The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-09-27
THE IRON HORSE.
New Railway Projects Mt Home and Abroad
from the Railway World.l

New Railway Projects ut Home and Abroad
From the Railway world.I
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 a
good many Of the enterprises seriously
contemplated Mt 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 a
desire to resume construction, on a
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 its 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
connection with the lines of the
Southern Pacific; the Denver and Rio
| oiuhetc 10 pushing 40 ihco oouoh W
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-
pected that the OUTLAWS for new railways
here will soon again, if ever, greatly
surpass those of all other nations, es-
pecially since number of foreign Gov
ernments are mt this moment so hber
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 576 6-10 inhabitants, while in the
world at large the number of inhabit-
ants to each mile of railway was
1888 ITO. With an estimated popula-
ton of less than As, ZOO, 900, this country
has TAO miles of railway in operation,
ont of total of 1874, 1886, or about two
fifths of the entire mileage of the world,
which has an aggregated estimated pop
ulation of lap, 933, 1893, 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 literally with railways in proportion
to population as the United States is
now supplied would require the con-
struction of about 100000 miles, or
more than twelve times 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.
1t is 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 comparatively
early period. Even Switzerland decided
recently to make another considerable
advance to the great ST. Gothard tunnel
project, which is considered vitality es-
sential to her future prosperity; and, as
compared with the United States, either
one of the nations named would be
obliged to construct many railways be-
fore they would approximate the present
relations between mileage and popula-
ton in this country. Thus, in France,
there is only one mile of railway to every
1880 5-10 inhabitants; in Switzerland,
one mile for every 1886 $40; in Ger
many, one mile for every 2,346 $40; and
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