Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-15
RICH ON RAILROADS
Anonnl uspeFs - ~ nnnAe usil-
rood Commtauionns.
D1IllsrIye FACTS isb FIGURES



The snausl report Of Hoa- John I.
Heh, Commissioner Of Railroads, just
issusd. u most important document.
ASIDE from sxhaustlvsly covering the
several returns Of mileage, txafhc and
finsnciai conditions Of railroad corpor-
at!ons dong euslness in Michigan Tor
the year under report. il deals With
several matters Of great public interest.
The different lines Of Michigan sna-
ployed s4,io5 persons in 1883. main-
tanned stations in 1885 communities.
carried passengers enough 70 realize
~, 754,ilo. and did SIS, 465. $40 worth OF
business with shipper. IL cost $780,
600, 6l6 TO build and equip them, and
they have total capital stock Of $751;.
zo2. go. The total stock and debt rep
resenting the aggregate OF their capital
ization, is s744,0l4 rs, or over 80 Co.,
90 more than their cost. Thus u IN
increase Of $751; $50 ,2o2.
Returns from 70 different corpora
Gons, OF which operate ore or forest
roads, are included in the report. OF
the 65 organized for general trsfdc, 50
arc actually engaged III the operation
of roads, the others having leased their
lines. Among the changes III status
noted 10 that by which the Chicago Il
Canada Southern was reorganized As
the Detroit Il Chicago railroad, and
became part OF the l.. ). Il NJ. 5. sys-
tenn. The Port Huron 4 Northwestern
has been incorporated with the Flint x
Pere Marquette. For the first time re-
turns were made TO the department by
the Manistee Il Northeastern railroad /,
which built 10 miles of track during
this year, and from the Wisconsin Cen.
trail, only 1874 miles OF whose system
are in this State.
The Michigan Central has acquired
81 and the l.. s. & NJ. 5. 81 miles:of what
was formerly the Canada Il 81. Louis
road. The Milwaukee 4 Northern rail-
road, which has loo miles of track in
Michigan, has passed to the control OF
the Chicago, Milwaukee Il st. Paul.
The mileage OF new main track COM
pleted during the year was l99.49. The
total mileage In the State on December
81, 1879, was 1851. On December 81
1889, the increase during the decade
had made IT 6759.55, the per cent. of in
crease being S4.S4. The Upper PENN
sula 10 years ago had but 2S2.77 miles
OF railroad. Now it has nearly 1900.
Every county of the Upper and all but
three of the Lower Peninsula have rail-
road facilities.
The total revenue of Michigan roads
in 1889, $96, Az, OIL, is an increase of
$l5.755, 306 over the preceding year.
Operating expenses were $64,6l3, 79l,
leaving net income OF $3l 500 ,279, an
increase OF $6,l36,63l. There was paid
in fixed charges, taxes, rentals, divi-
dends, ETC., S3l 1874 ,942, of which 49,
O96, 1874 was in dividends. leaving . de-
ficit of 1862 of receipts to disburse-
ments. which was paid from balances
of preceding year. The general bal
ance sheet of all roads for 1889, In
which appear credit items from &C
counts of reorganized and transferred
roads to the amount of 1896, 233,
shows an increase in general balance of
$4,35S $50, a. compared with the pre-
ceding year. 1t cost 81, 49l ,798 to carry
the mails in Michigan in 1889. The
passenger traffic showed an increase of
2,l60, 430 and the freight of $5,751 300.
But two companies-the OntOnagon 4
River-falled to pay operating expenses.
the G.. X. Il /. and Duluth, South Shore
IL Atlantic, carried debit balances at the
close of the year. Dividends averaging
4.S1 per cent. were paid on 47.25 per
cent. OF the total stock issue. The
average passenger rate . mile varied
from liz cent on the Grand Trunk
and 2.2S on the l.. S. & NJ. s., to $50 on
the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic.
Forest products constituted 22.W per
cent. of the freight transported, coal
1890 per cent. gram S.5S per cent. and
merchandise 1890 per cent.
There are 304i railroad bridges in
Michigan and their total length is 81
miles. The total number of accidents
in 1889 was 572. There were 17S per-
sons killed. including so employees, and
39i injured. Railroads paid S757 ,234 in
taxes in 1889, an increase of $3.50. The
special chartered roads, with the ex.
ceptlon of the l.. S. & NJ. s., have been
subject to heavier taxation than il
organized under the general railroad
law. 1t is stated that this company, by
reason Of its special privileges, escapes
the payment of . sum equal to $4,000
annually.
From Oct. 1, 1889, to Sept. 80, 1890
articles of ASSOCIATION of fifteen new
railroad corporations were filed with
the secretary of State. Their total
stock IS sl4, 403 900, and they contem.
plase the construction of 929 miles oil
track. The estimated construction on
them during the coming year is 33s
miles, including 100 miles on q line
from Grand Rapids to New Buffalo and
one from Grand Rapids TO Manistee
Surveys have been completed and map:
of location filed for four roads, includ
ing the Detroit q Toledo.
These lines IL is understood, say!
the report, "are to be put under con
tract ia the near future and pushed te
completion duriUg 1891, making
probable aggregate OF new roads TO b
constructed the next year, of 564 miles
exclusive OF a number of short road.
and extensions not included IN this cal
cuishon. which will give an estimated
increase of our track mileage OF a
! =. .ts.l