The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-19

Railway company Nelson & Fort Sheppard
Railroad company, Red Mountain Railroad
company. and Columbia e Red Mountain
railroad company, the four railroads COM
posing what is known the Spokane Falls
e Northern system. This consists of about
2l7 miles road from Spokane Falls, Wash,
to Nelson, B. c., on the Kootenai river, with
branch from Northport, Wash, to Ross
land, B. c.. ard handles large ore shipments
from the Trail Greek, Rossland and SLOGAN
camps.
TRAFFIC AND RATES.
During the year the amount of wheat
carried east-bound increased about 1900, 900
bushels or 10000 tons, as compared with
the previous year. The amount of W ct
carried from Eastern Washington to Puget
Sound increased as compared with the rrev-
ious year, about S56,C00 bushels or Is, 10
tons. Taking the entire wheat business there
Was wa an increase In the tonnage moved of 49,
IVo tons, While the increase in the o,al
revenue tonnage hauled was GIT 7e0 tons.
mere was, therefore, an increase during the
year IN tonnage hauled other than wheat of
4iE'uOO tons. While there has been an in
crease IN business over the entire line due
10 improved business conditions the larger
poruon or THIS increase comes from the more
recently quilt Western lines. is apparent
from the fact that while the tons hauled ia
creased 6lIlUO tons, or S.267 per cent, the
tonnage hauled one mile increased $50 1872 1863
tons, or 1884 per cent.
The average rate received per ton per mi q
mas been reduced more than 21a per cent,
equivalent to reduction in revenue of $780,
lOO. On account of the completion of the
new line between FossJon and Duluth and
the consequent decrease in distance between
the wheat fields and the head of the lakes.
heaVy reductions have been made in wheat
rates since the close OF the year. and still
iurther decrease in the average revenue per
ton per mile may be looked for. 1t is esti-
mated that this reduction in rates will amount
10 about Sl,Oo0,Ot0 during the coming year
The earnings from the passenger trains
show an increase during the year of q per
cent, or 1891, co.. 90. Some of this is due to
the Alaska gold excitement and to the heavy
travel TO the Pacific coast, encouraged by the
extremely low rates in effect during the llst
half CT the fiscal year.
The average revenue received per passenger
mile mas decreased from 2591 cents to 1922
cents, about 14A per cent equivalent to a re-
duction in revenue of about $3.50 900.
There has been an Increase of but 1G per
cent in freight train mileage a decrease of
nearly y of 1 per cent in the mileage Of
empty freight cars. with increase of 12.45
per cent in loaded freight car mileage, and an
Increase Of nearly II per cent in tons one
mile.
The result is an increase of over So tons
(12.5192 per cent? in the tons hauled per freight
train mile, bringing the average to over 316
tons of revenue freight hauled in each train.
A careful examination Of the statements in
this report confirms the views expressed in
our report of last year, to the gradual and
permanent reduction in the rates paid by the
public, and this necessitates the greatest
economy in the operation of the railway.
Your board Of directors confidently expects
that the permanent character of the improve
ments made and the better methods used
In operation, together with the development
OF the new country served by the company'S
lines and the consequent increase of traffic
will enable the company to continue the
gradual reduction in rates of transportation
which has characterized It's policy from the
beginning. The country along the compalfy's
lines is on the whole prosperous, and the in
crease Of new settlers will tend to advance
the general prosperity. James J. Hill,
President.
Gross Earnings
1898 1897
Freight .... .$1S 056, O46 So SIS S41, $3.50 80
Passenger .... .... 3311 $50 So 2527, 100 II
F Ma5i 5 54S SO SIS y 43a S8d % %
Miscellaneous 5SS6s8 8 44 1851 IS IS
Totals -. ... $50 ST.. 544 10 $19, 436. 900 ST
Operating Expenses
portation ....... s., 41s,137 AZ 1922 1864 so
Maintenance o
equipment -. =. 1,4S1, S2O "a 1,2S5, 253 SO
Maintenance Of
cures tS5ss s9s s sss q s5 5s 2 2es g ss
Totals 49,. -. $40, 854, 7O5 GO $40, 7O1, 81 40
Earnings and Expenses
1897. 1898.
Gross earnings $19, 436, $50 81 s22. ST., 544 10
Operating expenses. 1O7O1,Sn 40 1854, 7O5 60
Net earnings $8784,189 IT $11, 722, 1888 66
Taxes ........ 602,648 SO 700,9H %
Income from opera
ton -. ........ $S1S1, $40 4S $11,O21, 1877 %
-
Operating expenses,
per cent Of gross
earnings :. ...... $500 48O8
Operating expenses
and taxes, per cent
OF gross earnings. 68.16 51.1S
Gross traffic earn
ings per mile Of
Operating expenses
per mile Of road. 2,424 II 2430 50
Net earnings per
mile of road =. ST. 978 Al 50 624 81
Average miles of
road under opera
ton go. 49,. 4n4 4,466 90
Assistant Land Commissioner Charles H.
Babcock makes the following report regarding
the Minneapolis & st. Cloud land grant for
the fiscal year ending June 80 1898:
Acres. Acres.
Amount of grant Hinck-
ley branch .............- 425, 664 90
Amount of grant, WIllmar
branch .......... 49,. 81, 200 90
--476,S64 co
Total acreage selected to
date Observation-Disclosures. 1863, sol SO
Total acreage decided to
company 80. 49,. 1888, 546 g.
Total acreage sold prior
to June 80, 1898. 71.1s8 AN
Value of same w $237, $40 10
Average price per