The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-07


companys shops,
One Lidgerwood rapid unloader, mounted on
car, was purchased for the Eastern Railway
company Of Minnesota.
Three heavy steam shOvels, one each for the
Great Northern railway, Montana Central
railway and Eastern Railway company Of
Minnesota.
The equipment with air brakes and auto
matte cOupiers q cars not previously SO
equipped has been actively carried forward,
so that about 60 per cent of the cars belong
ing to the system now so fitted as to con-
form to the acts of congress relating thereto,
and the remainder will be equipped during
the coming year.
service operating expense IS charged, and
amount deducted from income to provide for
future Improvements and renewals, is cred
tied with the cost of replacing the same.
When equipment for requirements is pur-
chased the cost of the same is charged to the
account last mentioned.
ADDITIONS.
st. Paul Minneapolis & Manitoba Rail-
ways Leased Lines-The Dakota division of
fees, brick passenger and freight station, and
yards at Larimore, n. D., referred 10 in last
years report, have been completed and a
brick roundhouse water station, coaing sta
ton, and sand, oil and storehouse built at
that point.
The work of building additional stock yards,
to handle increasing stock shipments, has
been continued, many having been finished
during the year, and work at this writing
being in progress on Others.
The stone passenger station at Moorhead,
begun last year, has been completed. A depot
has been built at Chokio and work started
on one at Fergus Falls
The improvement in the water supply is
being carried on, dams and reservoirs, with
power supply plants, having been built at
Armenia, Blanchard Stanley, Glasgow and
Durham, besides important Improvements at
other stations.
Several street crossings at Grand Forks and
Fargo have been protected by automatic gates.
GQulDDpd
a full outfit of pneumatic toois and APPLIANCES
for boiler and sheet work.
Relayng OF the main tracks with seventy
fYe-pound steel rails is being continued. Dur
ing the year the lines from Minneapolis to
st. Cloud via Osseo; from Crookston Junction
to East Grand Forks; between Barnesvlle
and Moorhead and between Rugby Junction
and Berwick, have been SO re.aid, an aggre-
gate OF SO. OF miles. The lighter rails removed
from these lines have been used to replace
iron rails on the Halstad and Browns Valley
ter and Park Rapids, and Rlpon and Hope,
where the traffic is lighter
Numerous passing tracks have been la d
along the main line Of the Fergus Falls aed
Dakota divisions, and between Breckenridge
and LarimOre. Work others is now in
progress. Additional tracks for local indus
tries have also been laid during the year, the
total increase in side-track mileage being
1866 miles.
In September 1896, the company acquired a
grain elevator of 200 bushels capacity in
minneapolis, ana a tract OIL IduQ duJOluiLSp
and has built during the year an elevator Of
600 bushels capacity, which is fully
equipped, modern in every respect, and an
advance in elevator construction. The opera
ton of these elevators will insure the prompt
handling of our cars, and increase their earn
Ing capacity. The yard in connection with
these elevators has been rearranged and en-
larged.
The extension Of the Halstad and Hope
branches, referred to in report of last year,
have been completed, and those lines are in
operation.
At the time of making this report, the con-
struction of an extension of the Langdon
branch, from Langdon to Hannah. 20156
miles. and an extension Of the Cavalier
branch, from Cavalier to Walhalla, 1928
miles, are about completed.
EASTERN RAILWAY OF. MINNESOTA.
Very heavy work has been done in perma-
nently improving this railway. During the
year fifty-one bridges and trestles have been
replaced, ten with steel bridges and the pal
ance filled with solid embanllments OF the
127 wooden bridges and trestleS originally
constructed, there remained June 30, 1897, but
four bridges and forty-one trestles, and these
are being filed
All the entertainments are being enlarged
and strengthened, and heavy coat of gravel
or broken stone ballast put over the entire
line
owing to the heavy traffic on this line. wise
economy calls for the best possible perma-
nent way.
Montana Central Railway-A new divi-
sion has been established at Woodville
nine miles from Butte, at the top of the
heavy grade consisting of yard coal and wa
ter station, etc.
All the wooden bridges between Helena and
Butte are being either permanently filled or
replaced with steel and masonry, and the
work will be completed this fall
GENERAL WORK.
Right of way fencing on all lines has been
actively followed, a greater mileage having
been constructed this year than ever before.
Considerable work Of this nature is now in
progress. The company has continued the
policy, as heretofore, of keeping its railway
and equipment in the highest state of eff
cheney, as Will appear by reference to the
chiSf items of expenditure for additions, re-
placements, improvements and reconstruct
ton, as is shown in this report. Only such
amounts as were paid for actual additions
to the property have been charged to operat-
ing expenses. On all newly constructed rail-
ways there is for some years gradual set
tlement and diminution of entertainments
which has to be replaced from time to time
until the work has become permanent. Dur
ing the past year there has been expended
the system about 100000 in permanent
improvements Of tracks alone. Steel bridges
and trestles have been built agregating 9,2SS
feet, or over one and three fourths miles,.
Wooden structures replaced with solid en-
bankments and permanent waterways aggre-
gate u ,965 feet, or $40 miles. En-
bankments have been Widened and strength
ened. Additional ballast of gravel and broken
stone has been placed on over 300 miles, The
cost of this work, charged to maintenance
of track is equal to about ten cents per
train mile of all revenue trains run during
the year.
1t will be the policy of the company to con-
tinue this work until all its lines are in a
permanent and perfect condition. to the end
that the cost Of It's operation will be re-
duced to a minimum.
VOLUME OF TRAFFIC AND RATES.
During the year the company's business
has shown a reduction in the amount of wheat
carried as compared with the preceding year,
of about 100000 900 bushels, or 600 600 tons,
while the total decrease in tons carried is
less than $4,000 tons. The tons hauled one
is almost entirely from the business of the
liners between Mnot and the Pacific coast.
The average rate received per ton per mile
has been reduced about per cent; equal to
a reduction in revenue of 1881 500.
The past six years have been marked,
throughout the entire country, by various
financial changes and depressions of bust
ness, which have borne heavily upon the
general railway systems Of the country. Many
companies have been forced into bankruptcy
and almost all of the old and long established
lines have been compelled to reduce their
rate of dividend to greater or less extent.
1t is a matter of qualification that our COM
pany has been able to earn and pay during
these years it's full dividend, and at the same
time carry on the work of improving its prop
erty.
The general business prosperity of the