The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-07-21
RAILROAD PROGRESS IN 1881.

kAlLKOAO IhOOhDoc =" AooAs
An Increase Of 1l.143 Miles, Making
an, Total I'm the United states IA ebe
End Of 1881. 1O4,Sl3.
From the forthcoming volume OF "Poors
Railroad Manual of the United States" which
has come TO be acknowledged as an authority
on such statistics, the following synopsis OF its
predatory statement OF the general facts Of
railroad progress in the United States during
the year 1851 is made:
The wear 1881 has been one Of extraordinary
activity in railroad Affairs. Within tho year
9. 35s miles of railroad have been built, the
greatest number for any one year. The great
est mileage for any previous year was 1877
miles in 1871. The total miles in operation at
the end of 1881 was 104, 813, being an increase
of II, 142 miles over the previous year.
The cost, at $25.000 per mile, OF the lines
conssructed during the year was 1888, 750, 900.
In addition, ct least S75, 600. 600 were expended
on lines in progress, and 800 900 900, which is
at the rate Of only $1,000 per Riiie, On Old
roads, in improving th.ir tracks, In puhdlng
new stations, and in adding To their equipments
The total amount expended In construction
during the past year was, In round numbers
II now seems probable that the mileage TO be
opened in 1882 will equal that for 1881. Up to
the LIST of June, 1882 3,677 miles OF line were
opened. against 1,734 for the same period In
1891 The same rate Of increase will not be
maintained for the remainder OF the year, out
the aggregate for it of new mileage Is not likely
to be much short of 10000 miles.
The earnings OF all the roads In operation in
the country the past year equaied SIzo' go lis,
being an Increase over the previous year OF
$1,000 ,0OO the rate OF increase being nearly
is per cent The earnings equaed 1880 per
head of our population. Their net earnings
were S276, e54 l19, an increase OF ga, 5OOOOO
over those FOR 1880. Their current expenses
44.l9 OF. The amount of interest paid
during the year ON their funded debts was sl2S-
49,. O02; the amount paid in dividends Was
S93 342, 200, against ST., 115,4ll for 1880.
! The cost of operating our railroads for the
! wear was $40, 565, OIL. or 62 per cent OF their
! gross earnings. The total amount expended
| In their construction of new lines and in oper-
ating and improving the old ones was over
$3.50 600 O0O-the greater part OF this vast sum
being paid in wages The number OF persons
employed in operating them the past year aver
aged fully twelve to the mile OF operated Inc,
| or ]. 100000 in all. The number employed In
| the construction of our railroads equaled 4OO,-
! OOO increasing the total number OF employees to
/. 800. OOO or about one-thirty-second part of
our population, estimated at 81. 200, 600.
Tie tonnage transported on all the railroads
! in the country in 1881 cannot have been less
than g. 500 tons TO the mile, $50, DOC, 900 tons.
AT an assumed value of $50 per ton, the value
! of the tonnage moved on all the railroads Of
the United States the past year, less one-thrrd
for duplication, WAS say, STANDARDIZATION, or
more than 5000 per head OF the whole popuia-
ton.
The gross earnings for the New England
States were $50 1886, S09 against $4S. 1855 600 for
1880, S41, 329 1875 for 1879 and Gal, 260, 203 for
1878. OF these earnings $31, 924 l45 were re-
ceived for transportation OF freight, mails etc.,
. and $40, a56 664 for the transportation OF pas
| ba nat
against :17, 1913 6S5 for 1880, els, $50, O9l for
1879. and Si3, 3s5, 927 for 1878. The dividends
paid amounted to %, 1913, 030, against 81. 999 l9l
FOR 1880, 81 ,236, 2O3 for 1879, and $7,566,65s
for 1878.
The gross earnings of The railroads in the
Middle States were 1925, 39S, 22i. against $780,
COS. 7l3 for 1880, $40, $40 846 for 1879 and
&155. 45S. 1858 for 1878. or gross earnings
S176, 7s0 2Z3 were received for transportation Of
freight mails, etc, and > 1,6l7,995 for trans
portatlon IF passengers. The net earnings were
sS4. S62 704 against SS3, 923, 1913 for 1880, S70,-
4l6,97O for 1879, and So $50, 993 for 1878. The
dividends paid amounted to $33, 3l5. 5Sl,
against s2s 479, s91 for 1880, SOIL, 164 for 1879
and S2l, 14S, 422 for 1873
The gross earnings reported on the railroads
in the Southern States were S63, 737, O87, against
S4S.317, 754 for $780, $43 917. 2s4 for 1879 and
S42 797, 284 for 1873. The net earnings were
$50, $40 623, against S18, 124, 034 for 1880 GA
673, 357 for 1879, and $l4,3799 58 for 1873.
The dividends paid amounted to %, 593, 10Y,
against g. 525 977 for 1880, 80, ITO for 1879,
and 81, sos, 799 for 1873 The earnings from
freight mails. ETC., were $40, $50, 1885, and from
passengers sl3, 1856, 1872.
The gross earnings OF the railroads Of the
Western States were S344, 1898, SOC, against
$500, 5SS, 100 for 1880, 1892, 379,646 for 1879.
60 9, S52 275 for 1878. he net earnings were
9134. 1893, against sl25. 166, 2lS for 1880,
$685. 961, 9Oe for 1879 and ST.. 1855, 229 for 1873.
The dividends paid amounted to $40, 234, 1923,
against $50, $50 for 1880, S23, SCI, 1852 for
1879, and S19,3J, 1912 for 1875. The earnings
from freight mails, etc, were $2GS 420, 532, and
from passengers SIS, 973274.
The earnings Of the railroads in the Pacific
States, including the Central Pacific and its
leased lines, amounted to S35, 915, 1876, against
$2S, 1885, $50 for $780, S26, 444, 206 for 1879, and
S26, SS1, 0O7 for 1873 OF this sum S1l, 022, 374
was derived from passengers, and S24, Sy2, 1922
from transportation Of freight, mails, etc. The
net earnings were SIS, S76, 066 against &c.
1856, JOG in 1880; dividends, S7,7S7, 491, against
IS, 992, 1852 In 1880.