The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1878-08-03
Railroal Statistics.

The ton annual issues Of Poore,s Manual,
which have preceded the present one, have
fully demonstrated its practical value. II
has. In fact, become almost necessity to
the constantly growing number Of those
who are interested In railway property,
either as inventors, operators or general
students Of transportation. Like the rail-
way system itself, the Manual has been
progressive, and besides adding the neces-
sary new information from year to year,
has made many improvements in the man.
ner Of compilation.
The eleventh annual number Is before
us. It differs from the preceding ones in
being arranged by States. Tables are
given for each State, showing the total
length Of each road, the number of miles
Of the road lying within the State, and the
gauge of the track. These tables are OF
great value for reference and comparison.
The Introduction Of the Manx0l il shOrter
than usual, but none the less valuable.
From 1t We gather number Of interesting
statistics.
The number Of miles OF road reported as
opened during the year 1877 was 2,l77,
against 1851 for 1876, l,75S in 1875 and
2,3O5 In 1874. It u probable that these
figures are only approximately correct, as
1t Is almost impossible to gather all the
information necessary to make them exact,
and corrections sometimes have to be made
several years after the publication. Tho
same remark applies to the tables Of the
total mileage Of railroads in the United
States for the different years. For in
stance, the AaHxal for 1877 reported the
total mileage of road in tho United States
in 1876 rs TAO miles. The Manual for
1878 gives the mileage for 1876 at 77,O3l-
q correction Of 439 miles. 1t Ia hardly
probable that entire exactness in these
figures can be arrived at except through
the medium OF Government bureau, such
as that suggested by Charles Francis
Adams, Jr. The gross earnings Of all the
roads reported for 1877 were $472, 9O9, 272,
a decrease Of "a, 34S, 6s7 from 1876. This
Is the smallest gross earning since 1872,
when there was some Is, 900 less miles OF
railroad. 1t is an encouraging feature that
the net earnings for 1877 show decrease
OF only Sis, 47G, O55 as compared with 1876,
due to increased encOnOmy Of operation.
This Is better presented in the statement
that the ratio Of net to gross earnings in
creased from 36.l6 per cent. to 37.5 per
cent. The percentage decrease in earn
ings is about equally divided between the
AIclSnL 6lu tn0 ph66cuScE LIduC, Delnx 80
in the one case and 81 In the other. Divi-
dends fell of 9,4s3, 1856, and were less
than in any year since 1871, when there
was 80, 900 miles less road in the country.
No dividends were paid on any Of the
railroads In eleven States, and yet some of
those States arc still legislating on railroad
rates.
As q matter OF curiosity, rather than
practical value, the tables Of statistics are
reduced on a scale Of 100, giving the fol-
lowing results: For every 100 miles Of
railroad In the United States there 22S
miles Of second track, sidings, etc.; 2O.I
locomotives; 15.2 passenger cars; ~ bag
gage, mail and express cars; 1858 freight
cars; 81, 92l, 507 OF capital stock; 81, 84S,-
308 Of funded debt; $300, 07S Of floating
debt. The total cost OF construction and
equipment for each 100 miles Is 81, 069, 1893.
The gross earnings per mile were 81, $50. "a;
operating expenses (63. IS ercent.) -, 074;
net earnings, 2,3O6.94; interest paid on
bonds, $l,24s.O4; dividends paid, $739.52;
ratio Of interest to total funded debt, 4.39
per cent; dividend to capital stock, 2.53
per cent. In 1874 the dividends amounted
to 1. 10 per cent. Of the capital then invested.