The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-29
RAILWAY STATISTICS.
The Number Of Miles Of Rail Laid
During the Past Year.
THE PROGRESS IN THE SOUTH
Demonstrated by the Fisures-Kan-
sas Ahead, as Usual-EEcct orthc
Interstate Commerce law on
RaiIroad Building.

NEw York, Dec. 2S.-The Engineering
Ners this week will say: Since January
lst, 1883, the total amount OF railway
construction in the United States has
been G,4S0 miles, This new track has
been laid on $50 new lines which wero
built by 100 different companies. Tho
new railway construction for the year in
the New England States amounted 10
l7G miles, divided among nine Compaa-
les. In New York, New Jersey, Mary
land and Pennsylvania, 17G miles were
constructed by twenty.threc companies.
In Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and
Wisconsin, SSS miles were built by
thirLy-one companies. In Virginia.
West Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida, 1,lO7
miles were constructed by forty.two
companies. In Alabama, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Kentucky and Louisiana, 0l6
miles were built by thirty.one COM
panies. In Missouri, Arkansas, Texas,
Kansas and Colorado, New Mexico and
Indian Territory, 1904 miles were built
by twenty-nine companies. In Mime
sofa, Nebraska, Dakota, Wyoming and
Montana, $50 miles were built, divided
among twelve COmpaRies. In Washing
ton Territory, Idaho, Oregon, California
and Utah, 037 miles were built by twen-
ty-fiye companies. In Canada fourteen
companies have built sixteen new lines
whose total extent is 355 miles. In
Mexico the two principal American
systems, the Central and the National,
have been active in construction and
have laid track on 1876 miles OF exteu-
sions.
ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTH.
The G,43O miles completed in the past
year in the United States, while it is
osly half that recorded for 1887 and but
two.thirds of the mileage built in 1886,
is still large showing for a year in
which confidence in railway invest
ments has received such serious shocks.
Kansas still stands Mt the head OF the
list Of States with 523 miles, and is fol-
lowed by California with 465, Georgia
with $40, Kentucky with 35l, Washing
ton Territory with 300 and Alabama
with 304. Taken as whole, the South
has shown more activity compared with
the North than ever before.
The only very long line built during
the past year was the extension of the
Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska division OF
the Rock Island system to Colorado
Springs, 20S miles in length. Most OF
the grading on this line was done this
season, but on very large proportiono
the longer lines built during the year
much OF the grading wAs done in 1887.
This, in part, accounts for the amount
OF construction for the year. Plans
made and partly carried out during the
previous year had to be carried through
to avoid loss.
A noticeable difference between the
extensions OF 1888 and those of the two
preceding years is that very few OF the
former are important us competitive
lines, while in 1886 and 1887 the great
feature OF the work was the construction
OF line to compete for the traffic be-
tween Chicago and the two centers,
Kansas City and st. Paul, as well as the
new competing route for the trunk line
traffic via Sault Ste. Marie. Many of the
extensions OF 1888 compete, indeed, with
older lines, but the competition is of
only local importance, and in general 1t
is local development father than COM
petition which has been the spur to rail-
way building during the past year. A
great contrast between 1855 and the two
preceding years is seen in the ownership
OF the extensions.
EFFECT OF THE INTERSTATE LAW.
The twenty-six companies that built
9,065 miles in 1887, or nearly 70 per
cent of the whole mileage, built only
2,5ls miles this year, or only 80 per cent
OF the whole. The current belief that
the Interstate Commerce law tends to
force the local roads to consolidate with
the great system is hardly corroborated
by the large number Of local lines built
in 1883. ltseems, indeed, open to ques-
ton whether the law, while it tends to
force the consolidation of competing
lines, does not handicap the great sys-
tens, which are seriously Affected by
competition and leave almost untouched
the small local roads which in their
limited field are monarchs OF all they