The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-11-05
RAsLROAIs BUILDaNG.
cost Of Operating. Etc.

OECAoAAn6 Ao@AA OtsAAos tnO
people ought to have solved the
problem of cheap inland commerce
l believe that we are at last upon
the eye of such a solution, and that
the salvation of the producer, is to
be worked out through the means
of the narrow gauge railroad, and
that, too, without sacrificing the in
terests OF capital. For the purpose
of comparison of the net cost of
moving freight over the two kinds
of road, have taken four first class
single track western roads, aggre-
eating 1,74l miles in length, and
find that the average net cost OF
moving one ton of freight one mile
is coos 60 3-5) mills. These four
roads averaged in 1874, 1872 tons TO
each mile OF road operated. This
amount of business is one-half the
average capacity of a well conduct
ed single track road.
These same roads charged a gross
tariff for that year, of twenty eight
mills per mile, or within fraction
of two hundred per cent. over net
cost, and still two of them failed to
pay the interest on their bonded
debt. Now if these roads could
have had double the business 10 do,
they coml,l hav mS,erially reduced
their tariff, and at the same time
paid the interest on their enormous
debt.
/ have taken two narrow gauge
roads, of 24O miles in length, and
find that the net cost of moving,
freight over them last year, was
.O0l2 a 81 mills per ton per mile,
less than One-half the cost on
the usual gauge, and that, too, with
business of only $40 tons per mile
per aunum, less than onehalf this
amount of the average of the broad
gauge roads.
A good, well equipped narrow
gauge, is capable of transporting
1000 tons per mile of road per an
mum. leave my readers to make
their own calculations of the cost,
provided a narrow gauge road had
that amount of business to do.
submit that these facts prove
eoncInsiveiy the proposition | all
yaneed la NV first article, that We
nnst haze cheaper roads, oar more
business for those NE have, before
we can expect cheaper transporta-
ton.
With the above facts before us it
will be seen that with the present
business, and present high tariff, the
standard roads are virtually bank
rupl. For comparison, suppose the
above mentioned roads had been
narrow gauge, built at cost of
$4,000 per mile, or in round NUM-
bers SIT 100000, and had moved the
same amount of freight. (Which a
narrow gauge can easily do,) at
fourteen mills per ton per mile, one
half what they actually received for
moving it, and we have $2.3l3 ,lS2,-
%. Then deduct the net cost of
moving the same freight over the
narrow gauge at four mills per ton
i mile, and there is left profit of ST.
673, 70l Go, which is nearly ten per
per cent. on the original cost of the
road. making no allowance for
profit on transportation of pssscn-
gers, mails, express, etc.
In arriving at this conclusion, !
have taken the actual freight earn
ings OF the four roads above refer
red to, as reported by themselves,
and it shows good investment for
capital, at tariff rate OIL freight
which would be utter ruin TO a road
of the standard gauge, which had to
pay interest on the large debt,
which is eating up the substance OF
nearly all the roads of this country.
The results arrived at may be thus
briefly stated:
Four mills per ton mile is the net
cost of moving freight OF "a narrow
gauge single track road, when
working at about one half its capac-
ity. Double this rate, will give q
fair return for capital invested, and
still be so low as to ruin any stand
ard road which should attempt to
compete with ii. About the same
relative difference obtains in all
classes of railroad transportation,
The freight business has been Sc
lecied au example, because it il
J the % i..ripAl source OF revenue, and
BECAUSE the cost and profit are more
easily calculated. On most West.
} ern reads the freight business con.
, stitutes about twO-thirds of Tho
whole amount. In recent consulta
i. lions with large number of prac
? teal railroad managers and build
4 ers, with car builders and iron men
D I find the opinion universally ex
: pressed, that roads can now be bull
: much cheaper than ever before
/. that railroad bonds are slow sale
Y and I'm most instances entirely un
;, saleable except at rulnous discount
: and that in the present condition o
!. railroad securities, it is folly to at
8 tempt anything but the narrow
: gauge, particularly in the West.
Tho first mortgage bonds for Tn
;. extension of the road from Littl
e Rock to Fort Smith sold few day
o ago in Bosten for 40 cents on tn
Is dollar. thus really paying ia pc
y cent. interest for the money, and re
Y peaiing the folly which has swamp
: ped so many mcritorious enterprise
= My next article will contain
5. careful estimate of the cost at til
o present time ola narrow gauge roa,
n from this city down the Walnu
v river TO the State line, giving, when
# ever practicable, the exact cost i
cash, aud wherever estimates ar
made, they will be from data fur
+ nished by practical men who haV
!. had ln,,nr avneRianee Ia tho husinoe,