Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-05-21
AMONG The RAILROADS.
Northern Pacific and Great
Northern Roads Reducing
Operating Expenses.
Facts and Figures Concerning
Freight Trains and Their
Freight Tonnage.
About Our Qurater Of the Cars
Hauled are UnprO-
duCtive.

7duloO arc OnOEO-
ductive.
One of the interesting portions of the
report OF the railroad commissioners is
that part devoted to the passenger and
freight, and train mileage, In the state.
The two transcontinental lines, the
Northern Pacific and the Great North
err, will be referred TO especially, because
Of their similarlty-the mainline of each
traverses the state from east to west
through country about equally produc-
tive; and the mileage of each ie more
nearly equal than that of any two other
roads, though the Great Northern has
tie preponderance Of branch lines in the
Red river valley and therefore secures
proportionally larger amount OF traffic
of the best paying character, and the
cost OF transportation is somewhat
cheaper. But, with natural advantages
in favor of the Great Northern in the
cost of transporting freight, a compari-
son of the operation of the two roads
forms an interesting study.
1t has been stated that the Great
Northern Is the longest low grade road
in the world, considering the altitude of
the mountain ranges crossed and
plateaus traversed while the Old Pioneer
line, that was rushed through in the
most rapid manner, with the ties laid on
the sod and the grading done later 10 or
der to secure the land grant, has mum.
Der of heavy grades that hamper it
and govern traffic. However, it has
been Improving it's 874 miles of road IN
the state from year to year, enabling
it to haul larger and heavier
trains than ever before and
at reduced expense. The extensive
work being done on the road this year
is along the same line and will undoubt-
edly lead to still better showing for
the road in 96.
In 1894 the gross earnings of the
Northern Pacific in North Dakota were
nearly $3.OO0.OO0 and the percentage Of
expenses to earnings 76. In '94 the gross
earnings were practically the same-an
increase OF but $6,OOO-but the net earn
ings were largely inoreased-from $674,-
600 to $1,O72,OOO. The percentage OF
expenses 10 earnings was reduced IL per
cent, or to 63 19. The Great Northern,
whose gross earnings on it's 1851 miles
Of track in '94 in North Dakota we're
81, ,731, 900. and s3,292,OOO IN '95, has
secured net earnings of s1,l82,OOO IN '94
and sl,897,OOO in 1895 while the
percentage Of expenses to earn
ings has been reduced from 5G.7 in '94
to 4237 in '95. During the same years,
on the entire line of each road, the re-
duction in expenses has been not quite
7 per cent on the Northern Pacific and a
little over 2 per cent on the Great
Northern.
In this connection it will be stated
that the Northern Pacific, which reduced
its percentage of expenses to earn
lnes 13 per cent in '95, employed 1901
men in '94 and 1877 in '95, while the
Great Northern. according to the report
Of the commissioners, that reduced its
percentage of expenses to earnings l4.3
per cent in the same period, employed
SS7 men in '94 and 1892 IN '95-an in
crease OF over 1000. No explanation for
this increase is given.
From reports OF the railroad COM
panles 1t is seen that about one quarter
of the cars in the average tram of pay
ing Notwithstanding all company
material-are empty and productive,
and that the average loaded car contains
only about ten tons of freight-.one- half
of the average capacity of the usual type
of box car, although recently cars have
been put on with capacity of 80 tons.
Much freight is bulky and, while the
cubica contents of car may be filled
the tonnage capacity may not be
reached which will modify results,
though the tariff on the car may be the
same. The following data in regard to
the Northern Pacific and Great North.
ern Is taken from the last annual report
of each road:
NOrthn Great
Pacific North'n
Average number of freight cars
in train ..............: ....... 21.54 25.l1
Average number of loaded cars
in tram .........1 1886 1902
Average number of empty cars
IN traln. O.lo o.uS
Average number of tons OF
freight in train. ...............1 150.1 2S7 5.
Average number Of tons of
freight in each loaded car. 9.7S l2.49
BY going back to former reports and
tracing up the same data other facts are
obtained which elucidate this and show