The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-09
The Earnings Of tbs Road Will Be
Beyond All Precedent

The new electric road would command an
enormous patronage even II 1t did not orer
any advantage in speed. convenience or con-
fort over existing steam lines. for its rate OF
$40. which is just about one-half OF present
passenger rates. would command the traffic
But when in addition to the fact that the rate
is only $40 we add the fact that the time Is
only ten hours and the well-snown advantages
Of electric over steam transit. there seems lit
tie reason to doubt that the old steam lines
VIII be forced TO lose very large part Of
their present business and the electric road win
get It. Not only that. but the new road with
its cheap fares. will create q new travelling
element. viii enthuse new people who have
hitherto travelled little not at all. 10 90 on
journeys. just as summer rates do it even now.
to some extent, on steam roads.
The Chicaso-New York Electric Afr Line
Railroad will traverse the richest and most
densely populated part Of the country. II Is
not road to be built Garden OF Eden theo-
ries. only to face sagebrush realities as were
some OF the great steam roads. but will run
through country that fairly huns with iu-
dustry. and between terminal cities the wealth
of which is simply incalculsble. It's passengers
viii be awaiting its opening day IN eager an
ticipat!on. and the golden stream OF profits that
will all the pockets OF its stockholders win
bring about wonderful shifting OF the wealth
of the country Many humble tradesmen and
mechanics who have had the courage and wis
dom to invest few hundred dollars in the
new. electric road at its present low price win
he the rich men OF the next few years
The Chicago-New York Electric Air Line
Railroad will dominate territory having eight
million SIX hundred thousand population. and
this, by the time the road Is built. will in-
crease by million. This is equivalent 20
twelve thousand population per mile Of road.
including branches. The population that may
be safely calculated as living near enough 10
be regarded az tributary and likely 10 patron
lie the line is twenty-six millions. Our ex-
perts have figured out that the earnings from
passenger traffic alone hardly tall below
thirty-two million dollars yearly. sum which
would enable the road to pay a very large
dividend. Some idea Of the enormous traffic
between Chicago and New York may he had
when 1t Is realized that every day in the year
sixty-eight Though trains by the vari-
Gus steam roads having these cities ter
minals and that some OF these trains yield
annual earnings of more than one million dive
hundred thousand dollars.
The new electric road running IT'S trains
IN half the time at half the cost of the steam
trains will undoubtedly secure the bulk OF the
mail contracts and all Of the through express
business. The total mail and express con
tracts between Chicago and New York amounts
to many millions az dollars yearly. and the
cheapness speed and other advantages OF the
electric road over any Of the steam roads are
so evident that it is not unreasonable TO suppose
that most Of the traffic will come to the
electric road 1t will be matter OF business
pure and simple. for It 70 DO 50.
The estimate OF the earning power Of the
ChicagdNew York Electric Air Tine Railroad rs
told herein IL very conservative Such sigan-
tic enterprise Is TO bring about new in
dustriai and economic conditions. and while we
base estimates of the earning power OF the
road largely on what has been done. there Ia