New-York tribune., 1897-01-30

streets were opened in every direction wneSe
pastures and neglected barrens were covered
with blocks Of stores and dwelns-houses'
The far-famed mushroom cities OF the west
afforded no more remarkable Instances OK
magic growth. The substantial result or tnat
great wave OF improvement was an enormous
enhancement of the values OF property. ROCKY
hillocks became more valuable than mineral de-
posits. and vacant lots that had long been
burden to owners suddenly brought rches 70
those who had been tenacious enough to kec"
them
The increase in values would seem fabulous
except that II is a matter Of record and easily
demonstrated. The figures for Brooklyn nave NOT
been collated. but those for New-York CITY
proper a:e tabuated In statement recently
prepared by the Manhattan Railway Company.
These figures. compiled from the annual reports
Of the Tax Commissioners show that while the
average annual increase in the value OF real es-
tate in New-York city was only So.Ow,OOD 1or tne
four years preceding the completion Of the first
two lines Of elevated roads the average increase
for the succeeding four years was over S3'.oW.-
OOO The first two roads completed were put In
operation in 1873 for which year the increase
Of assessed values was S1I9i tt3 Next year
nS19) the increase was $11.2IS6So and here are
the figures Of the increase in assessed values
for each of the succeeding three years 1870.
S24 i31 80: 1SS1 S34 164009: 1SS2. SIS, f6s.611
total increase for the four years Sl34 3is 6l6
But that is not all. During the four years pre-
ceding the opening of the elevated roads there
an actual decrease in values in nine OF the
tWenty-fOur wards into which the city was d.
vided ard the aggregate OF the items more
than SiOOoOOO. Thus more than two-thirds Of
the city property was falling In value. Al the
end Of the succeeding period of four years only
one ward the Fourth. showed a decrease In
values. and the item comparatively unim-
portant Since 1SS2 property has everywhere
increased in value and the figures for the fifteen
years Of elevated railroad service ending with
1893 reached the astounding total of S61l. .534.-
1O6
At the present time there are sixty-four and q
half Of ole cd in
York. operated by three companies. The Manhat.
tan Railway Company, which owns the lines on
Manhattan Island. and the extension @.yond the
Harlem, operates thirty-siX miles, and the re-
naming twentyeight and a half miles are d-
vided between the two Brooklyn COMPANIES The
Manhattan railway carries more passengers than
any other railroad system the face of the
earth. Since the opening OF the road the num-
ber carried exceeds several times the entire pop
ulation Of the globe. The exact figures are
625 52o 800 but they cannot he compi ended
without an illustration. Approximately IL Ie .UHt
miles from London To San Francisco by way ~
New York. Supposing there dry land and
a roadway the entire distance between those two
points. the number OF persons embraced III those
figures would make close rank o. seven
abreast. from the financial centr" Of the ~ ord to
the Golden Gate with 1WNOO,sW To sIare for
officers. water bearers and the ike. \ rrmarx-
able fact connected with the transportation of
this host is that ii accomplished with
the loss of only one life among passengers actI-
ally aboard the trains. and that single loss was
due to the victims own carelessness. This IL q
history
railroadlng.
The building of The cable roads has reduced
somewhat the number of passengers earn led. but
II is still considerably in excess Of half million
day. or in actual figures ~, .,>J "A year.
In 1893 the road carried 22l 400. i9I pa.,sengers
The largest single days business 1913 532
passengers carried IN Octon.r ~ 1S.l2 during
the Columbian Celebration. while the aggregate
for the three days the celebration lasted was
. a31 514 In 1895 the business Of the road i'm
proved. The receipts In the latter part of tho
year in excess OF thos" during he ii,e
period Of 1880. on the Saturday befor" Christi
mas the number o. passengers carried was i,>>-
49, an excess of II 900 over the CORE spordirx
day Of 1S,J. On the various lines 3,f .ocOno-
tives 115l passenger cars. and 5in PERSONS are
employed. The daily number ~ passenger trains
is 3 800 and the train mileage 9.SJoHp per an.
num- The employees are pail weekly. and the
annual payroll fooys up So IOONp The taxes
paid by the company amount To SI>o',D per
annum an average OF sd S:;3 for each mile Of
road i'm operation. while the average taxr, of the
surface street railways are only 81 .2OO per mile
opera ted. Arrangements hay" lately been made
for lighting the cars by Pintsoh gas. ans n large
number will he equipped with the system before
Nav next. The rubJect ~ changing the motive
power employed is also under consiera lion. and
the developments IN electricity and compressed
air are carefully watched with that enc ~ view.
The capital stock nj the Manhattan hallway
Company is $30O00ooO and It's funded debt
$50 2ioOD
er New York on the other side OF the Eas, River.
the brooklyn Elevated Railroad Company oper-
n tes ZOOS miles. Ii employs ninety five lucono.
tves and 2S6 cars. and carried VI JDo $50 passen.
gers in 1SgJ Its capital stock is Sl32S3 600 and
it's funded debt Sl4333WW The kings County
Elevated Railroad Company has S33 miles Of
road: capital stock. A.aOoN: funded debit
SII. 4GS 500: locomotives. a; cars. l53 In 1895
II carried IL, Si7. $50 passengers