The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-02
INDUSTRIAL NOTES.

IN w Il lU1IAA NV lLCs
An apparently ell-authenticated re-
port says the cond .mnation proceedings
instituted by the Cumberland Valley rail-
road company to obtain possession or a
certain valuable section OF the South Penn.
sylvania railroad route between Harris
burg and Riverton, located opposite Har-
rlsburg, is the first step toward the con-
summation OF u scheme to build great
coal railroad between there aud the west.
The suggested line is not in competition
with the Pennsylvania railroad, but to
form part OF its system. While 1t Is not
doubted that one of the purposes OF the
Judicial proceedings is to secure cutoh at
White Hill, a few miles west Of Harris.
burg, to enable the Cumberland Valley
Railroad company to run its freight trains
into Harrisburg without passing through
the Union station, there is nothing in the
project to interfere with the extensive
railroad schemes indicated. The building
of such line would develop country
rich In natural resources and the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad company, in view OF its
great freight tratfic, would nnd 1t very ad-
vantageous to do it. II the route surveyed
and partly built by the South Pennsylvania
Railroad company be followed, the rail-
road distance between Harrisburg and
Pittsburg would be lessened nearly fifty
miles. The South Pennsylvania company
was chartered nearly forty years ago The
building of the proposed line was begun
several times, but it did not assume tangi.
BILE shape until 1884, when the Vanderbilt
interest secured control Of the route. AL
most 50 100000 was expended in grading,
boring mountains and purchasing rights of
way, but the West Shore deal put an end
to the colossal enterprise.
A Connelsville dispatch says: The
operators who have been obliged to i'm
port new men here to take the place Of
the stubborn strikers in the coke works
are beginning to experience new set Of
troubles. Several declarations have re-.
Gently been made at various leading
plants in the region, the pith OF most Of
them being that the negroes would have
to work like white men hereafter, and
that divers little privileges that the me-
groes have enjoyed as inducements to get
them located here would be cut off after
July 81. The result thus far has been sur
prising in most cases. The negroes have
changed marvelously since their introduc.
tion here. In the words OF an operator
who has brought in q great number Of
them, they have little or no individuality,
and they NIL 90 together in any given dl.
rection, Il have perhaps been as big u
fool as any Of the other operators" said
he, "but Pm already satisfied that the
negro, particularly the southern brand,
will never do the work ut the mines or
coke ovens in this region. Why they are
the most trifling, mercurial, childish lot of
falI -, oh Of huF / hau
ever heard off,
In the first six months Of 1894 only 525
miles of new railroad were built in the
United tes-dlstributed in twenty three
states. In twenty-five states and terrific
ries no new track was laid. The 525 miles
OF new track was put down by hfty-one
roads, showing an average addition to each
of less than ten and one-third miles. This
is the smallest mileage of new track con-
structed in like period in thirty years.
In 1898, which was considered u very bad
year, the new construction amounted to
2 635 miles, and IN 1892 it aggregated 1900
miles, while in 1887 it reached about 13, Que
miles. The second half of 1894 is, if posi-
sible, less promising in this respect than
the elapsed half, and as consequence the
year 1894 will probably mark the mini
mum limit OF railway construction in this
country-at least for many years.
1t is not alone the dull times in business
and manufacturing circles says the India
napolis journal, or the disturbed condi-
tion Of monetary affairs tn 1t have brought
this to pass For many years past, up to
the beginning Of the passing decade, we
have built railroads not only rapidly but
recklessly. New lines have stretched out
into new territory, across unsettled plains
or through uninhabited forests-where
scores Of miles would not furnish pound
Of freight in year or passenger in a
month-merely to head off some appre-
hended rivalry, or to punish some enemy
In other cuses parallel lines have been built
with the sole end in view Of forcing the
rich and prosperous companies affected by
the threatened competition to buy them up.
And if this sort of backmail has been rs.
sisted competition In business has result.
ed ruinous to all concerned and ending in
bankruptcy for the roads, and the saori.
fce of thousands Of dollars by deluded
subscribers to stock who had been per.
suaded to invest their hard-earned dollars
in an enterprise that seemed to promise
fairly for generous reward. Although
railroad building in the United States has
received check from which it is not
likely TO recover for some years, there i:
not in this fact cause for regret. We dc
not need more railroads at present, except
here and there a short line to connect
with market some isolated locality. We
have more trunk lines than there is bust
ness for and the construction Of more can
only result in injury to those we already
have. while the stock jobber will be the
only one to be benefited.