Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-08
RAILWAYS IN UNITED STATES
CONTROLLING MORE
THAN 1000 MILES EACH.
Statement Giving List of
Corporations-TOtal of Ia, O6I
Miles of Trackaxe.

weekly paper which is printed In Chicago,
have just completed the tabulation of all
railway companies in the United States and
Canada which control over 1000 miles of
lines each. The result is that over 147. 900
miles Of road are now controlled, either by
direct operation or through subordinate or
ganfZations, by twenty-eight corporations
and that several Of the systems have al
ready passed the surprising figure of 10000
miles EACH without any indication that the
Limit has been reached.
1t is found that the Pennsylvania system
includes the following additions made this
year: Western New York and Pennsyl-
vania, 643 miles; Long Island, $50; Allie
gheny Valley, 272; Baltimore and Delaware
Bay. 49, total, 1,:gi3. In addition to the
1882 now directly owned or controlled, the
pennsylvania this year purchased large in
terests in the Chesapeake and Ohio Balti-
more and Ohio and Norfolk and Western
roads, respectively, so that its influence
tends to over 5000 miles. The Southern,
It Is stated, has had a rapid growth to sew
enth place. 1t includes 6.416 miles operated,
1907 miles affiliated. but operated sepa-
rately Queen and Crescent system, etc
and the Louisville, Evansville and St. Louis,
:i14 miles, recently acquired through fore
closure. The Baltimore and Ohio, 1t is fur
Their stated, has been rehabilitated after
failure and again includes the Baltimore
and Ohio, Southwestern. and Pittsburg and
Western. 1t is now apparently a completed
system, wonderfully strengthened and i'm
proved In regard to the Seaboard Air Line.
the assertion is made that IT has suddenly
developed from a number of disconnected
and poorly worked roads into an admirable
system. reaching from Chesapeake bay to
Tampa, and Offering competing line to the
entire South Atlantic seaboard. Its mileage
has more than doubled in 1900
Mileage Controlled July 4, 1900.
The following table shows the mileage
controlled on July /, 1900, by each of the
companies named, including track laid this
year or otherwise acquired. The figures
Will serve to correct various erroneous an
SwerS that have been given to the question
which are the largest railway systems in
point Of mileage; and they will show also,
to those familiar with the relative magni-
tude of the principal roads. that some nota-
Bile changes in position have occurred in
the present year as the result of recent pur-
chase and lease:
Railway systems of 1000 miles and over
New York Central, 10.410; Pennsylvania,
1882: Canadian Pacific, IO.OlS; Southern
Pacific, 1852; Chicago and Northwestern,
S,4t3: Chicago Burlington and Quincy, soOl
Southern, 1887; Atchison Topeka and Santa
re: $50; Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul,
6.431; Union Pacific. 1854: Northern Pacific,
o,449; Missouri Pacific, 1924; Illinois Cen
tral, o,263; Great Northern, 5,201; Louisville
and Nashville, 5o11; Grand Trunk. 1856;
timore and Ohio, 1905; Boston and Maine
3,243; Colorado and Southern. 1854; Sea-
board Air Line 2.o4O; Erie 2,5O7; Missouri,
Kansas and Texas 24O6; Wabash . RS.
Atlantic Coast Line, 227S; Lehlgh Valley
2,11S; Plant System, 2,14O: New York. New
Haven and Hartford, 2.047; total miles, AZ
OIL
The further statement is made that a num-
Der of other companies already closely APP
proach the 2,o00-mile limit, and most of them
will soon pass 1t. They include the Pere Mar
quette, Denver and Rio Grande Philadel-
phia and Reading, St Louis and San Fran
cisco, Texas and Pacific. Norfolk and West
ern and Chesapeake and Ohio. Meantime
the law of competition is compelling all the
great systems to continue the acquisition
and construction of mileage for defensive
and offensive purposes. and the relative
positions of the companies in our list will
be frequently altered. The tabulation six
months hence will show some surprising
changes.
Lines Within United States.
or the $4,000 miles shown in the table,
about 11.600 miles lie in Canada and belong
to the Canadian and Grand Trunk systems
This leaves 135.500 miles in the United
States controlled by the twenty-eight COM
panies named. or about 20 per cent of our
entire railway mileage. OF the 1913, 600 miles
In the country today, therefore, only IS 600
miles, or 30 per cent, are outside of the
twenty-efght systems. 1t will be further
seen from the table that fifteen COMPANIES
control 1000 miles or more each. with to-
tai of 11OI50 miles, nearly 60 per cent
OF the total In Canada 500 of the 1000
miles In the dominion belong to a single
system. the Canadian Pacific and most of
the remainder is Grand Trunk property,
and yet that country does not appear to be
suffering from this concentration of Its
transportation facilities in the hands of
two men.
This presentation Of existing systems is
not intended to go into the intricacies of |
financial influence. such as that of the VAN
derbilt, Morgan, Hartman and other inter-
ests in existing roads, which may result in |
FAR greater combinations of railway mile
age than have yet been known. That some |
consistent plan of alliance and DEVELOPMENT
Is being worked out, for instance in the
ownership of the Illinois Central Alton
Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern and
other important lines may be believed and
will doubtless in time be demonstrated and
each movement of cooperation and exnan-
sion will undoubtedly continue as has been
the unvarying rule in the past to result in |
large benefits to the communities and re-
gions SO fortunate as to be reached nv the
great railway systems Of our wonderful ora
of improvement.
The Importance and value of raiIwavs ara
not determined merely by their mileage
Comparisons. extending to considera
ton OF capitalization and traffic obyionsIy
form SUFFICIENT topic for separate treat
ment.
Mrs. B.-"What wonderful control Mrs
Won Blumer hasr'
Mr.. B.-"How do you know"