St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-12
In Spite Of Hard Times Hun
dredS Of New Roads Are
Projected.
Mileage Since the First Of
January Way Up in the
Thousands.
Predictions Of a Strike Of En-
gineeps on Western Lines
Entering Chicago.
Position Of the Union and
Northern Pacific as to
Puget Sound.

CHICAGO, April 1.-THE Railway Age
in its issue tomorrow will present elab-
crate 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 assurances to each
other that they would not engage in
comparative construction this year. the
hostility toward railways indicated in
several of the state legislatures, the
great falling off in earnings of
nearly all existing roads, and per-
haps more than all. the report
ed determination of Eastern fnan-
cial agents to discourage the floating of
new securities, all seemed to the gen.
eral public to warrant the belief that
little railway building would be wit
messed during the present year, but
those who have made deeper and
more detailed examination of the OPP
portunities and needs for new railways
in this vast country have seen that this
generalization was being refuted by the
additional transportation facilities.
While the hands of the great railway
companies have not been seen very
often in projects for covering their ter
ritories with competitive lines, as in
several previous years their alb
sence has not only failed to
put the expected Quietus upon
railway building, but the num-
Der of new enterprises seems already to
be greater than for the same period in
any other year of the country's history,
with possibly two or three exceptions.
The Age then presents table in detail,
showing that 666 new lines, with an
aggregate contemplated mileage of S.
436 miles, have been projected since
Jan l, last; that, on these lines, 14,S1S
miles are under construction or con-
tract, 9,617 are surveyed, and 29O01 are
incorporated or projected.
A table also shows the amount of
work under contemplation in various
sections of the country, Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont. Massachusetts,
Connecticut. Rhode Island, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Della
ware, Maryland and West Virginia
are grouped as the New England
and Eastern states; Virginia. North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Flor
ida, Alabama. Mississippi, Louisiana,
Tennessee and Kentucky as the South
ern states; Minnesota, Dakota, Iowa,
Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming and Mon
tana as the Northwestern states: Mis-
souri,, Indian Territory, Arkansas, Tex
as and Colorado as the Southwestern
states, and Nevada, California, New
Mexico, Idaho, Utah. Oregon and Wash
ington territory as the Pacific
coast states. Under this divis-
ion the showing is as follows:
In the twelve New England Statesman
Der of lines, 155; total miles contem-
plated, 1904; under construction or con-
tract, LAS; surveyed, 1,574; incorpor-
ated or projected, 2,375. In the ten
Southern states, number of lines, 1873:
total miles contemplated, 1855; under
construction or contract, 4,444: sur
veyed, 1885; incorporated or projected.
6,675. In the five central Northern
states. number of lines, 80; total miles
contemplated, 5,23S; under construction
or contract, 1921; surveyed, $50; incor-
porated and projected, 2,451. In the
seven Northwestern states, number of
lines, 10Y; total miles contemplated,
1882; under construction or con-
tract, 2,7S9; surveyed, 2,031; in
corporated or projected, S,172. In the
five Southwestern states, number of
lines 81; total miles contemplated, H.
SOP; under construction or contract,
2,721; surveyed, 203S: Incorporated or
projected, 6,743. In the seven Pacific
coast states, number of lines, 40; total
miles contemplated, 5,845; under con-
Struction or contract, 1,SOS; surveyed,
1882: incorporated or projected, 2,7O5.
The article continues: 1.-The fact that,
in the first three months of the year
only, new lines, representing over
$1,000 miles, have been brought to pub
lie notice, and that their construc-
ton is urged to large eX-
tent is probable, is impressive
evidence of the enormous field
for railway enterprise which the
United States still afford. The mileage
proposed in these three months is
equivalent to almost one-third of the
entire railway mileage of the country
now in operation, and yet the projec-
ton and Inauguration of other lines is
still going on at an equally rapid rate,
and the prospect is that the roads pro-
jected and in various stages of develop
ment during 1889 will exceed in aggre-
gate mileage our entire completed sys-
tenn. How many of these enterprises
will fail entirely, or will drag along
through years, of course cannot be fore
told. But the great fact remains for
consideration. that the map of our
country shows apparent room for all
these enterprises and for many MORE"