The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-07-12
THE IRON HORSE.
Statistics of the Railroads of the United
States for 1876.

Statistics of the Railroads of the United
States for 1876.
From advance sheets of s'Poor's Man
ual of the Railroads of the United
States for 1877 8"-the highest authority
IN the United States-we learn that the
number of miles of railroad opened
during the year 1876 was 1855, against
1919 miles for 1876, and 1,811 miles for
1874. The excess of miles built, as
compared with the two preceding years,
is due almost entirely to the great activ-
ity in the Southern Pacific lines, and in
narrow-gauge lines in Ohio, Texas and
Colorado. The miles operated in 1876
numbered 70, 518; the capital and funded
debt amounted to 81, 46S, 491, 935; the
gross earnings were $497, 257, 959; the
net earnings 1886, 452, 1852, and the divi-
dends paid 1868, 039, 688. Compared with
1875, there was an increase of 1,749 in
the number of miles operated an in
crease of $3.50, 900, 900 in the capital and
funded debt a decrease of So, 800, 900 in
the gross earnings; an increase of nearly
81 900, 900 in the net earnings, and de-
crease of Sc, 100000 in the dividends.
The increase in the net earnings. al
though the mileage of the roads has
been increased and the gross earnings
have fallen off, betokens an increased
economy in railway management. The
dividends paid last year were larger than
IN any previous year, except 1875, but
not as large in proportion to the capital
stock as in many preceding years.
In the ten years from 1867 to 1876, the
railroad mileage has nearly doubled, in
creaslng from 1925 in the former to
77,470 in the latter. During the same
period the population of the country in
creased only % per cent, SO that the in
crease in railway mileage has been at
rate more than quadruple that of the
population. Nearly two-thirds of the
increase has been in the Western and
Pacific States The number of inhabit-
ants to mile Of railroad is SIT. In the
West the number averages considerably
less, being but 427 inhabitants per mile.
The manual says that the experience
of the New England States demonstrates
that, to enable railroads to be operated at
q profit, population Of at least $50 to
mile of railroad is necessary in this coun-
try, and that the history of the railroads
in the Western States also proves it.
The inevitable result, the manual also
says, has come, and that result cannot
be overcome until the population shall
again increase. to the necessary proper
ton.
It is estimated that in 1876 the num-
Der OF tons of freight transported was
more than so per cent. greater than in
1871. The decrease in rate of freight is
estimated, as the basis of the decrease in
Massachusetts,, New York and Ohio, at
1866 per cent. The average rate per ton
per mile in cents was in the aggregate,
in those States, in 1876, 1913, against
1.94 in 1871. The earnings from freight
transportation on railroads throughout
the country are less by more than $780,
100000 than they would have been had
the rates of 1871 been maintained.
Since 1867 the capital stock ofthe rail
roads has increased from 1856, 223, 900 to
So, 248, 358, 375, and the funded debt
from $416, 658, 900 to S., 220, 1888, $50 AS
the net earnings Of the roads in 1876 were
$186, 1852, 752, and the dividends amount
ed to only sos, 030, 668, nearly $120, O00,-
600 went to pay interest on the debt.