West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-07-28
RAILWAr BUIIDINe ~ 1889.


caused in some qnarters by tie pub
hcation Of new railway mileage for
The Srst half OF 1892. There was a
general impression that reilway
building. though not wholly stop
ped, had been greatly diminished Of
late. Uuquestionsbly. but few new
enterprises have succeeded in placing
securities within the past half year;
the importatons OF rails have de-
cIned to less than third OF the
quantity received in corresponding
months last year, or early this year
the rail mills OF this country are no
;oager at work, as they we've last
year, upon orders covering elk
months production; auj the price
OF Bessemer rslls, in spite of the great
strike, is about 25 per cent. lower
than in February. With all these
evidences of decrease in railroad
building, the Chicago Raii,oay Age
states that 1890 miles of new road
have been opened from j ,uusry 10
July l, 1882. against little over
2, OC0 miles" Tor The & at half Of
last gear, Tie comparative state
meut seems 10 b. erroneous. In the
ordinary weekly reports, which do
not include ay any means all the
r.i!eage con trusted, the building Of
over 2. 400 miles was announced for
lbe first half o. 1881. Bat the state.
Inent OF the Raillo1y Age may new
esthe ess b. correct 10 the essential
matter, and all other records agree
to tbis * eut, that the mileage Of
new raiiro.ds built tins year has
been nearly or quite double that Of
last year t. date.
o dinaii'y, much more than half
Of the bew railroad completed in
anY year is foshei during the asst
half OF the wear Thus Mr.. Poor re.
porte that over 10, 600 miles Of rail e.
road were built in 1881, Of which
as we have seen, only about a quar-
ter was completed prior TO July l,
The seasons, 1t is tue, was extraordI.
nsriiy unfsvorab.e untii latoiu that
half year, but the records Tor series
OF years show that the mileage COM
p'eted during the last bali OF each
year has been much Crater than dur
ing The Gist half Hence it would
be IN unusual and Amos, uuprece-
dented event If, neory 5000 miles
having been completed from January
! TO july !, the mileage constructed
in the ieat halt Of this year should
fall below 5000, snd yet the com
pletion OF 10000 miles ofrailroad in
two gears would indie d be marvel
loue work.
The table given by the Rail,oag
Age gives the number OF miles Of
roa Is bmlt in each State. Texas
le IDS, with 732 miles. Iowa has
403, Co orado 326. New Yotk 3O3,
Indiana 205 aud Arkansas 248, so
that nearly half the new mileage
was in six States New England re.
porte none; the Middle States only
473 milss, The Southern States east
o! the Mississippi G38, and the Pa
olic States 2l2; 50 that nearly three
quarters Of the entire new mileage
was in Northern States west Of De
Pennsylvania line, and in Sou hern
States west Of The NJ ssissippi, In
the North, between Pennsylvania
and ;be Mississippi, 878 miles were
built More than hall--oyer 55 per
cen'-of the eatire mileage con-
stTucted was between The Mlssis-
sippi River and tae Nevada and Ore
gon line, namely, 2.788 miles. These
figures show that the work done has
been very largely for the develop
meht OF regions as yet spsrsslv set
tied But The multiplication OF
competing roads iu many Of the old
er States has also been an important
feature 10 The half years work.
1t is common mistake TO sup
pose that The cost Of railroads com
pleted this year must uecesssrily be
taken from the available capitol this
year Roads Of importance are Two
or three years in building, fnished
to-day, they were partly built IN
1881, and begun IN 1880 or even
earlier Az a rule, capital was pro-
vided one or two years ago, and, If
not wholly Withdrawn from the loan
market or ihe market for invest
moots, was SO pledged or locked up
that it has not since been available
for any new enterprises. 10 Che Cur
reucy point Of view, on the other