Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-01-29
The N. ]. c. Railroad.

NdLGuEL DSAluGLdbs
The report of Gen. win T. Martin,
president Of the Natchez, Jackson 81
Columbus Railroad Company, to the
directory and stockholders of that en-
terprise, shows this corporation is in
as healthy and fourishing a condition
as perhaps any other railroad company
in the entire country. The value Of
the assets of the company has not
decreased at all, but on the contrary
has been approaching and becoming
more valuable. The report was well
received by both the directors and the
stockholders of the enterprise, and a
bright future is considered to be before
it.
The report of the president shows
that the gross earnings of the road
during the year 1885 have been $l94,-
358.08, divided as follows From pas
seDgers $51 ,904.88; freights $l30,55l.-
10 express $1,659.48; mail $9,93O,53;
privileges 1912. The total operating
expenses of the year 1885 were $685.
754.74, less the sale Of old stock, 1920
OF, which makes the total expenses
of operating the road $l33,43 8 u.
The sources Of the expenditure
were: Conducting etc, $~44,0G3.99; mo-
tive power, $34,l83.4 A: maintenance of
way, $4,893.77; maintenance Of cars,
1858. "a, a~ggregating the total given
above. The net earnings of the road
for 1885 were $60,923 80. The freight
earnings for 1885 exceed those Of the
previous year by $~l2,498.25, while the
passenger earnings for the past year as
compared with those of 1884 show a
falling off of $3,28l n.
The number of bales of cotton trans
ported over the road in 1855, was 81
262, as compared with 34,137 bales in
1884. and 81 ,696 bales in 1883, show
ing a steady increase in the number of
bales annually transported. The re.
port explains that the increase in the
number Of bales transported for 1885
is not as great as it should have been
on account of the slowness with which
the crop was picked out and the pre-
vailing low prices preventing the
rapid marketing Of the staple. The
failing eff in the passenger receipts is
accounted for by the general depres-
sion of finances and the scarcity Of
m(nsy which prevents people travel
ing.
Considerable of the net earnings of
the road have been absorbed in the
damages that have accrued from ac.
cidents on the road. The cost of re-
pairing the damages to the road that
resulted from the great flood in April,
1885, was $1,000; that from the ac-
cident at the Big Bayou Pierre in
August, $5,216,64, and the Mammoth
Bayou accident, carried over from
1888, $6,6S7.45, In spite of this
however, the company has paid up all
the interest that has accrued upon Its
various indebtednesses Except a very
small amount which can be paid at any
time !, and has the money in hand with
which to pay the interest on the city
bonds which will fall due on the first
of February proximo. The company
is paying a rather high rate of interest
on some of Its liabilities, viz eight
and seven per cent. per annum, and
tire report states that II all the indebt-
edness could be consolidated and made
to bear an interest at the rate of about
five per cent. Gin gold) the company
could afford to carry all liabilities with
out any possible chance of embarrass'
ment.