The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-26
crnTRAL'S FINE SHOWING.
.,, IT'S YEARLY REPORT OF FL
"",xrI,L OPERATIONS WILL BE.

Innings Considered Quite
,,,4t.ring Under the Circum-
,.s-Treight Rates on the Gem
>o,, Compared With Those
',...l Fifty-Five Years Ago.
s,,.,r uniIroad Items of Interest.
.,,,sr.sting statement of the earnings
.t. central Railroad of Georgia, for the
his, srded, has been issued by Mat
- Bean & Co, of New York, with spe-
...arenee to the consolidated gold per
-, n.,rds. In it they say:
..nnanv's fiscal year ends June So
IH war 1897 there was a surplus of
20 ,.i over obligatory charges. We have
S'l''9 je7ires for a portion of the year
&C. &C., I7ine 80. 1898, and upon this basis
t'''-''9 Innate the years results rather
nIosslv. as follows:
cOs''' .-en months of the fiscal
~ - fo May g. 1898, the gross
1rrirgs of the system were......$ SO, $50, O00
- rba same time the net earnings
rare observation-disclosures. -. A'tOS'So0
~, .srri1es have been averaging
snourlgper cent. in excess oil last
go, and for the month of June
s5o1ld he at least .................. 10000
,t,1,irg the net earnings for the
III fscal year approximately 81, SA, 955
nh income from investments, in
ending steamships, should be
ohoI7r Observation-Disclosures. Zoo,UVO
ANA, %Dyi rental of the Lyons
branch. leased to the Ga. and
Ala Ry. ....,...........'....'. 40,oOO
Total income for year .............$2, 17S, ASS
Obligatory annual fixed
charges .....................$l,0 4U'V7O
civ az Macon annuity. 1888
Rentals and miscellaneous
interest ..................... 3l5,uUO
Total charges against income. .. 81, S5S, 1888
Estimate surplus over consol in
terest Observation-Disclosures. SSIo,V'z
IT is Interesting to compare freight and
passenger rates on the Central Railroad
now with what they were in its early days.
In 1913 the road was only running to Cor
don or No. II, although the line from
there to Macon was under construction. In
those DAYS freight rates had not been re-
duced to a matter of scientific calculations
as they are now. Some goods were charged
for according to the cubic yards of space
they occupied others were taken at so
much a package, while still others were
charged for by the hundred weight. The
line was divided between Savannah and
Gordon into what might be termed six
zones The first zone included the first
thirty miles of road, the second the next
twenty the third the next thirty, the
fourth the next thirty, the fifth the next
tortvand the sixth the remainder of the
road. To any point in any one of these
zones or districts the freight rate on an
article was the same. 1t cost just as much
to ship a barrel of flour 100 miles as it did
10 ship it $50 miles. Very little calcula-
ton was required then in determining how
much freight a man had to pay on a pack
age of merchandise The rate was pre-
scribed on most goods within each zone
and calculations were reduced to a mini
num-
As matter of interest to the shippers of
the present as well as to the general pub
lie, the following table is given of the rates
charged to Gordon in 1898 and in 1913. The
differences it will be seen, are not as
startling in some cases as might be ex-
pected, while in a few instances the COM
parsons will awaken surprise.