The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-10
Railway Construction in 1882.

Early III tnc UegluuluR vi VIC pIcseuL year
the impression began to prevail that the con.
struction Of new railways in this country had,
for time, practically ceased, the result il was
believed of a natural revulsion from the furore
for extensions which had characterized 1881.
That year, 1t will be remembered, was noted
for the construction of tar greater railway
mileage than any previous year in the history
of the country, aggregating between 5000 and
10000 miles. This seemed to be adding TO
our railway system at an excessive and I'm.
warrantable rate, and it was assumed that a
marked decrease would ensue. Thus far, how.
ever, this year, these predictions have not been
justified, but on the contrary, strange to say,
the mileage of new roads already completed
is far greater than during the same period for
any previous year, and considerably more than
twice rs great as that for the first five months
of 1881 even. To show these remarkable
facts the age gives summary by states and
presents a statement of the miles of track laid
in the United States during the five months
from January to June |, 1882, and proceeds |
From this table it will be seen that during
the past five months tracklaying has been IN
progress in 36 states and territories, upon at
least 120 roads, and that within that time no
less than 3,4S0 miles of new railway have been
added in the United States. These figures,
moreover, are necessarily incomplete as quite
q number OF roads have not yet responded to
our inquiries for information, and on mum.
Der of others tracklayng had but recently
commenced. We have records of sufficient
number Of roads upon which we know this
work to be in progress, to make 1t certain that
the totals should be considerably increased.
As in subsequent monthly articles we shall
include roads not here mentioned, the sum.
mary at the end of the year will, we trust, be
very nearly complete. Although, as has been
said, construction during 1881 was remarkably
rapid, yet at this time last year only about t.,
500 miles of new track had been reported or
less than 40 per cent. of the aggregate for the
present year, and not much more than Is per
cent. of the total LAID in 1881 A similar rate
OF construction for the remainder of this year
would show the PRODUCTIONS total of about 90,
600 miles for 1882, but of course no such in
crease is now possible.
Although, thus tar, 1882 Is much more no.
table for railway construction than the first
five months of its predecessor, 1t would not be
safe to assume that the same rate OF cOnstruc.
ton will continue throughout the year The
past winter and spring were unusually favora-
BILE 10 out door work, compared with the same
uur''- : - 49, OBJ. e. t'',' - -: - ~
yri ID, ,J-g, a.. ...u!co.tI lac "uI.. acre
recorded is, to a considerable extent, finish.
ing up of work well under way last year. On
the other hand, very few Of the lines included
in this summary are yet complete. On 81 of
the 100 lines enumerated tracklaying Is still
IN progress, and to these is to be added the
considerable number on which this WORK has
just commenced and which will be included
in our subsequent reports.
That railway construction has by no means
been suspended but that, on the other hand,
an enormous mileage is to be added, is indicat-
ed by the large number of companies recently
incorporated, as well as by the fact that preli.
minary work is IN progress on many other
lines which have not reached the stage of
tracklaying. BY running through cur own
files since January /, we find that we have
referred TO no less than 225 companies either