The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-10-11
to that of the Fitchburg Railroad com.

to that OF thet 1tchO urg railroad COM
pany.
The state of Pennsylvania made the
earliest and perhaps the boldest at.
tempt in this country at state railroad
and canal ownership and control. 10
pursuance of legislation adopted in
1925, the state embarked in the con-
struction of a transportation line from
Philadelphia to Pitts burg. This line,
begun in 1928, consisted of a railroad
from Philadelphia to Columbia, "a
miles long, where it connected with a
canal extending to the base Of the AL.
legheny mountains. The mountain
summit was overcome by a system of
inclined planes extending to Johns.
town, and a canal on the western slope
completed the line to Pittsburg. The
state of Pennsylvania sold these works
to private corporations in the year
1859, as the result of a conviction
drawn from experience and never
shaken, that the work of t%ransporta.
ton must be regarded as q priv ate
enterprise and not as q public func.
ton.
Soon after the admission of Michi.
gan into the Union, in 1886, the state
government entered upon q scheme of
railroad construction and operation,
aided by a large land grant from con-
gress for internal improvements. This
scheme embraced the Michigan Central
railroad, the Michigan Southern rail.
road, and other lines. The impracti.
cability Of the scheme was soon devel.
oped. In 1916 the Michigan Central
was sold to a private corporation
formed by Boston capitalists. The
sale of the Michigan Southern followed
soon afterwards, and in the year 1850
the people of Michigan incorporated
into their constitution q provision
which forever iuhibits the state from
being interested in or engaged in car.
rying on any work of internal i'm
provement.
The state of Illinois in the years
1889 built, and for about two years
operated, the Northern Cross Rail.
road" extending from Springfield to
Meredosia, a distance of about SO
miles. This work cost about 81 ,OOO,-
600. 1t was operated by the state for
two years. The income from it was
less than the expense of operating it,
and it was eventually sold for $780,.
600. 1t is o a part Of the Wabash
railroad.
Indiana began the construction of q
railroad from Madison, OF the Ohio
river, to indianapolis, in pursuance
of the provisions of an act adopted
January -, 1886. Twenty-eight and a
quarter miles of the road we're cor.
structed by the state at q cost of ST..
200, 900, including the cost of an in.
clined plane at Madison. BY an act
OF the legislature. adopted in 1912, the
state ceased to operate its portion of
the line February 20, 1913, and it
passed under the control of q private
corporation, which completed the road
to Indianapolis in the year lo49. The
people of Indiana have never since
manifested any desire to renew the ex.
pertinent Of state ownership and con-
troll of a railroad.
The state OF Georgia embarked in
the work of state ownership and man.
agement under exceptionally favora'
BILE circumstances. The Western and
Atlantic, or State Road, built by the
state, was opened for traffic in the year
1850. 1t connected the railroads Of
the central and western sections Of the
country with those of the south Allan
tic states. In 1870 the Western and
Atlantic railroad was leased to a cor.
poration for 20 years at a rental OF
$25 900 a month. 1t is now a part OF
the Atlantic Coast Line system.
IMMIGRA ALTON TO MONTANA,