Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-01

oai, 'G9oo In 1898 to S67, 2s1, $40 co in loo.
anu tne disbursements for dividends to the
ssh ,a from 81, 7S1, 1895 In 1898 to
%l9o32,4 24 in 1906.
Acquisition of Southern Pacific.
oh 'he purchase of a controlling interest
III lhe southern Pacific company in the
spring of 1901 the new management was
confronted with a. condition which de-
manded prompt attention. Mr.. Huntington
haa succeeded In keeping the Southern Pa
enc company out of the hands of receivers
curing the six ye4rs of business depressinn
WHlch IolioWed the panic of 1898 but In do
ils SO there remained from the earnings of
lhe property but little in proportion to its
mileage, to be spent for improyemepts an
lts roadway and structures, additions of
equipment and terminal facilities It's nhys-
. .tal condition and facilities. adequate for
Ihe traf1c during those years of business
depression, were wholly Inadequate for the
movement OF The great traffic which the era
OF expansion upon which the country had
then entered was developing.
10 provide for this need to open IN the
uhdeVeloped country adjoining the com
pahy lines, and to bring the property up
20 me highest standard of efficiency for
the prompt and economical movement of its
traWc large OUTLAWS We're necessary Since
July l, 1901, TO the END of the year 1906,
there have been expended for reconstruct
tlon changes In lines, improvements in grades
ana alignment, and in other improvements
TO the roadway and structures, $36 99S 24S;
for locomotives, cars and steamships. 500
GOV s az; Tor new steam or electric lines and
lor terminal property, SGD. 754 O92 an ag-
gregate expenditure of STAG GI3OJ2
There We're built or acquired during this
period AGO miles of new lines in Louisiana
and Texas, and 765 miles in California; Ore
son and NeVada-which include that remark
able piece of work across the Great Salt
Lake, known as the Ogden-Lucin cutoff
and Ito miles in Mexico, making an aggre-
gate Of 1886 miles, and construct ION is
progressing abOut GG0 mills Of
1ected lines. There were also added ffty-
six miles of second track and 72O miles Of
sidings, and there were purchased 7S7 loco
motives. $40 passenger cars &c, 036 freight
cars, and eight ocean steamships.
Increase Of Receipts and Profits.
These additions enabled the company to
secure it's full share of the increased bust
ness of the country, and to assist material
ly in the development of the country trav-
ersed by its lines. With an increase of Az
miles, or fraction over per cent over the
mileage operated in the year 1901, there
were carried 1897, All, 1873 passengers one
mile in 1906, against 935. 1926 in 1901, and
6256 597 1903 tons of revenue freight one
mile in 1906, against 4,S73, 251 72S in 1901
Nearly one-half of the companys mileage
consists Of branch lines, on which the de-
velopment of traffic is much slower than on
the main line, and a considerable part of
the main line runs through still sparsely
settled country. The increased traffic is
therefore, concentrated on probably some
thing over 40 per cent Of the total mileage
Of the system, which is 9.216 miles.
THE gross transportation receipts in
creased from ST. ,244 saS~ In 1901 to $685.
632,549 in 1906 The surplus earnings for
the fiscal year Of 1906 were more than
twice the amount of the fixed charges, and |
the first dividend since the organization of |
the company. In 1885, was, in 1906, paid on
the common shares.
The physical improvements referred to in |
n On oh
miles of road, the ballaSting of about g. 1855 |
miles of track, the renewal in steel or ma
sorry of about 124,073 linear feet of bridges |
the relaying of about 1892 miles of track
with heavier rails, and the installation of |
automatic signals for the safer movements |
of trains on about !. 237 miles of railway
THAT is what 1 did With the money" said I
Mr. Hartman. But he omitted to mention |
the assistance of the Southern Pacific COM
pany had rendered the people of the stricken |
city of San Francisco after the earthquake, |
when he spent $500 600 in cash for their i'm
mediate relief, under his personal di- |
rection, for food shelter, medicines, medical |
appliances and other articles needed in the |
emergency. carried over 224,OO0 passengers |
free and 1000 carloads of relief supplies |
from the eastern cities within the two or |
three weeks after the disaster.
Rescue of the Imperial Valley.
This work he Is very proud of, but did |
not wish to discuss it. Nor did Mr. Harri- |
man allude to the prompt and vigorous |
manner in which he shut off the food of |
the Colorado river in southern California |
last winter and saved the Imperial valley |
from total destruction. During his exami- |
nation before the interstate commerce COM
mission in March last he declared that this
was the most remarkable achievement in |
the history of modern engineering and the |
most important event in his entire expert |
ence. The government was powerless in the |
emergency. A great corporation, with UNI
limited means, materials, rolling stock and |
other facilities alone could do the work |
The entire Colorado river was emptying |
into the Salton Sink. The President of the |
United States appealed to the president Of |
the Southern Pacific railway and they ex-
changed numerous kilograms in the discus |
sion to the best course to be pursued. !
1t was rather delicate task for the gov
eminent of the United States to undertake |
because an international question was in |
volved While the damage was being done !