lay in narrow gauge rail
roads q ieeD. by their use commerce
could secure low rates, anu capita safety
and remuneration equal to the best per-
mancnt investment in the world. Mr..
lIornish continued
We are estimating for II first class road
and first class equi ipmGnts and appoint
nlents, with an average tonnage OF 1900
tons per mile, or an average on the whole
line Of 1000 miles Of 1900, 900 tons per
annum. From these data we obtain our
train miles and our ton mileage.
After fOrty.Iive years Of experience and
development, the lowest average net cost
per ton mile on our four Iirst-class trunk
roads, viz: the New York Central the
Erie, the Pennsylvania Central, and The
Baltimore 4 Ohio, Is eight mills per ton
mile, and the lowest average gross tariti
il twelve mills per ton; that is,eight mills
for expenses and four rmills for interest and
Dividend Oh Investment. l'irst.Claas sin.
vie track roads exceed this average; from
nine to twelve mills being the net cost,
and from fourteen to sixteen mills the
average gross tariff.
At The average Of twelve mills gross
tariff and eight mills net cost, the profits
will fairly cover the interest on the cost
of rlouElc-tracked road, with Iirst.Class
euuipments and appointments, and al the
average Of eight mills the entire invest
ueni becomes worthless II il therefore
evident that Il our standard roads we're
given tO the public for nothing they
could not make the tariff rates required.
II the rates on bulk freight we're made at
ess than the average cost, the rate OIL al
other freight would have to he advanced
beyond All equitable pro rata.
In the case Of Il narrow gaugc railroad
the average tariff Of eight mills gives nn
interest on the cost Of tlOuble'track
road, and also large contingent fund,
and The capital il not impaired uh III the
average comes below six mills. Al the
rate Of eight mills the standard road bc.
comes bankrupt, while the narrow gauge
earns 10 I,cr cent on the cost Of n double
track, besides S2,5OOOOO for contingent
or sinking fund. =,
On roads where the average train load
is 300 tons, the average train mile must
cost 81 and this il equal to five mills per
ton mile. Should the average train
load be less than 200 tons, the average
cost must be propOrtiOnately less than
five mills, and II the cost can he made less
than five mills, then by 80 much les5 the
road will have the margin to cover iluc-
tuations in trade and contingencies for
which there can he no calculation made.
The speaker instanced several standard
roads, showing that their running cX-
penscs in many instances we're equal to
their gross receipts, and that in a few
only didthcy pay dividends on their cNpi.
tai stock. iIe held that marrow gauge
road would pay handsomely on an amount
Of business that would enable standard