The New York herald., 1876-07-04
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
FACTS AND r1ouRxs FOR THE CURIOUS.


FACTS AND FIGURES FOR THE CURIOUS.
WALL srRxEr, July s, 1870
Although the Exchanges closed, incidents in the
the financial world still interesting akrge class
whose business it Is dwell upon facts and figures,
them draw the differences upon which opera.
tions based 1t is for this reason that in leu OF
other matter pertinent to this column we publish from
the advance sheets of Poor's Manual number OF in
'eresng facts connected with the growth OF our rail-
way system From this statement 1t appears that the
total earnings OF the Ss75 miles OF railroads IN opera
ton in 1851 $39 s5s. $44l7 per mile for
the 759 miles, whose operations reported for 1875
the earnings $685. o05. sos, $7.oil per mile.
The sagnnss from freight in 1881 $50 1872 lo4 in
1876, tvop3 s6O 234, an increase OF LOO per
cent In freight receipts in the last quarter Of
century
The gross earnings Of railroads for 1875 less
by ST. 51l than for 1874 but the falling OF in net
earnings been only he total net for last
year being $685. SOC, ASS Notwithstanding the falling
Oh In earnings the dividends paid amount 81 PSI 266
than 1874 being STA 294 2oS for 1875, against
$751; o42 942 for the previous The dividends equal
3s per the 81 1876 COL 2sl OF capital stock In
vested In ali railroads good, bad and Indifferent
Its fact worthy of notice this that
while this the Centennial year % national exist
encc, s.also the semi-cenennIal Of the first year
Ihat the Erie Canal opened tor commerce aud Of
The the rst railroad IN the Unted States
Il is also the quarter centennial of the opening of the
Eric and Hudson River railroads, giving unbroken
rail connection with the great lakes Nothing shown
at the Great Exposition at Philadelphia compare
with the increase OF the railroad tho coun try
as an illustration its material progress the last
twenty five years
ENGINEERING.
During the past quarter OF century the develop
wonders Of the country The following general facts
pertinent to subject and should be information
TO the of readers:-Tne first pig made from
American smelted in England in 1898 In 1902
The Grst furnace built at Pembroke, Mass The
Total export OF in I'LL was three tons; In iii
had increased to 7525 tons The production Of coal
In the year 1874 Great Britain AGA OF
the whole product OF the world; the United States
1874 In the year the production OF iron in Great
Britain as q and In the United States Is OF the
whole product This shows that the production coal
md iron in any country generally bears The rcla
hon to each other.
The leading facts IN the mining history OF the country
may be enumerated as fQows:---First the erection in
Centre square. Philadelphia OF the first steam engine
sver built in America In hundred years steam has
transformed tho face OF the earth Second gold m,n-
Ing In tie South In the early part OF the century
Third the opening OF the anthracite coal fields and
the use OF aathracte In blast furnaces Fourth the
use Of raw bitumnous coal IN the blast furnace Filth
the development OF the copper mines Lake Superior
Sixth, the discovery OF gold in California in lS4S or
rather rediscovery. Seventh the commencement
sfquicksiver mining in 1851 Eighth, the introduction
81 the Bessemer steel process. Ninth, the
nent Of hydraulic gold mining. Tenth, the con Z
nencement OF mining in the Lake Superior region
md eleventh. the discovery OF silver in Comstock
lode, which opened an era OF speculation which has
hardly ceased since that time.
The following quotations reached US by cable from
Europe yesterday =
CHANGE
~ LONDON, July $3.50 P. N.
Erie Railway shares H.
Consos, oaz for both money and the account
BoURsE
Paris advices quote five per Rentcs at lo4L 52Hc
tor tho account.
Exchange on London. 25f. 29c. for short sight.