Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-10
RAILRODS IN THE UNITED STATES
An Interesting Summary of Railroad
iOns-Ihe Annual Growth.

"Poor's Manual of Railroads of the
United States" for 1856, which has just
been issued from the press, shows that
the number of miles of railroad ICON
structed in the United States in 1850 was
3, 1871, the aggregate mileage for the whole
country completed at the close of the
year being l2S, 9G1 the rate of increase
during the year being "a Per cent The
mileage, not including elevated roads,
from which returns of earnings and traf-
tic operations for the past year were re
ceived, equulled 123, 10 miles, against
ll3, % miles tor 1854. The share capital
of all the railroads making returns, in
Guiding the elevated railroads, equalled
q, Sl1 G91 ,S32, against 50, 1852 ,6l6,6S6 for
1854 their funded debts. 50 165, 121 0G6,
against $1,000, ll5,772 for 1851; their un-
funded debt, $3.50, los, Isl, against $244 ,6G6,
5gG for 1884 The amount of share capital
and Indebtedness OF all the companies for
loS5, eQualled 81 ,S42 ,533, l19, against So
SO, 800 O5I for 1854, the increase equalling
$3.50. l34 10, the rate of increase being
about % per cent.
The earnings of all the roads making re
turns, including elevated roads, equalled
SO, 5GS ,s33, against $40 ,6e4 ,9OS for 1884,
the increase equalling 81, $50 J23, the rate
of increase being 0.24 per cent The earn
ings from freight equalled Sjl9,G9O EE2 ;
from passengers, $3.50, Ss3,9ll; from mis-
cellaneous sources, SOL ,993,93O. The oper-
ations aud expenses of all the roads tor
the year euuaIled S5O3, 014 ,902, the net earn
! ings being 500 +93, J3l The gross earn
ings upon the entire capital invested
equalled very nearly 10 per cent the net
neraly 30 per cent. The amount of iu-
terest paid the past year equalled slS9,
| i.I,sn l. nt
dividends, S1L612, l05 against s93,244, S35
| for 1854. The percentage Of interest PAID
on the funded debts of the companies the
past year equalled AZ per cent against
66 per cent for 1854. The percentage of
dividends paid to he whole share capital
equalled POP per cent, against rs per
cent for 1884. The earnings per mile OF
lines operated the past year equalled
ST, 2G5, against So GG3 per mile for 1854, the
decrease per mile equalling S39S, the rate
of decrease per mile being IS per cent
! In the meantime the tonnage moved by
the railroads has Increased about ~ pei
cent, being 49, O4O,UsD tons III 1850
against 300, O74, 40 tons IN 1881.
The movement of tonnage by rail is
steadily increasing, there being at the
same time slight falling off in rates, the
charge of moving ton OF MERCHANDISE
one mile IN 1855 being l.O5I cents, against
! l24 il 1881 The past year Undoubtedly
marks point of lower depression in the
earnings of our railroads in ratio to thelI
cost and mileage than is likely to be wit
messed for some years to come, the present
year showing considerable improvement
upon the past.
The Manual" celtains an interesting
table showing the length in kilometers
62 of a mile of all the railroads in the
world, in which the following totals ap
pear: Europe. lS9, SOB; Asia 2O,I6e
America, North and South, 24O, 755; Africa
&, 129 Australia, II, LAP; grand total, 40
l97 or 29l ,522 miles, of which there are
1913, 10, exclusive of elevated roads, in the
the United States