The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-10-15

Total Miiense Equal to One Of Our
Western Roads ~ Hard
Travelling.


| There is not much celebration OF
anything in Spain this year, but il
there was, she might celebrate the
semi-centennial anniversary OF the
opening Of the first railroad in that
kingdom. In 1s4s the Barcelona rail-
road, so called, extending is miles from
Barcelona to Mataro, was opened to
traffic. Mataro is small town on
the Mediterranean northeast of Baf-
celona, and these 16 miles of road con-
stituted at that time Spain's only con-
tribufion to the railroad mileage of
the world, the neighboring country,
France, having at the same period a
railroad mileage of 1900 and Great
Britain 3,0ocy Since then there has
been slowly intermittent increase of
what is sometimes grandiosely called
Nthe railroad system" of Spain, two
obstacles to the Development of which
have been the unbusinesslike methods
Of the inhabitants and enormous en4
gineering difficulties. Spain has been
wholly denuded of forests at the head
waters of rivers, and as consequence
there are frequent oyerfows, carrying
with them railroad bridges, trestles
and embankments, to the constant
peril. and annoyance Of passengers.
There are now in Spain 1850 miles
of railroad, less than one-third of the
number In Great Britain, France or
Russia, and less than one-fourth Of
the number in Italy. The relative in
Significance Of the Spanish railroad
system" appears best in comparison
with American railroads, single line,
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy,
having an aggregate mileage of 7,4Oo,
owned, operated or controlled, or
nearly as much as all the railroads
of Spain combined. Spanish railroads
are proyerbially slow, the rate of sex
press" trains being % miles an hour
and of way passenger trains from IL
to Is. They seldom run on schedule
time, ard it is the testimony Of all
travellers that they never make con-
nections. The amount of baggage al
lowed each first-class passenger on
spanlsu l.,n, aillo ~ ~oau 2 % pounus' nue 'nc
80 oaus 80 NJ rssponsiple lor ~
.oss, ~ ~ .nei, oinciais responsioie
~, m, 10 .usll.iliva,ion. ul ], ,.
.,. n ta1,ioau ilies y opalh were
ouns patty " private capi'ai' parity
iiou ,, ,ne proceeus OF governmental
seesa1i nese ~, suoslules lsa l nave
ooo om,o oon n'eu ~ o'ef sSvo'oVo'ooV ti'Voo,-
voe'Sso ~ ~ Pesesas'. 60 A.nougn ,. tns raii-
aoa.a, ~ y paha ~, - u'lecsiy unuer me
- s.a'. - ~ .ne so'eInnen', s.,,, anu ~
snuusn '..I apou' ons-enira OF lnelr con-
ssluosion a, vas pau y 'ne government.
ny - 49, W. ~ pfi'a.e eoin panies,
~ az S''..s SDou. snls,ni'1s s q 'ne STOCK OF
Er.as ~ ap"n'nn n ioaus = owned IN
Ia. n investors nase graz
sa,a I ss1.Deu ~. secuii'ies, wnich'
81. ~ : " e go ''on' pay high rate
s,;naass - s asn anu nns nsn en-
ss s'psiSl,eu l's go" genelay .ne con
~ :. .A.., .sn y SPANISH raiiroaas, put
"a s ons, u sefminai iacilities
~ ,a....s ~ pan-s, - 'ne prouucls q
~. s.ts ssn,ss...s. ,.aas..s ~ any oDs.Isans
tn rs;,raass ~ !, Az WI TIn,s asns.' r.
.arr i, s = 49,. " ~ 0n,eou ~ Us, os3ees
49, - .sa.. a. aDous OOo,Voo'oov pas-
coo E 20 y Z, ~. Anu sss sanspors ~ aDout ooo,.
ss M 80 80 ,o.a :. 80 A lS ssa sfe =
~, A. 49, 49, ~ sons ~ ireissns car
rsrs m III Tsa [ snsnish Ts auaai ra,,soaa @ passsn-