The morning news., 1889-04-12
NEW LINES OF RAILROAD.
THE NEW YEARS FIRST QUARTER
POINTS TO A BOOM.

beSplJe All Cne ADVERSE lnnuenCe ana
Combinations the Record of Any
Previous Year in the Country's
History is to Eclipsed-Figures as to
Mileage-Geographical Divisions.
CHICAGO. April 1.-THE RatI,cay Age,
in its issue tomorrow, will present an elab-
oraie table showing the number of miles Of
railway projected during the three months
of the present year to March 81 1t will
say; "The fact that many, and, perhaps.
the most OF the great companies had given
the assurance to each other that they would
not engage in competitive construction this
year. the hostility toward railroads indi-
Gated ia several state legislatures, the great
falling off in the earnings of nearly
all the existing roads, and perhaps more
than all tho reported determination of east.
ern financial agents to discourage the float
ing OF new securities, all seemed to the
general public to warrant the belief that
little railway building would be witnessed
during the presen year. But those who
have made deeper and more detailed ex-
animation of the opportunities aud needs
for new railways in this vast country have
seen that this generalization was being re-
futed by the demands Of innumerabe local
tiles for additional transportation facilities.
MORE PROJECTS THAN LAST YEAR
"While the hands of the great railway
companies have not been seen very often
in projects for covering their to ritories
with competitive lines, as in several previous
years, their absence has not only failed to
put the expected quietus upon railway
building, but the number of new enterprises
seems already to be greater than for tho
same period in any other year of the coun-
try's history, with possibly two or three
exceptions"
FIGURES ON MILEAGE.
The Age then presents table in detail
showing that 666 new lines, with an aggre-
gate contemplated milea ye OF 81, 776 miles,
nave been projected since Jan. | last; that
on these lines IA. l48 miles are under con-
struction or contract, 9,617 are surveyed,
and 29,001 incorporated or projected. The
table also shows the amount of work under
contemplation In various sections of the
country.
HOW THE STATES ARE GROUPED.
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas
sachusetts, Connec .lcut, Rhode Island New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylva lis, Della
ware. Maryland aud West Virginia are
grouped in the New England and eastern
states; Virginia, North Carolina. South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alaba ma, Mis-
sisslppi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Kentucky
as southern states; Ohio, M ichiga b., Indi-
ana, Illinois and Wisconsin as central north
ern states, Minnesota, Dakota, Iowa, Ne
braska Kan as, Wyoming aud Montana as
northwestern states Missouri. Indian ter
ritory, Arkansas. Texas and Colorado as
southwestern states, and Nevada, Callfor-
MA, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Oregon and
| Washington territory as Pacific coast
states
SHOWING OF THE TABLE.
Under this division the tabular showing
is as follows:
The twelve New England and eastern
states: Number lines, 155; total miles con-
templated, 5,094; under construction or
contract, l, l45; surveyed, 1874; iAcorpo-
rated or projected, 1915.
The ten southern states: Number of
lines 1888; total miles contemplated, II, S55;
under construction or contract, 4,444; sur
veyed, 1886; Incorporated Or projected,
6675.
The five central northern states: Num-
her of lines 80; total miles contemplated
5,23S under construction or contract 1,92l;
surveyed, 1856; Incorporated or projected,
2,43L
The seven north western states: Number
lines 107; total miles contemplated Il, ,992,
under construction or contract 2, 7S9;
surveyed 2,031; Incorporated or projected
S,172.
The five southwestern states: Number
lines. 81; total miles contemplated, IL 500;
under construction or contract, 2,72l; sur
veyed, 2,036; Incorporated or projected.
6,743.
Seven Pacific coast states: Number lines
AZ. total miles contemplated 5 5,S45; under
cons ruction or contract 1903; surveyed
! 1882; Incorporated or projected 2,705.
IMPRESSIVE EVIDENCE.
The article continues: "The fact that.
in the first three mo this only, new lines
representing over $1,000 miles have been
brought to public notice and that their con-
structon is urged, and to a large extent Is
probable, is impressive evidence of the
o enormous field for railway q lterprises which
still exists. The mileage proposed in these
three months is equivalent to almost one
third Of the entire railway mile
age Of the country now in opera
ton, and yet the projection
and Inauguration Of other lines is still GO
ing on at an equally rapid rate, and the
prospect is that the roads projected and in
various stages of development during 1889
will exceed in aggregate mileage our entire
present completed stem. How many of
these enterprises will fail entirely, or will
drag along though years, of course cannot
be foretold. But the great fac5 remains
for consideration, that the mass Of our
country shows apparent room for all these
enterprises and for many more