Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-19

completion OF lines commenced or pro-
vided for during the railroad mania os
1861. The drop from 1900 milef
of new road in 1887 to 5000
miles last year is large
one. But even the expl anetIon already
referred to, that of completion of I'M
finished lines, does not fully account for
the entire amount of new buildings. 1t
is 10 be noted. too, that the greatest
activity in this respect prevailed in a
comparatively new field. The largest
proportion of new lines, built in 1889
was in the south Atlantic and gulf states,
aud consisted rather of feeders to old
existing systems of road than of new and
distinct railroad enterprises.
The feature of the record of the rail-
road building of last year, as well as of
the activity in that connection now in
progress, is the marked falling off which
is shown in the northwestern states. In
fact, the avoidance of projects for ex-
tensions or additions to their present
mileage is just as much in fashion on the
part of the arrangements of the great
western railroad systems as "strateglc';
railroad building was three years ago,
in the annual report of one of the lead
ing western systems for 1889, issued not
long ago, prominent aud emphatic
position was given to the statement:
''No mileage was added to the COM
pany g lines during the year, and it has
no extensions, additional mileage, in
progress. Not only are the effects of
the lll-sdvised and excessive competitive
building of the last FIVE wears In the
Northwest still felt, but the hostility of
state legislatures and railway commits
no inf nrfn
Interstate commerce law with railroad
charges and the continuance of rate wars
have united in checking any disposition
to build new railroads or to add to the
mileage of the existing systems through
out the sections in question.
During 1889, in the seven states of Illl-
nois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dako-
tas, Nebraska and Iowa, the total new
railroad lines completed amounted to
only 64S miles, while in the ueighboring
province of Manitoba, where railroad
progress is free from some of the restric-
tions and disadvantages imposed upon
our own roads, the new mileage for the
year was no less than 362 miles. Sim
ilarly ih the first half of 1890, according
to the record presented by the Engineer
ing News, the seven states named show
further addition of 2S2 miles. Leaving
the activity which prevails in the Cana
dian Northwest out of account the largest
amount of railroad building dur
ing the eighteen months in
question was in Nebraska,
where 27S miles, principally in the north
ern and western PORTIONS of the state,
were constructed. Illinois comes next
with 209 miles, and Minnesota is next
with 1876 miles, though it is to be noted
in this case that no new track has been
yet laid in the state during 1890. The
same remark is 20 be applied to Wiscon-
sin, which state shows an increase of 100
miles, and to North Dakota, in which |
state only eighteen miles of track were
laid in 1889 South Dakota has increased |
its railway lines in the year and half |
by ninety mine miles and Iowa by eighty |
five miles.
According to the figures presented by |
the same authority, there are under con-
tract or construction in the seven states |
in question 579 miles of new road, while |
the new lines located or under survey |
aggregate over 1000 miles, Brad
streets.