Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-01
STREET RAILROADS ABROAD.
Wonderful Results from George Francis
Trains Experimental Mile.

Wonderful Results from George Francis
Trains Experimental Mile.
From tie London Bat1loay Times.
tits something less than thirty years
since George Francis Train obtained pow
er to lay down an experimental tramway
from Remington Common to WestmIn-
ster road. a distance of about a mile, and
although the work was most unsatisfac-
tory to the promoter, as it had to be taken
up at his own expense after a very short
existence, in il we must RECOGNIZES the
germ of a great industry from which the
public Is perhaps deriving greater advan-
tage than those whose money has
brought about it's development. The eX-
perimental mile has now grown to 656
miles ia England and Wales alone, repre-
senting a total expended capital OF 60
S13,074 out of an authorized 4l4,05l, $40.
These miles and money are divided be-
tween 1876 undertakings, which gives an
average length of little under 5 miles
for each, with an average capital of 972,-
1855. This is made up, of course. OF small
lines in emOte provincial towns and I'M
dertaklngs of greater magnitude, by
which the metropolis and large cities are
served, from BlackpOOl, with it's mile and
a quarter of road, constructed at cost OF
some 1000, to Liverpool, London and
mdQtnG6beIs where Inc Cdplbdl 10 COuubEQ
by hundreds of thousands.
1t appears that the growth Of tramway
enterprise during the past ten years has
been steady, although not altogether sat
isfactory in financial point OF view. In
1876 the total amount of capital invested
In this kind Of security was 92,667 300,
representing "a miles OF road. Two years
afterwards the capital had grown to
f4,657 635, aud the miles to 1874, and in
1880 IS, 100000 OF capital invested, repre-
senting 289 miles OF road. So year by
year the enterprise has grown until we
find recorded for the twelve months
ending June 30, 1885, total length Of
line amounting TO $50 miles constructed
at a cost Of 90, 100000 OF money.
The advance In construction has I'M
doubleday been rapid, even more 80 than
the commercial results would seem to
warrant, as profits have, upon the whole,
certainly not been In fair proportion to
the risk Of such trading concerns. On the
English and Welsh lines IL appears that
the total gross income from all sources
earned during the past year was f2.094,-
216, Of which 1901, 30 was absorbed in
working cost, leaving net f495,006 as a
return upon paid-up capital Of $685.
ll6. Taking the income and expenditure
in round figures, we may set the former
at $500, 900 and the latter at Ei0,000,O 900,
which shows In the aggregate return Of
per cent. all round among the 1876 lines,
Of which nine serve the metropolitan
area.
With tramways, as with railways, sue
cess necessarily depends upon the local
ity 10 shich their operations are confined,
and Oh 3 we lind substantial profits earn
e. In some places, smaller returns In 9TH
ers and absolute losses In others. The
nine London lines fgure for an eXpendi-
ture Of capital to the amount Of G2.735,-
1872: but from this we must deduct El23.-
500, the amount which the Croydon and
Norwood represents, as only six months
returns are given in that case. ana then
W. hav" PIT eight lines standing ut cost
Of E2.GiZ 1872.