The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-01-08
NUMBER 2.
Growth of Southern Railways.

The New York Financial Chronicle has
analyzcd the fourth bulletin of the census
office on railway statistics in n way that
reveals some noteworthy features. The
bulletin relates to the operations Of rail
ways in the four southern states of Nir-
ginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and
South Carolina, the figures covering the
year 1889. O.
The first matter to attract Afternoon
concerns the decline in freight rates
1t actually appears that the average
per ton per mile was lower in the four
southern states than in the middle states,
and only slightly above the average of
the middle western states. In both tho
latter two sections the cond' 'tions arc
such rs to enforce low rates The traffic
III coal, ore, and other bulky and low
class frcights, which will not bear high
transportation charges, is very large in
those sections, and at the same time tho
through freight between the west and
the scaboard, which likewise has TO be
carried ut low average rates, forms n
quite considerable item i'm tic traffic of
the lines
The fact that the average for the mid
lie states figures out somewhat higher
than for the middle western. both being
subject to much the same conditions, is
doubtless owing to the existence of lar
ger Ccntcrs of population in the middle
states, thus giving the lines in those
states proportonatcly greater amounts of
general merchandise traffic yielding bet
ter rates.
That any group Of southern states
should show averages on the same level
with those Of the two sections mentioned
which by reason of density of traffic AID
;hc prcpondcrance Of the lower class of
freight possess special advantages in that
ESSRssGfths ESSRssGft Is Worth hhrHnjT5o %6fe tran rassas
notice. The census investigation makes
:hc average for the four southern states
Jnly Il little over three quarters Of cent
?cr ton per milc-in exact figures 1G6
,houSandths Of n ccnt-whiie for the
middle states the average is given as sos
thouSandths. and for the middle western
| GSl thousandths.
In tho New England states, where thcro
i, an absence of the bulky frcights, the
average per ton per mile is rs much Is
I.i10 thouSandths. The change
since 1880 has been remarkable At that
time the average for the four southern
states was 1859 cents, while that for the
| middle states was 044 cents, and for
| the middle western states 0.S92 cent
that is, the average then was 40 per cent.
higher than for the middle states and
over GO per cent higher than for the
middle western statcs-wnereas now it Is
lower than the one and but little higher
than the other.
The Chronicle thinks it worth noting.
tSa, ttSSaa,k kthIita ehI MS gnrus tne passenger tralac
i In 1890 ,thc roads inrtbe hqnrtktpntBheffG inf tBefG
hand. they transported nearly nine and
half million passengers. The passenGc
movement one mile in the same lnterva
rose from 1O4, 900 OO0 to 500, 0co,O 600
In the one instance the ratio of growth
oGl per cent. and in the other 226 pc
cent This is decidedly heavier thar
the increase in the other two sections
In the middle states the number OF pas
senncrs increased only 131 per cent, an
the passengers one mile 90 per cent
while in the middle western states til
J percentages were no more than ~ an
13 respectively.
: The rates on the passenger buslnes
G like those on freight, have during the q
: cadc approached much closer to the ave
ages Tor the other sections than bci"r
l. In 1880, while the average for the mi
n die. the middle western and the Nc
Ie ENGLAND States were respectively -
Y. 2.lG7 and 21SS cents per mile, !
ly average for the four southern states "
T. over three cents (3 024. For lSe
a however, with the averages for the m
~ die states 1895 cents, for the mid'
IL western , 600 cents and for the n
ny England states 1920 cents, that of
to four southern states was not so very IN,
as higher, being 2,207 cents. Atlanta G.
&C stitution.