Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-01-15
On the Rail


Latest reports state that the enjoin-
ing of the Missouri railroad commits
sion from interfering with the opera
ton of express companies in that state
by prescribing a maximum express
rate schedule may cause tie iegfslar
ture to repeal the law authorizing ex-
press companies to do business in the
state and require railroads to carry
| packages on passenger trains. This is
the way the business is handled now,
but the railroads exact from the express
companies that do the actual handling
| so per cent of their gross receipts.
The railroads, it is claimed, dictate the
terms of their contracts. Even with
this arrangement ~ force the express
business has proved profitable.
The record of railroad receiverships
/ for 1907 is an extremely gratifying
one Notwithstanding financial condl-
tions which bore especially hard on
transportation lines. According to re
turr5 tabalated by the Railroad Ga
zette only $40 miles Of railroad went IN
to the hands of receivers during 1907.
which is the smallest mileage since
1905 viii have an equally clear re-
cord, although there is no doubt that
it will be time of test and trial The
encouraging feature of the situation is
that expenditures for add tons and
betterments during the last few years
have generally been so large and so
continuous that the average railroad
is in strong position to meet cur
tailment of traffic.
In 1906 there were 657 miles of road
which suffered receivership Up to
Dec. 26 OF that year there were only
254 miles of road so affected, but on
that day receivers were appointed for
the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City
and its subsidiary. the Gulf and
Chicago, adding 403 miles to the total
As the receivership Of the parent road
was terminated four days later, on
Dec. 81, 1906, these receiverships were
in reality unimportant
The largest raih Dad which went
into the hands of receivers during 1907
was the Chattanooga Southern, which
owns 90 miles from Chattanooga, south
through the northeastern corner of
Georgia, to Gadsden, Ala. This is
said to have occurred because some of
the stockholders were unwilling 10
agree to terms offered by the Louis
vile and Nashville for purchase of
the securities of the road. The next
largest road was the ApalachicoIa
Northern, an eighty-mile line from
River Junction, Fla, to Apalachicola
for which receivers were appointed in
September
The Colorado aud Northwestern
4uns from Boulder. Colo, to Ward and
from Sunset to kudora, a total of forty
eight miles. II was previously sold
under foreclosure In 1904.
The Missouri River and Northwes-
tern has IS miles of line built from
Rapid CITY, S. D., to Mystic in the Black
Hills region. 1t also was reorganized
in 1904, its predecessor company being
the Dakota Pacific Railroad It's road
however was not opened throughout
until 1906. There was no default Of
interest on its bonds, but the present
recGvership came as a result of diff
culties among the stockholders, fol-
towing damage done to the property
during the severe weather of last
winter. AS soon as possible 1t is plan
ned to extend the line fifty miles be
yond Mystic to coal areas in Wye ming.
The Council City and Solomon
River is an Alaskan road which has
been building a few miles each year
until it now has 35 miles of line from
Dickson, Alaska, to Penelope Creek.
This reyeivership was due to the
claims of construction companies;
these have since been adjusted.
The receivership of the Northeast
Texas. an eighteen-mile lumber road.
from Red Water, Texas, to NUM-. was
due to the burning of sawmiIl on
which the road depended for most OF
its tra--.c.
The lone and Eastern has thirteen
miles Of line from lone, Cal. to Mar
tell. The Medford and Crater Lake
runs from Medford, Oregon. to Eagle
Point, IL miles Ii was in receivers
hands only short time, for on May
II 1t was sold under foreclosure to
the Pacific and Eastern. the successor
company. The Alabama Central runs
from Booth, Ala. To Autaugaville, nine
miles.
Now that the railroads as 4 rule
. have conquered the car scarcity, and
many OF them find themselves with q
: Iage surplus on hand, authority has
, been given operating officials to send
! to the scrap heap large numbers of
tiilapidated cars of the old-fashioned
small type that have been kept in
commission till now simply to help
out in the emergency. This is partie'
, ularly true of the roads running east
Z narrrf= now Nptnr