The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-12-03
RAILROAD BUILDING.
no. 5.

after can do the same amount of
work at so little cost. 1 will mem
lion two of the more important |
items of expense.
Take for example, a train of
twenty-five loaded box cars of the
standard gauge, the freight upon
which the tariff is charged, was $50
tons. The weight of the cars them
selves is also $50 tons, SO that pow
er must be supplied to move 500
tons IN order to get pay for moving
$50 tons. A box car of the modern
construction for the three feet
gauge, weighs four tons, and car
ries eight tons of freight. Thus it
will be seen that the standard
gauge moves two pounds, and gets
pay for one, while the narrow
gauge moves three pounds, and gets
pay for two. Or in other words,
the same power which moves 500
tons, half paying and half non-pay-
ing, will on the narrow gauge road
move 333 I-3 tons of paying freight,
and IG6 % tons of non-paying
freight. What sensible farmer
uses a wagon weighing g ton, to
take a ton of grain TO market !?
Does he not rather use a wagon
weighing half q top, while his load
weighs from one to two tons, &C.
cording ~ tie nature of his road :?
Again, the wider the gauge and the
longer the cars, the greater the fric-
ton, other things being equal. On
a perfectly straight level road, the
minimum of friction is reached I,
without regard to gauge. But as
nearly all roads must have curves,
then the least friction, and conse-
quenily the least wear and tear of
rolling stock, rails, etc., is secured
on the narrOwest gauge, with the
shortest cars.
The exact saving in this item, it
is at present impossible to compute,
but as repairs OF rolling stock and
road bed, largely attributable to
this lateral pressure around curves,
constitutes a heavy item of expense,
the saying can be readily seen to be
considerable,
L have obtained the opinion of
three experienced engineers and
superintendent on this subject, and
they estimate the annual cost of re-
pairs for narrow gauge road, to be
one-hslf that of the standard gauge.
Having demonstrated, think, con-
clusiVely, that the narrow gauge
can be built and equipped tor about
one-half the cost OF a standard
gauge, that is can be operated after
completion for one-half the cost,
and that it can easily do all the bus
mess there is to be done, 1t would
seem that there ought to be no
question as to the kind of roads TO
be built hereafter in this State.
Before closing l ask the careful,
thoughtful consideration of the peo-
pie of this city and county, to few
suggestions. We are all agreed
that our present great want is cheap
transportation to and from the mar
kets and recognized distributing
points of the country and the
| world.
Our products cannot pay the pres
ent price of transportation and
leave anything like an adequate re-
turn for his labor to the producer.
How to procure cheap freights, is
the great question of the day. ]
answer, by narrow gauge railroads.
built, owned and controlled by
yourselves. 1t is asked, "If we
must give a subsidy in order to gel
any kind of a road, why not give il
to a broad gauge road ?" Because.
whether you give much, little OIL
nothing towards the construction OF
a road, yOu are compelled for al
time 10 come, to pay such rates Of
fare and freights as will represent
the cost of operating, and the inter
est on the cost of constructing such
road. Capital will have, and ought
to have, an adequate interest for its
use.
Here are two harvesting machines
offered for hire. One cost $4,000
and takes four horses to operate it,
the other cost $1,000 and two horses
will operate it. They do their
work equally well and in the same
time. Which Will the farmer hire
Manife.,iy The one which can afford
to do has work the cheapest. Here
arc NO railroads, one costing one
half as much as the other to build,
equip and operate. Neither will do
your work for nothing, or for less
than cost. Win not that one do il
cheapest, which can afford to do il
cheapest?
Your subsidy affects you tempo
rarily. High or low freights and
fares affect you and your children
after you. One kind of road can
carry ton of freinght one mile for
two cents, and passenger for four
cents, aud make a certain amount
of profit by the operation. The other
can carry the freight for one cent.
and the passenger for two cents and
make the same profit.
1t is we'll known that there is
practically no such thing as rail-
road competition at the present day.
Beyond a certain point, and that
point high one, there cannot be.
No law can compel road to do
business at less than cost. When
the frosts of winter close lake nsvi-
cation, freights on all east and west
lines go up. This city has two
roads leading east. Freights and
fares are the same on both.
Suppose we had one or two more
of the same kind of roads, could any
one of them afford to reduce its
rates, knowing the others would do
the aana and that fhara vras NOT