The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-09-26
THE IRON HORSE.
New Railway Projects at Home and Abroad
From the Railway World

THE IRON HORSE.
New Railway Projects at Home and Abroad
From the Railway World
1t is evident that very little improve
ment in the financial affairs of the
world, or rather in the willingness of
capitalists to advance money for railway
construction, is needed to establish an
other era of great activity in railway
building. The proposed fields of exer-
ton have to some extent changed, and
good many Of the enterprises seriously
contemplated at this time have not yet
quite reached the stage in which large
expenditures are made, but neverthe-
less the work of conceiving projects,
and advancing them so far that final
success is only question of time, still
goes on.
Temporarily the most rapid progress
will, from present appearances, be in the
New Dominion, India and other British
colonies, France, Italy, Switzerland
South American countries, Russia and
portions of Asia, but indications of
| desire to resume construction, on
somewhat extensive scale, are by no
means wanting in some sections of our
vast republic, and these aspirations are
not all unaccompanied with the ability
to provide the necessary financial back
ing.
The Canadian Government seems to
be thoroughly in earnest in it's indorse-
ment of the project for completing an
all-rail connection between the British
North American possessions on the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and, as work
is progressing at several important
points, the final success of this gigantic
undertaking can scarcely be considered
doubtful. Meanwhile great activity is
being displayed in connection with
schemes that to some extent hinge upon
this movement by our northern neigh
bors, and it would not be surprising if
construction in the region south of
Manitoba, and identified with the Red
river valley and various portions of
Dakota and Minnesota, should soon be
commenced on an extensive scale.
In the central Rocky Mountain dis
tricts the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe is busy with extensions, which are
alleged to have as their objective point
a connection with the lines of the
Southern Pacific; the Denver and Rio
Grande is pushing it's lines south to-
ward Mexico with considerable vigor,
and there have been many evidences
or premonitions of activity in various
portions of Central Colorado, Utah
and districts contiguous to the Black
Hills.
/ A number of projects for the con-
struction of local roads, Or the compile
ton of extensions deemed desirable by
some of the long-existing railway lines,
are now showing an increasing amount
of vitality; but in view of the large
number of completed miles of railway in
operation in this country to each 1000
! inhabitants, as compared with the CORE
spending relation in many other coun-
tries, it is scarcely to be desired or ex-
pected that the OUTLAWS for new railways
here will soon again, if ever, greatly
surpass those of all other nations, es-
pecially since a number of foreign Gov
ernments are at this moment so iber-
ally supporting new railway projects,
while there is strong disposition here
to antogonize our entire railway system
with Government hostility.
At the close of 1876 there was in the
United States one mile of railway to
every SIG 6-10 inhabitants, while in the
world at large the number of inhabit-
ants to each mile of railway was
1858 ITO. With an estimated popula-
ton of less than 45,OOO,OOO, this country
has II ,47O miles of railway in operation,
out of total of 1914, 1886, or about two
ffths of the entire mileage of the world,
which has an aggregated estimated pop
ulation of Lap 1898, 693, or more than
thirty times the population of the
United States.
After all due allowance is made for the
progressive character of the American
people, and the special needs for trans
portation facilities, it is evident that
either we have built too many railways,
or other nations too few, or that, perhaps,
there is considerable truth in both these
propositions To supply the entire globe
as iberally with railways in proportion
to population as the United States is
now supplied would require the con-
struction of about 100000 miles, or
| more IMAM Twelve LlnloS The present. mile
age; and number of nations heretofore
inshrouded in the trammels of conserv-
atism, or lacking the means, intelligence
and enterprise necessary to put forward
great. works of construction, are now
beginning to realize more fully than at
any former period the desirability Of
such efforts.
It is a significant sign of the times that
the Governments of France, Russia,
Italy and Germany are either making at
this moment very large expenditures for
railway purposes, or that they are COM
mitted to such action at g, comparatively
early period. Even Switzerland decided
recently to make another considerable
advance to the great st. Gothard tunnel
nroiect which is considered vitality as-