Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1904-09-22
GREAT RAILWAY INTERESTS
Money Invested in American Roads
Run Up Into Sums Of Many
Ciphers.

1SOA - = AAtO 0u1l13 ma0Y
Ciphers.
Occasionally the words railroad in
terests" will strike upon the ear least
interested in politics or high finance.
Frequently the same words will be upon
the tongues of persons to whom both
politics and high finance are equally OBJ
jectionable. But to the average reader
the extent of these interests must prove
a revelation, says the Chicago Tribune.
In the firstplace the mere capital stock
OF the railroads in the United States is
more than Sc, $50, 100000.
The total trackage in miles is 274,-
1859.
In one year the train mileage of these
lines reaches 950,00O,OOO miles.
The 675,O00,000 passengers are car
ried 21,500,0O0, 900 miles.
The gross earnings from this traffic
which considers also the hauling of L.
250,000,00 tons of freight more than
165 900, 100000 ton" miles-is only a lit
tie short of $2,000,O 100000 year.
And for the purposes of business in
traffic these 275,000 miles of railroad have
equipments that have cost $4,000, 000,-
900, and the "raidroad interests" are
adding to the milage $500 miles year
giving to each 10 square miles of ter
ritory miles Of railroad and to each
10000 of population more than ~ miles,
But out of the immensely of these fig
hoe
than a suggestion of what the phrase
railroad interests" represents In mile
age these figures for the United States
exceed those Of all the rest Of the known
world by at least $4,000 miles. The
American roads carry more freight than
do all the other railroads of the world. It
is only when it comes to passengers that
the American roads, from handling 675.-
100000 in year, take back place COM
pared with the 3,120, 100000 passengers
that are carried by the worlds other
lines. OF these foreign passengers, the
European roads alone carry $500 ,OO0, 900
a year, though If passenger miles were
to be considered rather than passengers.
it is likely that the American roads
would be close to the world figures.
In the equipment of the American
roads there is need for $4,000 locomo-
tives, 10000 passenger cars, 10 900 baggage
and mail cars, and 100000 freight cars
and cabOOses.
Distance has been eliminated from the
business world and the word hour" has
been substituted for tall through the
railroads. New York is 1000 miles from
Chicago, but to the world of travel it Is
only 20 hours away. San Francisco is
$500 miles west, on the other side of one
Of the greatest mountain ranges on the
globe. But miles and mountains are in
consequential; the western metropolis
is only Y hours from the metropolis Of
the Mississippi valley.
What are the forces behind it all?
Putting aside the directing powers and
the acpital holding individuals who live
by the dividends of the service, rather
than by the wage-paying capacities and
necessities Of the systems, $50, 900 men
are making their living at railroading
"Once railroad man. always a railroad
man." is one of the aphorisms of the SER
vice. 1t is true in spirit, If not in fact
The time has come when the operating
Of railroads is the bushes of the young
man. The man with white in his hair is
displaced too often with manned hand
or limping foot to find another way in
the world.
To feed full this ever-pressing need Of
men in the railway service is problem
The railway switchman lives one of the
most dangerous lives in the world. The
railway brakeman is a close second En-
gineer, fireman, conductor and half a
dozen other specialties in different lines
Of the work are close to the maximum Of
danger. The life of the United States
soldier or marine is tame in comparison.
And as to numbers? Think of it!
There are only 10000 physicians and
surgeons in the United States qualified
to bind up the shattered limbs of the
victims of the railroads; there are only
114,000 lawyers to press the cases of the
injured. and only Ill 900 ministers ready
in attendance to administer the last rites
in comfort to the dying or to preach of
new and fuller life over the bodies of
the dead.