The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-27
BUTTE News.
INCREASE IN EARNINGS
Shown by the Annual Report of
the Northern Pacific.
COMPARISON OF TOTALS
Opening Up a Portion OF the North
Platte Valley by the Burlington-A
Tie Preserving Plant-New
Compound Engines.
COMPARISON OF TOTALS


lie, shows considerable increase in the
gross earnings over the preceding year,
but slight decrease in the net earn
ings. The report covers the fiscal year
ending June 80, the principal figures in
1t being as follows: Gross earnings,
freight, 19,4S5,96O against s17,432, 755
last year; passengers, $5050, 1866, against
$4,SoS,799 last year, and mail, express
and miscellaneous, $1,512,35s, against
sl'Ss3, 165 last year. Operating expenses
Z comprise $S,54S,793 for maintenance of
way and structures, against $3137,5O5
last year; s1,914, 597 for maintenance of
equipment against s1,721.765 last year;
81, ,033 for conducting transportation
= against s5,57S,635 last year, and sS26, OPS
, general expenses, against s663,457 last
p year. Additions and improvements
written off were $2,105,507 general,
against $515,709 last year, and 81 ,112
equipment, against 1926, 900 last year.
Interest on bonded debt is the same for
both years, but the account this year
includes the additional sum of SCI $50
for rental of leased lines. The only
change dividend account was the addi-
tional payment of s1,6o0,00O. being the
dividend on the common stock The
general balance sheet shows: Cash as
ury securities, s9,347,407. increase, $751;
$50; betterment fund, $1,174, 240; de-
crease, $1,0S4, 4S0.
In the totals the following COMPARE
sons are made: Gross earnings, 1899,
SIC, 04S, 673; 1898 $23, 679 71S; operating ex-
penses, 1899, $l2,349 452; 1898, s11, 095, 81;
Net earnings, 1899, $13. 699. 221 !: 1893, $12,-
5s4.S47; add and taxes, $2,926,752; 1898.
81 ,494, sos; total earnings, 1899, $10,772,-
469; 1888, $11, 0S9,S3S; other income, 1899.
$1,0O4.6 07; 1898, SSS7197; total income,
1899, $11,774,O76; 1885, $11, 977 ,O35 charges
and rent, 1899, S. 140, 793 1898, s6,079, 100:
surplus for year, 1899, 81, OBS, 1888; 1898,
2,S97,S75; previous surplus, 1899, $751;
704; 1898, $4S9,S29; total surplus, 1899,
s1,4O2,sS7: 1898, s3,3S7, 7o4; reserve for
dividends, 1898 $4,000, oO0 profit and
loss surplus, 1899, $1,420,s97; 1898, $751;
704.
Considerable of hub-bub has been
raised about the Burlington's extern
sions in Western Nebraska. The fact
of the matter is that the opening for
settlement of the North Platte valley,
through the building of these new
lines, is going to mark an important
epoch in the development of the trans
Missouri country A line is now being
built southwark from Alliance, Neb..
and will strike the North Platte valley
near Camp Clarke. The town will be
named Bridgeport, in honor of the first
bridge built across the river nearby.
From here the new railroad will run
right on up the North Platte valley in
"A northwesterly direction. Sites have
been laid out for half dozen towns
along the line in Nebraska, and three
in Wyoming, all on the north bank of
the river. Inquiries from persons in
tending to start in business in these
new towns are already being received
1t would appear that the outlook for.
them is bright, as the country that will
support these towns is prosperous and
is bound to become more So On both
sides of the North Platte river the
country is irrigated from four to eight
miles back. 1t is admirably adapted
for agriculture, and the table land is
considered to be as good cattle land as
there is in the West Within another
year there will doubtless be many
flourshing communities in the fertile
valley of the North Platte
The Burlington railroad is erecting a
tie-preserying plant al Edgemont s.
ID. 1t will cost about $40,0O0 and will
be completed about Oct i. When the
plant is in operation 5000 ties day will
be treated by the new process for pre-
serving them. 1t is known as the chlor-
ide of zinc process, and is the same as
that used by the Santa Fe railroad at
Las Vegas, N. M, and by the Southern
Pacific road in California. The Bur-
lington will be the first railroad in the
Northwest to take advantage of this
process. The ties are placed in large
iron cyclinder, the air is pumped out,
and the ties heated by steam: then the
chemicals are pumped in, and the ties
kept in the solution under high pressure
until they are saturated, when they are
removed. The Burlington has yard
at Edgemont in which 100000 ties can
be stored. Before the ties are in shape
TO treat they must be piled up and al
lowed to season for about 60 days.
The Baltimore & Ohio railroad has
ordered 80 Cylinder compound CONSOLE
dation" freight locomotives from the
Baldwin locomotive works for Decem-
Der and January delivery. These ma
chimes, when completed, will represent
the highest class of heavy freight pow
er. both in pulling capacity and econ
omy in operation ever built in this
country. The cylinders are to be Is
inches and % inches in diameter, with
So-inch stroke. The total weight of the
engine, exclusive of tender, is to be
10000 pounds The drivers are 81 inches
in diameter. with a driving wheel base
of Is feet inches and total wheel
base of % feet inches. The tenders will
have 5000 gallon water capacity, eight
tons coal capacity and weigh $4,000
pounds. The boilers are to be of the
extended wagon top style, Ga inches in
diameter at the front end. The firebox
is to be Al inches wide and lis inches
long. When these locomotives are COM
pleted the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
will have 1877 freight engines, each ex-
ceeding in weight 175,OOO pounds.
There are many uniformed employees
of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad who
have spent the better part of their lives
with the company, but very few people
~, ID, I. e
devotion to duty that has made them
valued men. Vice President and Cen
eral Manager Underwood will shortly
issue an order providing for service
stripes for these men, that the public
man know of their faithfulness and
ability A gold stripe will mean five
years of service and a silver stripe two
years. Some of the Baltimore & Ohio
conductors will be entitled to from
seven to nine gold stripes. The COM
pany will also furnish conductors,
brakesmen and baggagemen of all
classes with badges so that they may