The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-27
RAILWAYS STOP CONSTRUCTION.
Less Track Laid This Year Than An
ticipatcd.

According to the Railway Age railway
| construction in the last six months has
not been as great as was anticipated at TIE
first of the year.
This was predicted some time ago in The
| Republic for the same cause as given III
| terial. difficulty in obtaining rails and lator
troubles.
1t is stated that the more important lines
are being pushed rapidly to competition.
but other new projects are making slower
progress.
According to estimates made at the first
| of the year it WAS confidently expected
| that 6ocV miles of track would be LAID in
| 1903. but the figures given by the Railway
| Age tend to disprove it.
The mileage completed SO far this year
is less than the track laid during the first
halt, of 1852. which was 2,5l4 miles. with d
total for the year of 5,6Si miles.
So far Oklahoma leads all other States
and Territories. with 4 total of 30 miles
10 her Cysdit. and Texas is second. with 245
miles. rffir,y-one less than during the same
period last year.
Indian Territory stands third with 2o5
miles; New Mexico fourth. with 1872 miles:
sixth. with III miles. Utah seventh. with
lpS miles; and Arkansas eighth. with JOS
miles Missouri stands. far down on the
list. with 6g.92 miles built. by seven lines.
The Larger portion OF the new work is To-
Gated in the South and Southwest. although
there is considerable activity in the Pa
have been completed since January l. Nine
teen States west of the Mississippi River
SHOW additions aSSregatInS l49o mll-S. of
which $50 miles have been built in eight
Southwestern States, while the 10 States
south of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi
have completed 392 miles. The following
tabulatiOn shows the distribution of the
new mileage according TO groups Of States:
Miles.
New England states 20
Central Northern States ...................I17.5j
South Atlantic 3
Gulf AMI Mississippi Valley States ......z55S2
southwestern States .g5i Il
Northwestern states .-liSj
Among the large systems which have laid
the st. Louis and San Francisco. eG5 miles;
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. l2p miles:
Chicago Milwaukee and st. Paul, IS miles;
Missouri Pacific. 10 miles: Chicago, Rock Is
land and Pacific, including the Choctaw.
Oklahoma and Gulf. 50 miles. The Rock Is
land, which has many new lines planned,
has expanded by absorption rather than by
construction and on account of the aCuuiS-
tons made in the past few months the
construction of much projected mileage will
not be necessary.
Although the track laid this year ia less
than that shown for the first half of 1902.
tracklayinS is just beginning on several
prominent lines, including the Denver
Northwestern and Pacific. the San Pedro,
Los Angeles and Salt Lake. and the Mo-
bile. jackson and Kansas City. ali of which
promise to make extensive additions before
January !. The Missouri Pacific and the
Kansas City. Mexico and Orient have much
grade completed in addition to that on winch
track has been laid and will push the work
of tracklaying during the last half of the
year. In short. the mileage of roadway
made ready for the rails exceeds the length
of track laid by many hundreds of miles.