Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-07-07
pennsylvania System Had Gross
Earnings Last Year Amount
ing to $4,000 900.
1T BEATS SOME NATIONS
sRevenue Of Mexico and ceveral Other
Comparatively important Nations
Is Far Less Than That of
Some Railways.
sv Charles NJ, Harvey in pearson's.

to be graSped by the ordinary compre-
.hension. Only by comparison with 9TH
er concrete things can we get an ade-
-Quate idea of its magnitude.
Mexico has q population of IA, 900, 900.
1t covers an area equal to that Of the
United States east of the Mississippi.
Mexico's annual revenue is SIS, 000, 900.
The LEI largest and richest OF the
Latin-American countries, except Bra
gil, is Argentina, which has a revenue
just half of that of the Pennsylvania
o. In the past year or two Vene-
xuela has stood off" the United States,
England. Germany, France, Italy Inc
other countries, sometimes successfully,
but oftener simultaneously. The Penn
sylvania railroads income for two
weeks equals that of Venezuela for
twelve months. If we bulk the indie
pendent countries Of the Caribbean and
of Central America-Cuba. Hayti, Santo
Domingo Panama, Guatemala. Hon
duras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Sal
vador. and add to them Diaz's coun-
try and Castro's, we get a population
OF "a. 900. 900 n a revenue only equal
to that OF the Pennsylvania railroad.
That corporation has twice the income
OF the Dominion OF Canada, which has
1000, 900 inhabitants and an area greater
than that of the United States. Except
the United States, the only country In
the western hemisphere which has
as large a revenue as the Pennsylvania
railroad is Brazil.
Belgium fills an important place on
Europe's map, but that country's in
come, dollar for dollar, is only about
the same as Mr.. Cassatt's road. Por-
tugal'S income is only about half as
great. The Netherlands, with its Hague
conferences. past and projected, has
filled much space in the newspapers re-
Gently. Sweden-Norway's internal trou-
bles, threatening the secession of Nor
way and a civil war which might in
DIV great nations, have aroused some
concern in the world. The Pennsylvania
railroads earnings are greater than the
treasury receipts Of the Netherlands
and Sweden-Norway combined. They
are much greater han the revenue Of
Turkey and it's old enemy Greece. They
are greater thar that Of all the Balkan
states--Roumania, Servia, Bulgaria and
Montenegro-taken together.
Japan's army and navy have been
filing the trump of fam for over a
year; yet the income of the government
of the DC, 900, 900 Japanese, in the fiscal
year 10000, was approximately the
same as that OF the Pennsylvania rail-
road. Only the large nations exceed In
revenue that roads earnings. Para
phrasing Bonaparte's tribute to the
London Times, the Pennsylvania road
ID oAAC Va AN Az y $4,000 ~ ~ASs
About the middle of Jefferson's ser
vice he called congress- attention to the
big treasury surplus accumulated from
the large revenues, n he urged that
It be applied to the extension of the
public schools, to the improvement of
rivers, and to the construction Of ca
nails and roads. The Pennsylvania rail-
roads income in 1904 equaled that of
the United States government through
the sixteen ears extending from Wash
ington's inauguration as president to
the end OF Jefferson's first term. In
Folks term we annexed Texas, Oregon,
Washington and Idaho, fought the war
with Mexico, and gained, through con-
quest and purchase, California, Nevada,
Utah. most of ARIZONA, New Mexico,
and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
The revenue of the Pennsylvania road
in 1904 was as great as that of the
United States government in Folks
four years. Last years income of that
road was double the revenue of the gov-
eminent when Lincoln entered office in
1851.
And this is but one OF the United
States railway lines. If the entire
American railway system be taken into
consideration it would be hard to find
any basis OF comparison with it. The
income of the 215, 900 miles OF railway
in the United States in 1904 was $2,000,-
" OOO. ~ 10 oIly IL llldAt liz
short of the combined governmental
revenues of the United States, Great
Britain and France In that year.. 1t
was equal to the revenues of Germany,
Russia, Austria and Italy.
The income OF the railroads for a year
equals the entire capital and surplus
funds OF all the national, state and pri-
vate banks. and of all the OF and
trust companies in the United States.
1t would pay the United States govern
ment's bonded debt twice over, and
leave enough to run SPANS govern
ment for a year.
England had railways earlier than
the United States, but the mileage OF
main track In this country today Is ten
times greater han the United King
don's. II IS as great as that of q! Eu-
rope, Africa n Australia. 1t is two
fifths Of that of the entire world. The
American railways employ more men
1900, GOTHAM were in the union armies
at the time Of Lees surrender. Their
main ~track-215;000 miles On July l. 1905
would go around the globe at the
equator more than eight and a half
times. 1t would reach so near the
moon that a person at the outer end
of the line might, with wireless tel
~egraphy, be able to open c~ominunica-
ton with the Lunarians, if there are
any.
milSa9S U h%iiWdyS w lSOS.
United States. 215, 900.
Europe, $50. coo.
World, $40 $1,000.
The assets of the American railways,
SIG. coo, 000. 000. exceed the capital and
property OF any other of the great ac-
tivities OF the country except agricul-
ture. They are a seventh of the wealth
of the country in 1905. They equal the
entire country,s wealth at Lincoln's in
au-uration.
Assets in 1905.
Railways, SIC. 600, COO, 00C.
Manufactures, s11 .000, 900. 600.
Agriculture, $24, 600. 900, 900.
n yet the birth and evolution OF
tile American railway system has come
within the lifetime of many men who.
In their various occupations. are still
actively at work. Alabama's Senator
Morgan was 4 years old, and her Sen
ator Pettus was Z years old when. in
1928, the first rail was laid for the Bal
timore and Ohio. the first American
railway intended to carry passengers
and freight. Pettus was 30 when the
Atlantic seaboard, In 1851, got it's irst
through rail connection with western
waters. by he Erie road from New