Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-07-28
FIGURES THAT ARE NOT DULL.

1t is probably not putting i. toa
strongly to speak of the network OF
railways which ramifes over this
country almost to It's remotest cor
ners as the one thing more than an
other that holds together our great
nation as a prosperous and homo
geneous people. The story OF our rail-
roads reads like a tale OF magic. There
are many men now living who have
witnessed the entire development of
this great agency of modern civiliza-
tion-an agency without which the
United States would today probably
not exist as at present, and certainly
not as the worlds richest and most
powerful nation According to the re-
port of the interstate commerce COM
mission just issued, there have been
built in less than a mans allotted span
of years, and exist in the country to-
day, a total OF 247, 1924 miles of rail-
way. The number of corporations op
Grating this mileage is 2,047, though
this does not take into account either
the mileage or the operators of the
electric lines, whose development has
been even more magical in extel.1 and
results than that of the steam roads
The number of persons employed on
these steam roads was nearly $4,000
on June 80, 1898. and at the presen5
time of commercial activity all over
the country is close to or exceeding
one million men. Including under the
term equipment both locomotives and
cars, it is noted that the total equip
mem. of railways on June 80. 1883. was
1862, 408. OF this number 641, 1852
were fitted with train brakes. the in
crease being 1886, aud 909,574 were
fitted with automatic couplers, the in
crease in this case being 230,S49, show
ing that great progress is being made |
in the adoption of devices TO minimize
the dangers of operating the roads. |
The aggregate number Of passengers |
carried during the year ending June |
80, 1898, as returned in the annual re- |
ports of railways, was sol ,066 6S1, in /
dicTting an increase, as compared with |
the year ending June 80, 1897, of H.
621 ,483. The number of passengers
carried one mile dunng the year was
l3. 379, 100000. there being an Increase
IF 1,122, 990,357 as compared to the
year previous. The number of tons of
freight carried during the year was
,79, COG, 307, there being an increase of
81, 800, Bel The number of tons of
reight carried one mile was 14,O77,-
76, 305, which, compared with sche pre-
rious year, shows the large increase of
{, 1888, 554,0 $50. The gross earnings of
he railways of the United States, COW
ring an operated mileage of 184, CAS- 20
niles, were $1,247, 325 ,621 for The year I
nding June 80, 1898, being greater by
125 ,235,848 than the corresponding
tenn for the fiscal year preceding. The
perating EXPENSES during tho same Y
eriod were $S17 ,973, 276, being an in
rease of $65,448, 512 as compared with
he year 1897. The proverbiaI dullness /
f figures does not apply to tahis inter :
sting report of the interstate COM
1erce commission If the patriotic and a
roud American seeks some concrete {
violence of his country's greatness he
eed go no further than the report
'hich tells these and many other
acts concerning the nations railway =
ervice-the greatest beyond all com
arisOn of amy in the world.