The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-11-29

| y
general contractors price, but tn.
mile-man who works the teams. Ii
all our previous estimates we hav,
used ten to fifteen cents a yard.
AS to the cost of other items W,
may say that:
Ties are worth from % to 80 cents
each-they were formerly muc1
cheaper, especially in wooded sec
tons. They lay rather more thar
two feet apart, but estimate it SO.
Itcosts from 1880 to s., 900 to iro1
one mile of road. $500 is a fair es
innate.
1t may cost as high as 81 900 tC
average up bridges, some costing
$500, and others $4,000. But there
are hundred cheaper bridges to one
costly one. $500 mile is more thar
a fair estimate for Minnesota roads
They do not figure up nearly SO much
in the aggregate.
Masonry for culverts may run up
to $50 mile as a road runs.
Fencing is quite an item-possibly
800 if well built. Everything a rail
road uses for fencing costs not more
than 60 per cent of the retail prices.
Perhaps $125 would be a better es-
innate.
Right of way usually costs not a
dOllar-bonuses and gifts counter
balancing the real expenses. 1t will
never run over IL acres to the mile
and one hundred dollars per mile is a
bountiful estimate.
Station house will not average
81, 500 each. $1,000 is fair amount.
100 miles should have II depots-say
$4,000 for IL or $3.50 to the mile.
Manual labor, castings, switches,
spikes, fish-tails, frogs, side tracks,
ETC., constituting a very flexible ex-
pense, will not reach over $3.50 mile,
or $25, 900 for 100 miles.
There should be $4,000 allowed for
first years salaries, which amounts
to $S0per mile.
Now, if by peculiar circumstances,
any of these items are too small, and
to include such matters as snow
fences, roadway crossings, ETC., and
even to allow so per cent more for
grading, and second year ballastings,
we will add $500 to the mile or $50,
600 for the 100 miles.
This gives a total OF s4,5OS to the
mile.
If the grade is broken up by num-
erous cuts the cost OF grading is Oft
en- actually REDUCED-because the
Company does not pay for the cuts
it requires the contractor to get
his dirt for the ellis from the cuts,
and dress them out to size-UNLEss
the dirt has to be carried over 1000
feet on either side of the cut, Or I'M
less there is a ''waste"-that is, more
dirt from cut than fill requires. Thus,
a cut is liable to cost the railroad
company nothing SO far as to supply
the fills for nearly one-half mile, Cut
and-fill grading is cheap grading!
This will perhaps be news to some
people who talk about the "big
cuts!'
The largest ''cut' we ever heard Of
is on the Northwestern branch road,
Monona County, Iowa-Maple River
line. 1t passes through enormous
bluffs. Yet the Chi. & Northw. road
only issued 500, 900 in bonds to build
80 miles of that road.
Mr.. Wardall, of Dakota, informs
us that heavy contractor estimated
a road for him, complete, at IS, 900 to
the mile-and therein were contract
or's profits.
Now let our country exchanges pub
lish these matters-and invite criti-
cism.
Ten thousand dollars mile, there
fore, is more than double the actual
figures. But this $4,000 must be fur
Their reduced by bonuses voted by
nearly every township. In one in
stance 100000 was voted on as a
bonus, but fortunately defeated.
But many townships (six miles
vote $1,000 bonus. Others
$1,000.
TO above $4,000 must be added
$4,000 for rolling stock and equip
ment. Office furniture, ETC., ETC., for
stations, printing and some other
items incurred before operating, may
require another 800 to the mile
500, 900 for 100 miles.
Telegraph lines are comparatively
inexpensive, and their business pro-
tects their cost. They do not belong
to this schedule, although their addi-
tiOnal cost would not count much
per mile.