The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-09-09
WHAT a CAR COSTS.
Modern Railway Coach Worth $4,000
to $4,000.

Modern Railway Coach Worth $4,000
to $4,000.
The auditing department of q great
American railroad corporation rivals
in respect of it's records and traEsac-'
tionS q governmental department. The
earnings of all the lines of the Penn
sylvania railroad system in a year av-
erage about S130, 100000, and the gross
earnings of the Vanderbilt system
amount to rather mOre-S+J, ,UoO,UUU
from the New York Central. S2l.OOO.DUO
from the Lake Shore. S1O,OOO,OOO from
the West Shore and Nickel Plate. 500
OOO, 600 from the Chicago and North
western. $13,OOO,OOO from the Michi-
gan Central and about $4,000, 900 froIn
collateral lines or systems. These tig-
ures are large, but they appear still
larger when they are compared with
items of federal revenue. The total
receipts of the United States govern
ment from customs during the fiscal
year ending in 1896 were S1JOOOO.OO0,
and from internal revenue taxes S146,-
100000. The two together made up
S296, 100000 of public revenue for the
government of the affairs of Il natioE
of 100000 inhabitants, but the two
railroad systems referred 10 repre-
sented together receipts of S2l5,OOO,O 900,
and if a third big railroad system We're
added the receipts of the federal gov
ernment would be exceeded.
The accounts of big railroad corpora
tions require care and much hard
work. and the system of precise book
keeping in railroad accounts NOW a.
special branch Of accounting has beeIf'
carried close to the point of pertectloh
by the Pennsylvania railroad, which,
for instance. gives to the fraction OF n
cent the expenses incident TO the con-
StructiOn of a car or q locomotives
There are 10000 passenger cars in ac-
tual use on the railroads of the United
States, and the ordinary passenger car
costs anywhere from $4,000 10 5000,
the difference representing added I'M
proyements in furnishing.
There has recently appeared 4 de-
tailed statement of the cost OF con-
structing at the Altoona shops Of the,
Pennsylvania railroad a sample, first.
class, modern, up-tO-date, luxurious
passenger car. and some of the items
are of interest. The wheels and aXleS
represent cost of $3332.35; the trucks
upon which the car rests, cost Sj33.62;;.
the air brake represents S13l75; the
seat fixtures twenty-five in number
cost S50.50; the three bronze lamps,
$3.50; the two gas tanks, SS4; the
chandeliers, $50.72; and the item of
screws, which might not appear TO be
an important one, $J1.SS. For the
building of a car like the one taken in
illustration 2,4S0 feet of poplar wood.
3,434 Of ash, 100 of white pine. 1850
of yellow pine, $50 of hickory, 100 of
cherry. 100 of Michigan pine, 800 Of
oak and 439 of maple veneer We're re
quired. To build the car there were
required in addition Is gallons of var
nish, 40 pounds of glue and nearly
1000 pounds of iron, exclusive of 500
pounds of iron castings. For the fur
nishing of the car there were required
60 yards of scarlet plush, Al yards OF
green plush, 81 yards of sheeting and
243 pounds Of hair. The springs on the
car seats cost S43.17. The basket racks .
cost S77.35, the sash levers S42, the
bronze window lifts S244O and the
gold leaf for the establishment of the
woodwork S14.5S. For the window
fasteners $15.47 worth of material was
required, two stoves cost $T7.J6 and
the tin used on the roof of the car Sal
A. The labor in the construction of
the car represented cost Of $f.20394.
bringing up the expenditure to more
than 81 ,400.-New York Sun.