St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-09-26
B. and M. Annual Report.

B. and NJ. Annual Report.
The 9th annual report of the Boston
& Maine railroad for the year ending
Tune 80 has Just been issued. 1t contains
| SO pages and is full of interesting Stats
tics for those who make study of such
reports.
President Lucius futile says: The
year covered by this report has been one
of unusual business prosperity through
ont the country, especially in that por-
ton more directly served by the lines of
this company, and there was an increase
in its gross receipts, as compared with
those of the preceding year, of $2,276,:
AT.
Ofthe comparative increase in opera
ting expenses Isl 1856, 373,) about $780,
900 was due to the above mentioned adj
dition to the roads mileage; about
$500, 900 to general advance IN the
price of locomotive fuel and to the larger
quantity required for increased train
mileage; about 100000 to necessary
advancements and adjustments of wages,
about 5000 900 to additional train mi
leage and station service incident to the
larger volume of freight and passenger
business transacted; and the remaining
100000 in part to the generally in
creased cost of materials and supplies,
but more largely to greater expenditures
(o, INN
ments upon roadway and buildings and
other permanent property.
The principal items of operating ex-
pense have been: For repair of locomo-
tives, $579, 100; of passenger, baggage,
mail and express cars, $509,309: of
freight cars, 1854, O44; of roadbed and
track, 81 ,655, sos; steel rails laid, $780,
842 less value of old rail taken up and
profits on old rail sold in excess of inven-
tory value, 1865, $500, net $64, 216 ties
laid, $354,217; maintenance of bridges,
$271 ALL of buildings and structures,
S519472; ballasting 80 miles of track,
$50 ,405; 90 miles rs, 100 tons) of new
steel rails have been laid IN main tracks,
and II miles 1887 tons) of partly worn
steel rails have been laid in branches and
sidings; S93,091 cross ties and SO 333
switch ties have been laid, and 24,055
rods of fence built during the year.
The outstanding capital stock of the
Boston & Maine now stands at $50, 345
shares, consisting of 31,49S shares of
preferred and 21S, 847 of common. 1t is
worthy of note that 90 per cent of the
company's shareholders, holding IA per
cent. of its capital stock, are residents OF
the three states within each of which it
is domestic corporation. With the
Fitchburg railroad the mileage operated
is 2245 miles, and of mileage controlled
1850 miles, representing capital invest
ment of 1904 100000, Of the mileage,
759 miles are in Massachusetts,, S25 in
Maine, 1876 in New Hampshire, 293 in
Vermont, 100 in New York and 81 in
Canada. The equipment on June 80 con-
sisted OF 694 locomotives, 1928 passen-
ger, baggage, mail and express cars, H.
go freight cars, 260 caboose cars, 245
tool and road cars, II snow ploughs, 10
steam shovels, IL electric railway pas
senger cars, and 1 electric railway snow
plough.
The work OF separating highway grade
crossings has consumed 1921 ,872 within
the year, making a total of 81 OFT ,433
net expenditure to June 80, 1900. In
referring to the use of coke, the report
states that 276 passenger locomotives
are now regularly and exclusively fired
with it, and the average quantity used
has been increased to 700 tons daily.
Five hundred miles of track have been
sprnkled with oil this season. The
number of passengers carried during the
year was 32, 1892, S14, an increase Of l.
325, 658 over the previous year, and the
number carried one mile was 525, 49,
571, an increase of 29,118,445. The
number of tons of merchandise carried
was II, 426,571, an increase of 1882
1876, and the tonnage carried one mile
was 832, 1897, 1868, an increase OF 112,-
1894. The average rate of fare per
mile received from all passengers was
1927 cents, compared with 1.715 cents
in 1899 and 1.742 cents in 1898. The
average rate per ton per mile received on
all freight was LAO cents, against L.
430 cents in 1899 and 1882 cents in
1898.