Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-15
nish the data:

The heart OF the continent is the
spot where the greatest activity pre-
walls. The very bulls eye, so to-
speak, of this enterprise is Kansas
City. In the State of Kansas 2070
miles of new track was laid. This is
nearly one-sixth of the grand total.
More than half the mileage credited
to the Pacific States'is due to our own
State where 35S miles of new road
was built. Nearly half OF that figure
goes to the credit Of the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe system center
ing in the City of Los Angeles. The
same excellent authority quoted
above says:
Evidence of the tremendous rush
of travel to California is given in the
statement that during the past year
there were received at the Kansas
City Union depot 524, 470 pieces Of
baggage, while 535, 5SS pieces We're
sent out, an increase in the total
number of pieces handled of 269, 240
over last year.
We believe that OF the total mileage
for the year under review the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Company
laid 1894 miles of new track. 1t is
also noteworthy that when all the
lines under construction between
Chicago and Kansas City are COM
pleted there will be no less than nine
independent roads between the two
points. 1t is estimated that there are
$50 900 miles of road in the Union,
and of this Kansas had in June last
6549 miles. At the end of the year it
is estimated that there were nearly
1000 miles of roads in the State, half
of which had been constructed in a
period of ten years.
Real estate transactions are
a pretty good index to the general
progress being made in any section.
1t is too generally considered that
Los Angeles has been altogether
unparalleled in the matter of sales OF
realty. This is somewhat OF mis-
take. Last year the sales of realty in
this county as shown by the Record
er's books, foot up the enormous total
of about 500, 100000. The previous
year the total sales aggregated about
$27 100000. At Kansas City 1887
made record Of $97 100000. While
for 1886 the figure was $55, 100000.
But if the construction of railroads
means an era of prosperity to the Sec
ton where these enterprises are going
forward, the influence OF such move
ments is hardly less marked in the
centers where the material for these
exploits is prepared. The track laid
in 1887 is estimated to have taken an
average of ninety tons of rails per
mile. We still follow the Railway
Age for our data. There is little other
than steel rails now used, and
while 56-pound rails is the sort
generally required, steel weighing 60,
s. and 70 pounds to the yard is a
thing not uncommon. The total con-
sumption Of steel rails for the country
last year is put at 100000 tons.
Nearly half OF this was required in re-
laying old roads and rather more than a
moiety went to ''iron" the new roads.
A still more interesting question for
us than this discussion of the past is
| the prospects for the future. There
were many outgivings during the
past fall to the effect that
not much new road would be
built during 1883. This now turns
cut to have been ruse on the part OF
the astute people engaged in this
greatest of all our industries, the pur-
pose being to get their steel little
cheaper. Doubtless under the i'm
preston that the demand would be
light, many orders were placed to
great advantage to the builders. But
such false representations cannot long
be made to serve. Industry soon
feels the pulse OF definite demand. II
now transpires that the rolling mills
see their years work pretty distinctly
outlined for the year, and the
hum Of industry will be brisk.
1t must be noted that the 10000
miles Of road in use is constantly
giving out at one point or other, where
the track must be relaid. If it now