Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-22
THE COST OF RUNNING A RAIL
WAY.
About Two-Thfrds of the Expenses
Are Paid to Employees.

1 %
Are Paid to Employees.
Few people have any idea of the
enormous expense involved in keeping
3 railway IN running condition.
Others who have given the subject any
thought, have endeavored to ascertain
the largest item of expense, some
claiming that the salaries of officers
and clerks IN the management office
form the largest expenditure, while
Others think the taxes paid by the
companies, their most expensive bills
TO meet. And doubtless most peo-
pie will be surprised TO learn that the
station agents and station service are,
with most OF the large roads, the
largest item of expense. With the
Chicago & Northwestern and Chica-
GO, Milwaukee & ST. Paul, however,
fuel for locomotives is the largest item,
largely due TO the high latitude in
which most OF their tracks lie and
their remoteness from the coal fields.
The Chicago & Northwestern road
may be taken as a sample of railway
expenditure, and a simple glance at
the figures is sufficient to show what
a big thing great railway is. During
last year this road paid cut $4,000, 600
for fuel for locomotives. This repre-
sents an expenditure of IS, 400 a day
the year throughout. and, as may be
supposed, laying in the Northwestern's
winter supply of fuel is the source of
quite as much anxiety as in smaller
households. Only $50, or so less
than two millions went for station
agents and station service. Six hun
bred thousand dollars of this sum was
paid as salarias to agents, and most of
the rem ainder was for SALARIES for
clerks and freight house men. It cost
million and eight hundred thousand
dollars to repair the roadway and
track, or nearly $500 mile. This
was nearly all paid out in salaries, as
was the next largest item, locomotive
service, 81, 100000. Nearly million
dollars were expended in repairing
freight cars, and more than half a
million in repairing passenger cars.
Almost another million went for res
pair of the 800 locomotives. Taxes
amounted to 50, 900 for every business
day in the year, renewal Of buildings
to 81, 500 a day, and renewing ties,
| A1C" Acs-iSJ tJcSA1S d. io
tenance and operation of telegraph to
about a thousand dollars each for
every day. The salaries of the general
officers and clerks amounted to $170,~
600; law expenses to SIS, 900; station
cry and printing, $125, 600; outside
agencies and advertising, $3.50, 1000,
and station supplies, $4,000 The
water supply cost 100000, and the
oil and waste foot up to 5000 day.
For personal injury the company paid
out $125,000 for damage to property
and cattle $4,000, and for damage
and loss of baggage and freight $685.
600. lee, fuel. etc., for passenger
trains cost ST., ZOO, and for freight
trains $25, 600. Passenger conductors
and brakemen cost 100000, and
freight train service nearly $500, 900.
More than $400 day went for repairs
ing fences, road crossings and signs.
No wonder big railway must have
large receipts.
Probably few persons ever stopped
to think of the size Of the army of en-
ployes needed to carry on one Of our
great Western railways and the vast
amount of money paid to them in
salaries. The pay roll Of the Chicago
6 Northwestern is as follows: