The Anaconda standard., 1898-11-21
AM0Ie RAILROAD MEA
The Union Pacific Rapidly Re-
gaining Its Former Greatness.
II IS A GREAT SYSTEM
NJ Oregon Railway and Navigation
Company WIN b Absorbed
Pnr1s Rothschilds Are Back
ofIt-Rsilway Statistics

The Union Pacific n rapidly regaining
SITS old-time greatness. and everything In
siicates that IL is the intention Of the man.
aeement OF the road to again make IT one
of the great railway systems OF America
and become an active competitor Of the
Northern lines. From this view of the
situation the report that the Oregon
Railway a Navigation company Is about
10 be added to the system Is very plausi-
BILE. II n now generally understood that
the Rothschilds of Paris form the finan-
cial backing OF the Union Pacific. and
that when they secured control the plan
was to expand the system. The acquisi-
ssou OF the Oregon Short Line was one of
the natural results. but now I'm order to
secure an outlet to Western tidewater IL
O. expected that the Oregon Railway A
NAVIGATION viii gradually be absorbed
and become q part Of the great system
: one OF the gentlemen OF President Cor
nish's party said wpen In Butte satur-
tay that the presidents visit over the
lines at this time was In the interest OF
a closer union between the Short Line
and the Oregon road. and also to look
over the field and post himself thoroughly
ON the situation and report TO the higher
powerA The Denver Republican. In speak
ing OF this matter. has II that Hartman
- 8l0le0 dS ktntfai HahaSch VI shN >Dss-
eolidated systems and that General Su-
perintendent Hughes Of the Elkhorn-a
Northwestern line-will be made general
euperintendent. with the acquisition OF
the Oregon Railway & Navigation. the
big system would be In better shape to
compete with the Northern Pacific and
aflrs system, which is now branching
out into the important mining and agri-
cultural districts In the Northwest.
The following statements. based upon
Che latest oficial reports. and brought
down to Sept. 1. 1885. by means of ratios
and by computations carefully made by
cannot hut be Of interest to all men en-
gagged In transportation. An instanta-
neous photograph OF any domain of hu-
man activity says Mr.. Doty. constitutes
an instructive study, and especially so
when Il includes our own field of efort.
From q miles of railroad In 1883. and In
less time than the Biblical span OF three
score years and ten allotted to the life
of man. our railroads have reached their
present magnitude. though still In the
morning time OF their evolution. Had our
country to-day, exclusive of Alaska. as
many miles Of railroad proportionately as
the state OF Illinois. II would have 100000
miles OF such roads. or considerably more
than three times its present mileage. or.
N
the existing railroads of the world. A
good iaborer able to earn 81 n day. work
ing as a carrier Of freight does In Africa.
could transport one ton. say OF lead. one
mile by working hard for four days. In
other words. s. would be a fair price for
the work that would have to be done.
But our railroads now carry one ton OF
freight one mile for eight-tenths OF
. cent. or for one one-thousandth of the
cost of doing that amount of work by
muscular effort alone.
|. Had the whole population of the globe
the same amount OF railroad mileage pro-
portionately that we have In the United
states. the worlds railroad mileage would
be l.5ooooo instead of one-tenth of that
amount. as new. Our periods of existence
may well be looked upon as the childhooH
. of the race. A retrospective view OF our
railroads a glance at their present con-
dition and glimpses afforded OF their
probabilities and possibilities fully Illus
, trate the truth that we are only In the
dawn OF our material development. The
: habitable portion of the earth's surface.
comprising only about two-fifths OF its
land masses. even with our present very
imperfect agriculture. can easily support
four times the present population of the
world, or $500. .00o, 600 human beings. and
This number will be reached go years
hence. or by the year 2i50 A. ID.
Length of roads now owned by 1000
corporations. 900 miles: double. triple.
Quadrupie and yard tracks. sidings and
fsirnouts 5000 miles: total OF all tracks
IN the United States to-day. 2i4.5oo miles.
The average value OF our railroads Is
usually placed at SEQ 900 n mile. though II
A. a little more than that: at this rate
1ss 900 miles Of road are worth sl1. .1e1. .Ooo.-
eoo The Investments IN these roads. in
cluding capital stock. funded. unfunded
and current debts. can safely be placed
at s11. 500. 100000. Our population Is now
1900 900. IL the wealth OF our country
has Increased In the last eight years pro-
portionateiy with the increase between
1850 and 1880 the wealth of the whole coun-
try to-day r. $4,000 900 900. or 81. 80 for
every man. woman and child OF the pop
ulation. The average wealth in ls50 was
only s3os per capita. the increase being
nearly four-fold since then. The wealth
of our country is now increasing at the
rate Of ss0oo.ooo a day. One-seventh OF
=. our wealth Is in railroads. or si6o for ev-
cry member OF our population.
The railroads Of the United States now
employ $4,000 persons and the average an
nual pay OF each IL Ss5. few officials
receive large salaries. but the $1,000 sta
= tion men and track repairers and the 10
ooo switchmen. fagmen and watchmen all
ret small wages. though their pay is sure
and their employment is. as a rule. un-
Uninterrupted. There are now 40 employees
TO every 100 miles OF road. or four and
,one-half TO every mile.
Exclusive Of sleeping cars our railroads
now have LIE. 900 cars Of all kinds. or ~
cars to every locomotive. OF seven cars
20 every mile OF road. Inclusive of sleep
ing cars there are now 5000 passenger.
mail and express cars In use. Consider
ing the life OF n freight car y years and
its earnings after that length of service
viii barely keep Il in repair Il Is clear
that about 10000 OF these cars now an
-nualiy go into scrap. In other words.
Joe.090 new freight cars are needed every
year 10 replace those which are worn
rouf. TO say nothing of the additional cars
required for new roads and for the natu-
,raI Increase OF freight business. The fol-
loving tabular statement is full OF inter-
sest as well as OF significance 20 car build-
-ers II is . record Of the freight cars
built In the United States for the years