The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-09-07
Railroads Historically Considered.

TO the Editor OF the banner.
About sixty sears ago George sto
phenson, by driving the Rocket the
nrst locomotive, from Liverpool -
Manchester, demonstrated TO tho
world that there was To bee a change 81
the means Of transportation for all
coming ages, as well as the beginning
OF the gigantic and all powerful rail-.
road aud other organizations of this
day. '
We viii now look at the doinps Of
the railroads Of the world. When hut
sixty years old we find that instead Of
the small Rocket and the primitive
road OF sixty years ago, the United
states, nation that is but little over
century old, has within its bounda-
ries 10000 miles, or enough miles To
make double track three times
around the earth, while the balance of
The world has but 10000 miles more
ora total Of S50,OO0 miles.
Instead Of the little Rocket of sixty
years agoi in 1858 there were i'm active
use IN the entire world $4,000 loeomo-
lives, the United States supplying 2s,-
COO, and instead of the one or two
small cars attached, there are now in
use 10000 passenger coaches and
2,5l0,0O0 freight ears. The United
States supplying $1,000 passenger
coaches and s0l, 900 freight ears.
The cost of building these roads is
estimated at about So, 900, 600 600, and
carried Ia the year 1856, 2,3sI, OOO. 900
passengers, or about as many as there
are people living ia the world.
Truly, this Is wonderful, and il can
be said that transportation, telegraph
and navigation have done more i'm the
last iify years to civiIize the world
than was done in the balance of the
days since Christ left this earth.
Have this advancement and the BEN
eiits derived therefrom been properly
divided, is the question of the hour.
and should there be change i'm the
way these roads have been and are
managed or not? This is vital aues-
. ton 70 all mankind. We will DOW
take statistics from the report of our
Interstate rsilroad commission for the
year 1870, and base our thoughts on
this and other like reports from rail-
road officials in this and other coun-
tries
The Interstate commerce commits
sion have divided the United States
into ten different groups, and group
number i've, comprising the states of
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mis-
sissippi, Georgia aud Florida, is our
group, and they estimate that the cap
ital In these states Is $4,000 per mile,
on a cost of 500 for each and every foot
Of road built. While in group num-
Der two, which comprises the middle
states, the capital is Sll7,00O to the
mile, or over 500 for each foot of road,
or two aud one half tim 8 ms much as
ours per foot.
Now, we all know, who think a mo-
ment, that the roads in our group can
not nor have not cost SIC, 600 per mile;
vet that Is what they are capitalized
az.
They report that the bonds issued OH
These roads are more than the stocks,
or they have succeeded i'm borrowing
more money ON the roads than the
roads are worth.
! can borrow, on good security, 33
per cent Of my property, but these
railroad men have borrowed over 100
per cent on the road This means
that they must declare dividends on
the stocks and pay interest on the
bonds besides, therefore they must
either shorten the number Of men
employed or lessen their wages, or
must make more than ten hours day
aud make freight charges as large pos
sible.
We find, according to the .commis-
sl0ner's report, that every 49, persons
Ia the United States support one mile
Of railroad, or in group number five
We must pas the interest on $4,000 on
each mile, aud as We have about 100
miles of read ia this county we
would, by this report, be taxed on
Sl.eD,00o, or nearly as much as the
aggregate valuation Of our county's
wealth.
Thisdivided by our population of 20
900 would demand he interest on $3.50
to each man, woman and child ia the
county.
This Is quite an Improvement on the
way Of our forefathers, is il?
The interstate commission reports
these roads worth in stocks n total of
- 400, On, 900, Ia bonds etc. S5,0Oa0O0,-
600, or a total Of over 81, 40O,0Oo,000, an
average 81 over 500, 900 to the mile.
II also says that in 1890 there were
47g men employed to the hundred
miles, and there were $685. killed and
20,027 injured.
One man killed or injured out OF
every thirly-three men.
In the United States the roads are
owned By private parties and corpor-
ations, and we will now compare their
frclghts and passenger rates with each
other.
United states. cost per mile -sbo.ooo.oo
India. cost per nlile................... 100000
Germany. cost per mile. ....--iooooo.oo