The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-09-26
l833-c"pied here from the Colum.
bia BanDcr.

"Nn Nu0 supply ouu prlCc0 OF rail-
road iron; and it is we'll to keep the
former in view os q means Of eeti.
mating the probable future price Of
this most important article in our
great enterprises. The increased
mileage of our railroad. for the past
few years has been as follows:
mo. miles open January 1,
lo4o............ ................... 5,565
mo. miles open January I,
lo49.,............. 6,807
mo. miles open January 1,
1s5l.:.."..."......."..'. 1856
"No. miles open January l,
lo52.................. .......10,814
No. miles open January 1,
oIo.s"."...."..... H. ,S14
I've estimate the mileage opened
the present year to be 8,015; which
certainly 10 not above the mark. As
suming favorable condition of tho
money market, the mileage opened
in 1854 will be at least $500 miles.
On the first Of January, 1856, there
fore, or little less than two years
from this time, there will be 10000
miles Of railroad In operation in the
United States. In the meantime q
large amount of double track will be
laid, say frUm 800 to 1000 miles"
MILEAGE OF THE PRESENT DAY.
The. shove srticls preceded to dis.
cuss the question of iron that would
be required for the railroads, evi.
IDENTIFY sppr, hending that tho great
demand might either exhaust the
supply or run tho price up enor-
mously.
1t Is interesting to compare the
above figures Of mileage with the
mileage of the present day. The
latest 6gu-es accessible to us are
taken froh 'Poor's Msnuel of Rail.
roads Of the United States for 1901"
In that year the mileage was 191,.
l6l miles, second tracks and sidings
o., ,69l, making total track mileage
Of 257 1853. Of this mileage $780,
G29 miles is steel rai!s-a great deal
heavier than the iron rails used fifty
years sgo. And the cost of rails is
less now than then. We have no
means Of ascertaining tho price of
iron rails in those days, but know it
must have been higher than at
present, for iron was then quoted in
tho Columbia Banner at Al to 8
cents pound, whereas now it can
be quoted at 81 to S.
IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVEL IN THE
PAST FIFTY YEARS.
A Newberrian who is not an old
man-at least LIE does not claim to
be such-rccalls bis first experience
with railroads. 1t was his lot to 90
from Newberry to Spartanburg and
back once or twice year. He bought
his ticket and checked bis trunk at
Newberry f,r Aston; spent the night
there, and the next day bought bis
ticket and che cked his trunk to Spar
tanburg, reaching that back wosd
hamlet late in the afternoon.
In those days ono had to buy q
good many tickets and check his bag
gage as many times in going . long
distance. And the checking of bag.
gage was not 60 easy as it is today.
One put his own trunk in the bag.
gage car receiving his check then
and there from the baggage master,
vho standing in the door of his car
handed out the checks to passen gers
~ they passed their trunks up and
in. When one reached his destina.
ton he went forward to the baggage
car. where the baggage master stood
in the door calling out tho numbers
on the checks for all baggage intended
for that station, while the passengers
stood round with their checks in
hand waiting for their numbers to
be called. When called they ''hand.
ed in their checks" and the bagssge
master handed out their baggage.
Other contrasts between 1853 and
1902 are as great as those already
mentioned. In no department Of
human experience has there been
greater progress in the last half .
century than in railroads.