The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-04-25
HALLWAY BUILDING IN 1889.
Six Hundred and sixfy-Six New Line
and 53.436 Miles Projected

Six Hundred and sixty-Six New Lines,
and 53,436 Miles, Projected.
The Chicago Raii,oay Age in its issue presents
elaborate tables 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 most of the
great companies had given assurance to each
other that they would not engage in com petit
tive construction this year. the hostility to
ward railways il d1cated in several OF the state
Legislatures. the great railing Off In the earn
ings of nearly all exciting 'ads, and perhaps
more than all the reported determination of
the eastern financial agents to discourage the
floating OF new securities, all seemed to the
general public TO warrant the belief that little
railway building would be witnessed during
the present year. But those who have made a
deeper and more detailed examination of the
opportunities and needs for new railways in
this vast country have seen thrt this general
1zation was being refuted by the demands of
innumerable localities for additional trans
pOftattOn facilities.
while the hands of the great railway COM
pantes have not bee n seen very often In pro-
Jects for covering their territories with com
petitive lines. as In several previous years,
their absence has not only failed to put the ex-
pscted Qnietus upon railway building. but the
numberof new enterprises seems already to be
greater than for the same period In any 9th Ter
year of the country's history, with possibly wo
or three exceptions"
The Age then presents a table in de tail show
ing that 666 new lines. with an aggregate CON
templated mileage Of So 1886: miles. have bee n
projected since January last that on these
lines il ,Sl8 miles are under construction or
contract, 9Gl7 are surveyed and q, 00l incor-
porated or projected. Also tables show the
amount of work under contemplation in va
rious sections Of the country.
MAINE. New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-
York. New Jersey. P.nnsyIvania, Delaware e
Maryland and West Virginia are grouped as the
New England and Eastern States; Virginia,
fNn lira0 &1rrfh
ida. Alabama. Mississippi. Louisiana Tennes-
see and kentucky as the Southern states; Ohio
Michigan, Indiana. Illinois and Wisconsin as
the Central Northern states; Minnesota. Da-
kOta. Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming and
Montana al the Northwestern States: Missouri,
Indian Territory, Arkansas, Texas and Colo
RADIO as The southwestern States, and Nevada,
California, New Mexico, Idaho. Utah. Oregon
and Washington Territory as the Pacific Coast
states. Under this division the tabular show
STwelye New England and Eastern States.
number lines, 155: total miles contemplated
569l; under construction contract, l45;
surveyed. .574 incorporated or projected, 9 S75
'tfen southern States-number lines, ISs :
total miles contemplated IL. SIS; under con-
struction or contract, ,4il; surveyed .S3G; in
corpor8.ed Or projected. q, 675
Five Central Northern States plumber lines
80; total miles contemplated, .23S; under con-
struction or contract. 1921: surveyed, Ss6; in
corporated OF projected, 2.43l.
"5even Northwestern states. number lines,
107; total miles contemplated, 1882; under
construction Or contract. 2sSs: survey ed. 2.oal
'sFtveSouthwestern States. humber lines, 81 !;
total mites contemplated, ll.5O2; under con-
structton Or contract, 2.72f surveyed, 0i6; in
c0rporsted or projected, GLIB.
"SeyensPacihc coast states, number lines 40 /;
total miles contemplated. 5.Si5: under con
struction or contract. 1905; surveyed. 1852; In
corporated or projected, 2.705"
The article continues: 1.-The fact that in the
nrss three menths Of the year only Few lines
representing over 53O0O miles have been
brought to public notice. and that their con-
struction In urged. and TO large extent is prob
able. is impressive evidence of the enormous
held for railway enterprises which the =. still
affords. The mileage proposed in these three
months 10 equivalent to almost One-third of the
entire railway mileage OF the country now IL
operation and yet The projection and inaugu-
ration OfAther lines ID still going at an
equally rapid rate. and the prospect Is that the
roads projected and In various stages Of devsa
mileage our entire present completed system.
How many OF these enterprises will fall en-
tirely Or will drag along through years,
OF course. cannot be foretold, but the great fact
remainsfor consideration that the map of our
countryashows apparent room for all these en-
terprisee and for many more" 49,