The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-16

As general thing, the narrow Cargo
roads constructed in this country have
been abort lines, intended for local SER
vice and to cheaply connect communities
with standard gauge lines, Recently,
however, the idea Of constructing trunk
lines OF three feet gauge, which vas The
fAvorite schema Of many Of the early mar
row gauge advocates, has been revived,
and constitutes new phase Of the situa'
lion at present. On the other hand an.
other result Of railway development in the
last two years or go has been the abaorp'
ton Of quite number Of short narrow
gauge roads by larger companies, and their
conversion to the standard gauge, while in
some other cases narrow gauge roads have
been widened by the original owners.
The Ralway Age contains care.
fully prepared statistical article on this
subject. This article shows that in the last
two years the mileage Of narrow gauge
roads in the United States has increased
from 4, lSs to 5000, q gain Of LIZA miles;
but 1t Ia also to be noted that ia that time
narrow gauge roads having mileage Of
no less than 6B7 miles have been either
changed to standard gauge or purchased
by standard gauge companies, which are
about to change them, or have been taken
up altogether. the latter, however, being
the case only TO the extent OF q 90 miles,
The narrow gauge roads which have been
or are about 10 be changed 10 standard,
generally by reason OF absorption with
existing lines, represent a total mileage Of
Gao miles. OF the 1, 1855 miles OF narrow
gauge roads In existence two years sgo,
not less than fifteen per cent Of the mile
aga has been, or is to be, changed to the
standard gauge or taken up, This, added
to the present existing mileage, would
make the narrow gauge mileage thus lar
constructed In tho United States 9 620
miles, or about seven per cent OF the toIsl
railway mileage OF the country on jan
uary i, The number Of different narrow
gauge roads two years ago appeared 10 be
l4S, while tho number In exisIe0Ce to-day
numbers 40, showing q net increase oil
only one road In two years.
At present the narrow gauge devel.
opment is In progress mainly In
connection With two systems, The
Denver & Rio Grande Company has
pushed its lines In various directions In
Colorado and New Mexico, having more
than doubled its mileage In two years, and
10 still building rapidly, while It 10 also
moving south ward to Old Mexico to meet a
system being built in the same interest
from tho City Of Mexico horthward. The
company expects to lay five hundred miles
Of track this year, In q very short time
another system has sprung up, namely,
the Toledo, Delphos & Burlington.
This company, by construction aud
ABSORPTION, has now nearly four
hundred miles In operation in Ohio
and Indiana, and 10 steadily extending
southwark in the former State aud west
ward through the latter toward 81. Louis.
Here the intention Is to connect with the
Cairo & 81. Louis narrow gauge, which In
turn Is to meet long link yet to be con.
struCted to give connection with the mar
row gauge system Of Texas, already in.
Guiding nearly five hundred miles, This
scheme also COntemplates an eventual con.
neCtion with Mexico and the Palmer.
Sullivan system, 10 which the Denver 4
Rio Grande system is allied With these
extensive schemes completed the narrow
gauge system will have fair test by the
eide Of the standard gauge.