The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-11-18


The following comment made upon an
article in Poors Railroad Journal,
which was omitted in our last is-
SUE for want OF space, is both interesting
and instructive upon the compar a,ivc
merits of broad aud narrow-gauge roads !:
The extract published IN the last Bull
LETIN of the condition of the railroads in
the United States is worthy ofinspeetiou
and consideration. The average cost of
these broad-gauge roads was in 1874
0425 per mile. The gross earning for
the year 1874 from passengers and
freight was 1895, ,932 $50. Net earnings
$3.50 sol O39, or little over ] of the
| gross earnings.
Now take the year 1S73-total gross
earni ngs was SIIl5. 465 443, whilst net
earnings was $32I.I94959 .or nearer /
than ] for this year Then taking the
two years 1873 and 1874 we may fairly
say the net earnings of our broad-gauge
roads in the United States averages about
one-Jbird of their gross earnings, and
the other two-thirds are consumed IN op-
Grating the roads etc. Whereas In mar
row-gauge roads experience shows their
net earnings are about two-thirds and
their cost of operating about one-third.
Here is a vast diffsren Ia 1874 under
reduction of expenses the roads have
saved from 1899. 932. $50 the net sum oi
| IS33056I039, but it would scarcely be
fair In the contrast TO double his sum in
comparing the advantages of the broad
and narrow-guage systems, but rather to
take the averages of the two years az
more net income was saved to the broad
guages relativ ely in 1864 than in 1868
The average net income for the TIVE
years would be about one-third of gross
income aud when this rate is applied
to gross receipts Of 1864 we have q ne
income from gross receipts of 1864
S299 873 175 under narrow-gauge sys
lem which eould have done the same
amount of work, this last sum Of net in
come wouI1 have been, instead Of 299,
OO0, 600, at least 59s,OOO,0OO. Poor who
is standard authority throughout the U
5. saws that the broad-gauges upon I
nominal (which we take to mean deeply
watered), estimation of cost has earned
in gross 1913 per cent We may safely
estimate upon their actual cost the.
have made about double or a 6 per cent
The dividends paid in 1873 was $67.
I2O7O9-in 1874 dividends were $67.
| lO42. .9O2. Poor for these years states tina
+ while the roads had made on gross ear
ings in 1874, So 953 9I9 less than for th,
preceding year, the net earnings during
the same time increased s. 100 800 show
ing saUing Of SII.7I43I5," meaning in
operating expenses etc.
A narrow gauge gives big saUins a
compared with broad gauge. If ther
our whole system Of railroads, had beer
) a Darrow-gauge system, even though tn
! watering of stock dodge, (oalled the nom
inaI estimate of stock had been taken "a
2 to them aIsu), as the basis upon which
1.-THE per cent was declared, IN the case o
j the narrow-gauges instead OF 1913 Pc
] cent-is should have shown probably
# 20 per cent. net. The per cent OF
/ actual cost would be much larger still
e We think this demonstrates that nal
. row-gauge railroads will pay good div
? idend, and are the only kind We can, Of
: ought now to build.
: During the session of the Circuit Cour
e at Troy, Obion county. last week, des
5 perats character named Fay ette Lueei