Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-04
RAILW4Y STATISTICS.

WIs0t Has Been Done in the Year 1888 an
RdiItcdy BuiIdiny.
The Engineering News of New York
this week will say: Since January l
1888, the total amount of railroad con-
struction in the United States has been
$3.50 miles. This new track has been laid
on 286 different lines, which were built
by 100 different companies. The new
railway construction for the year in the
New England states amounted to 167
miles, divided among nine companies.
In New York, New Jersey, Maryland
and Pennsylvania 17S miles were con-
structcd by twenty-three companies. In
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and
Wisconsin S3S miles were built by thirty
one companies. In Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia and Florida 10Y miles were con-
structed by forty-two companies. In Ala
bama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky
and Louisiana 946 miles were built
by thirty-ene companies. In Missouri,
Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, New
Mexico and the Indian Territory 1904
miles were built by twenty mine com
panies. In Minnesota, Nebraska, Da-
kcta, wyoming and Montana $50 miles
were built, divided among twelve COM
panies. In Washington Territory Idaho,
Oregon, California and Utah, 937 miles
were built by twenty-five companies. In
Canada fourteen companies have built
sixteen new lines whose total extent is
955 miles. In Mexico the two principal
American systems, the Central and the
National, have been active in cOnstruc-
ton. and have laid tracks on 49, miles
Of extensions.
The $3.50 miles completed the past year
in the Gnited States, while Is is only half
that recorded for 1887, and but two
thirds of the mileage built in 1886, is still
large showing for year in which con-
fdence in railway investments has re-
ceiYed such serious checks.
Kansas sttll stands at the head of the list
of states with 523 miles, and is followed by
California with 4G5. Georgia with 319,
Kentucky with 35l Washington Territory
with 800 and Alabama with 304. Taken
as a 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 Chi
cage, Kansas and Nebraska division of
the Rock Island system TO Colorado
Springs, 29S miles in length. Most of
the grading on this line was done this
season, but on very large proportion of
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 pre-
vious year had to be carried through to
avoid loss.
A noticeable difference between the eX-
tensions Of 1888 and those of the two pre-
ltTp0 20 of a
former are important as competitive lines,
while in 1886 and 1887 the great feature
of the work was the construction of lines
20 compete for traffic between Chicago
and the two ceuters, Kansas City and ST.
Paul as wei as the new competing route
for the trunk line traffic via the Saalt
Ste. Marie. Many OF the extensions of
1888 compete indeed with older lines, but
the competition is of only local import
ance, and in general it Is local develop
ment rather than competition that has
been the spur to railway building during
the past year.
A great contrast between 1883 and the
two preceding years is seen in the owner.
ship of the extensions. The twenty=six
companies that built g065 miles in 1887
or nearly ~ per cent. of the whole
mileage, built only 25IS miles this year,
only SO per cent. of the whole The cur
| rent belief that the interstate commerce
! law tends to force the local roads TO con-
solidate with the great system is hardly
corroborated by the large number of
| local roads built in 1888 1t seems in
| deed open to question whether the law.
while it tends TO force the consolidation
of competing lines, does not handicap
the great systems which are seriously af-
| fected by competition, and leave almost
untouched the small local roads which in