The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-12
RAIL AND CROsSTIa.

at St. Paul, Sept. T.
According to the last issue Of the Manu-
fqcturersi Record the engineer corps en-
gagged in running the route of the Norfolk.
Wilmington and Charleston railroad is re-
ported to be making steady progress
through the great Dismal swamp of Viz
GINA and North Carolina.
Information was yesterday received in
Savannah by the officials of the South
Bound that the crossing by that road Of the
South Carolina railroad is being completed.
A connection is also being put in with the
South Carolina railway. Work is rapidly
being completed on the line toward Column
bia.
The Houston CTex.l Post in a recent issue
contained the following: "There is one rail-
road office in this city where a tobacco
chewer and cigarette smoker cannot secure
employment That Is the office Of General
Passenger Agent A. Faulkner of the Cen
vraL When BOY or man applies for DO
sition there the first question is: "DO YOU
chew tobacco or smoke cigarettesN If
answered in the affirmative Col. Faulkner
tells them there is no uss to make apolica-
ton. The colonel certainly has no use for
the weed"
The story of the growth of railroads is
told in the following figures, showing the
railway mileage OF the United States by
decades for the last sixty years: In 1880 %
miles, in 1910 2 8lS miles, in 1850 9.O2l
miles, in 1860 30, 626 miles, In 1870 So, 922
miles, in 1880 90, 296 miles, in 1890 G6.Sl7
miles. In the last ten years the increase
was r. 52l miles, or more than IS per cent.
an average Of 1850 miles each year. II
the increase in the next decade is only 5000
miles per year our railway mileage in 1909
will be about PIT, 900 miles.
C. P. Howell of Chattanooga exhibited to
the MORNING News yesterday a model of
an iron railroad tie upon which he secured u
patent July Il. The tie is simple in con
struction. and Mr.. Howell believes it is the
coming tie He has been in Washington
since February perfecting his patent, and is
now on his way back to CHATTANOOGA There
are in the patent office, he says over $50
patents on iron ties. The great trouble SO
far with iron ties is their great cost Mr..
Howell says his tie can be manufactured at
q Is, and its life is thirty-five years. He
claims it's use will save 5000 pounds per
mile Of bolts fish plates, etc, now required
in the use Of wood ties. There are no rail-
roads in this country using iron ties vet
but it is conceded that the day of the iron
cross5ie is coming.
The rolling stock of railways in the
United States aggregated by PoOr'S
Manual from the company returns for their
fiscal years, ending at different periods in
1890 was represented as follows: Locomo-
tlYes 81, al, passenger cars 22 85S, baggage
mail and express cars 1858, freight cars
1851 $40; total number of cara ,092, 241.
These figures indicate an increase of 200
locomotives and II, 1874 cars of all kinds in
the preceding year. As many of the COM
pany reports from which statement is made
are now from six months to more than
year old the present equipment of our roads
Is considerably greater than the totals show
provided the latter contain no Implications
and it may be said that, in round numbers,
ere are now in the United States at least
$4,000 locomotives and over l, 100000 cars.
A Columbia letter to the Charleston
World says: 'The Richmond and Danville
shops in this city will shut down
meeting of the division superin-
tendeuts was held in Washington recently,
and it was determined that expenses must
DC cut down, so it was decided to shut down
an SHOPS IN she system for one week. and it
Is expected that several hundred thousand
dollars of expenses will thus be saved. 1t
is stated that the authorities were averse
TO turning off any OF the men and
running reduced force, but decided in
stead to close down for a week. The shops
here are rather small, comparatively; only
about 81, 500 is paid out weekly. The men
in the shops mostly accept the situation
good-naturedly, and express themselves as
SAdA Va q AOiludr lOT d ouOEb IiIu6, even
without pay. Orders to shut down were
only received day or two ago and were
not generally known to the public, but
when known will tend to confirm the ne s
Of embarrassment of the system"
The advance sheets of Poor's Manual of
Statistics for the railways of the United
States in 1891 are out Some of the notable
figures ia the manual may be briefly sum-
married.; Railway mileage Of the United
States Dec. 81. 1890, l66, SIT miles Increase
of mileage during 1890, 5,498 miles. In the
i've years ending with 1889 railroad mileage
increased 81. Pa miles, or 29S per cent.
Capital investment increased s., o04, 543, 1876,
or 26. per cent. This increase in invest
ment consisted of an increase of 1875 per
cent in capital stock, 3l6 per cent. in fund
ed debt, and 46. per cent. in other forms of
Indebtedness. In 1890 the mileage increased
5,426 miles, or 2 per cent. the capital in-
vestment increa ed SAL. 500, 65l this Increase
consisting of $l45. l40, 260 In capital stock,
S217 1886, 254 in funded debt, and $40, OF, 1877
In other forms of Indebtedness. As COM
pared with the average per year for the FIVE
year period ending with 1884, the total caps
rHhzation of 1890 shows decrease Of S119,~
1860 against an increase of $40, 7S5, 012,
as compared with the yearly aver
age for the subsequent fve-year
period ending with 1889. The
mileage of lines making returns Of their
share capital, and funded and floating debts
In 1890, equaled lea, 400, against 159, 1914 for
ISo9, the increase being 3, 426 miles, the rate
Oh Increase being 2. IA per cent. The share
capital corresponding to the mileage com-
pleted at the end OF 1890 equaled 81 GAG, $780,
57S, against 81. 495 ,099, 1913 in 1889, the in
crease equaling S145, 140, 260, the rate Of in
crease being 1922 PER cent. The funded
debts OF all the lines at the close of the year
aggregated S., 105, 902 OPS, a sum $277, $780,
6o4 IN excess of the total of 1889 "a $685.
oo0,FQ, an increase of 5. rs per cent. The
other forms Of indebtedness OF the several
companies at the close of the year
ssqueied S376, 494, 297 against 1851, AT 100
t0r 1859, the increase being $l9,0l7,>
100 The total snare capital and in
ueotedness of all kinds of all the
roads making returns equaled at the close
OF the year $40 1919, 635 800 an increase In
me year of SAL .693 ,65I over the total of
ioS9 tS9, $50 942, 249), the rate of increase for
the year being about f.. per cent. The cost
per mile OF all roads making return, as
measured by the amount Of their stocks and
bonded Indebtedness, edualed $3.50, 63S,
against S5S, pa for 1889. In 1880 the total
gTap!tal Investment Of the railroads of the
United States measured by the amounts of
Iuelr share capital, funded and unfupded
eeots, was IS, los, 24l 800. Their gross
earnings In that year eQualed S6l5, 40l ,931,
Or ia per cent. on capital invested. while
leV earnings amounted to 1855, 1893, 436, be-
lug ~ per cent on capital invested.
Gu f1 lo5J the total Investment was $40, 49,
ooo,9oO; gross earnings were s., 0g7, S47, 428,
qaal 10 4O.S per cent. on investment, and
uet earningR 29G4 u0f Q1Q On Q 4 -. oa.t ~,