The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-14
BOLD MEN BUILT
 PANAMA RAILROAD
Aspinwall. Stephens and Chauncey's Work of the Greatest
 Magnitude.

jority of it's stock. The property will therefore. go to the United Staes along with the other properties we are to get in return for $40,000y000 to be paid to the New Panama Canal Company. As there Is certain to be no cessation but instead an immense improvement, in transisth- milan traffic during the time the canal is being constructed, 1t will be seen that we shall acquire a revenae-producer. The railroad pays annually $250,OoO as a rental for its concession. Since active work or the canal was stopped it's revenue-beine the only income enjoyed by the New Panama Canal .Company-have been de. voted to defraying the cost of the work on the Culebra cut, work which had tc be done to keer the canal concession alive
 Will Be Revenue-Producer.
 Under the ownership of the United States the only tax upon the railroads income over opera tion and maintenance expenses will be the payment of s250, ,OO( in gold annually to the holders of these securities issued by the road when Co. lombia, years ago, went to the usurers and discounted the concession rental, This payment will continue until 1912, by which time it is expected the canal will be in operation, when. for both the rail- road and canal concessions. an annual fee of s25o.00O will be paid to the Republic of Panama.
 Bearing in mind the fact that in this road the United States will own the only medium for the transportation of canal supplies. contractors machinery em- ployes. etc, and that traffic will increase enormously when active work begins, il will be seen from the following statement that by acquiring this road the Govern ment will come into possession of a pro. ductive asset.
 The number of passengers carried by the Panama Railroad in 1902 was 80 S0S com. pared with S9, 161 in 1901. Of the former 3,S62 were first class and 76,936 second class; in the latter year 4,5S7 were first class and s4.574 second class. Passenger earnings in 1902 amounted to $63,S4737; in 1901 $75, 654.6S. The tonnage movement in 19O. amounted to 346,6S9, of which 1SO.267 tons were westbound and 166,422 eastbound The tonnage movement in 1901 was 1885, 5S4. showing decrease for 1902 of 100S per cent, 12.S4 per cent. being in east bound traffic and 7.91 per cent in vest bound.
 The freight transported has increased from 26S. 156 tons in 1898 to 346.6SS in 1902 Of the total westbound freight in 19O1 QS0,267 tons). 62,s55 was local from Colon to Panama and way stations, 5431s through freight from Europe and 63. .O9s through freight from New York Of the eastbound traffic O66, 422 tons), l,2S9 was local from Panama to way stations, 72,- 43s through from all points to Europe, and S2,697 through from all points to New York.
 Increase Will Be Enormous.
 The total earnings of the Panama Rail- road in 1902 was Sl.239.3 .34531. compared with s1.3 65.170.93 in the preceding year Of the former amount $1,OS2, ,O6O was from freight and $63.s7 from passenger traf. fic. $54,S20 from mails and S15.95S from baggage. Practically all these sources oi income showed decrease over 1901.
 The opportunity for increase in this business is almost boundless. In the old days of French activity the road rar numerous passenger trains each way each day. Now there are only two. ont in the morning and one in the evening starting from either terminus and requir' ing three hours to cross the isthmus The beginning of canal work and the re. sultant influx of foreigners will call for more train. and with the fare at $4 (gold) for a single trip I$S golD if the passen- ger carries baggage) the passenger re- ceipts are certain to swell tremendously. There will, too, be the increases already mentioned in freight receipts from the transportation of canal supplies and ma chinery. In the figures We given there appear the revenues from the Pan- anna Railroad Steamship Line, which in- cludes four vessels averaging about 3,000 tons. operating on weekly schedule be- tween New York and Colon. The number of these vessels will. doubtless, have to be increased; but the railroad men have contended that this servics can be ex- tended to include more ships. and there will still remain from the profits during the next nine years sum sufficient to defray the cost of constructing the devia- ton required by the canal plans.
 This deviation will be no small piece of work, as 1t will mean the rebuilding of practically all that portion of the road now situate on high ground. The canal plans provide for an artificial lake from Bohio. 14 miles from Col on, to Ledro Miguel, on the Pacific side. a distance of about twenty-five miles. This lake will be formed by a monster dam at Bohio, and will result in sub merging all of the country for miles about on either side of the present line of the railroad between Bohio and Pe- dro Miguel. and it's level will be, approx imately, 70 feet above the level of the railroad at Bohio. It follows, therefore, that the railroad must change it's route. This 1t will do. starting from point be- tween Bohio and Colon, running to the eastward and climbing the hills and mountains until 1t reaches an elevation higher than will be the surface of the lake. It will then run in the d. rection of Panama, skirting the shores of the lake, and, passing through an ex- picturesque country. will connect with the present route a short distance outside of Panama. The cost of this devil ation will be heavy, but so will be the profits from the operation during the nine years that will elapse before the gates of the Bohio dam are finally closed and the Chagres River is made to submerge the present line and all the country 
 The "A Life for Every Tie" Yarn.
 The heaviest cost of this work will
 t, ha,v,a fhn SaDi-