New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-24
RAILROdD BUILDING.


The ChiclCO Rdilcdy Age reports that LOGS
miles of road were completed in October, max
ing O. 143 miles in ten months of 1882. About
the close of October last year, only 5,763 miles
had been reported for the year to date. But
this is only what may be called the running
count; it is impossible to get returns from
quite all the railroads that are building OF ex-
tending lines, and the addition at the close of
the year of mileage not included in monthly or
weekly reports swells the aggregate about 10
per cent. Hence it may be inferred that more
miles of railroad had been completed from
January to November l, 1882, than during
the entire year 1881. In the months Of No
vember and December last year. the completion
of 2S03 miles was announced, and after the
close of the year about $40 miles not pre-
viouSly reported, but built at some time during
the year, were discovered and added. IL the
construction during this and the next month
equals that of the last two months of 1881,
the running report will show an aggregate OF
about 10000 miles built in 1882, and there
will still remain some addition for roads pre-
yiously overlooked.
The building in October was largely in the
far North. Over third of the whole was
along the Canada border, 172 miles in Mimi
esota, 131 IN Dakota, and 60 in Montana, total
365 miles. West of the Mississippi, along the
Southern line only 142 miles were built, in
GLIDING only 60 in Texas. In Colorado IL
miles and in other central States west 1.-the
Mississippi 81 miles were built, making 14l
miles Adding only 33 miles for California
and Oregon, we have 681 miles built in
October west of the Mississippi River. In
States south of the Ohio aud Potomac, and east
of the Mississippi, only III miles were built in
the Northern States east of the Ohio line only
81 - miles, and in Northern States between
that line and the Mississippi 211 miles, in
GLIDING 80 in OniO 33 in Michigan, 36 in In
diana, 40 in Illinois, and 3S in Wisconsin. In
all States east of the Mississippi only 1877 -
miles were built. Runninga line along the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers from Lake Erie to
the Gulf, we find only 176 miles CT road built
east of that line, and S92 miles west of il.
Apparently the record of railroad building in
1882 will include over 10000 miles of road,
an addition of nearly One-eight to the entire
mileage of the country in a single year 1t is
hard to believe that SO marvellous a cOncen-
tration of capital and industry i'll one branch
of business can prove healthful or profitable.
The country did not seem ill-supplied with rail
way facilities at the close Of 1880 and it had
been increasing its mileage even then at rate
deemed by many almost alarming, But it then
had only about 1900 miles in operation, and
by the close of this year will probably have
10000, an increase of % per cent in two
wears. There has been no increase at all cor
responding to this in population, IN wealth, in
resources, in any branch of production, in
i'm in tral
nearly quarter more railroads to move our
products, we have an aggregate of products to
be moved scarcely greater than we had at the
close of the census year, with much smaller
demand for our products from abroad, ana
considerable evidence that the home market is
not at present sufficient for the supply. Yet we
have put into new railroads not far from
$500, 600, 900 in actual cash within two years.