The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-11-11
SOUTHERN Pacific.


before the results OF the panic had
become manifest.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC.
For the twelve months ending
June 30. 190s=three years before
the present management took hold
the gross receipts OF the Southern
Pacific company were s57.975.593.
For 1907. the figures were si29.-
900. 404 a sum equaled only rs the
Pennsylvania Railroad company.
During the same period the sur
plus. after paving operating expenses
and taxes. grew from only S21.357.-
So 10 S46.7S3.102. Fixed charges
meanwhile increased from ST.. 43l,-
07S IN 1898 10 sl9.0S3.509 in 1907.
In 1895. no dividends was paid. and
there was a surplus Of s5,926. 45S.
In 1907. dividends aggregating 49,
10. el3 were paid. and there was
left over surplus Of s14.54i.5So.
Again. with this property. while
the gross operating revenues in 1908
were materially reduced. the returns
for July. August and September show
that the management had obtained
such control over operating expenses
that the net revenues are actually
larger than for the bumper months
of 1907.
In attribnting the reasons for this
development the pamphlet refers
particularly 10 the reclamation Of the
arid regions. saying:
e. H. Hartman in 907 tod the
irrigation congress that one reason
why he had undertaken. the deyelo-
ment of the Pacific railroads when
they were a drug on the market was
that he fOresaw the possibilities of
irrigation in transforming the semi
arid regions Of the west into the
richest agricultural sections of the
United States.
Indeed. IN irrigation is to be
found the secret OF the present pros
perity of those states west of the
Rocky mountains. II is irrigation
which has come 70 insure crops re-
gardless or rain Il is irrigation
which is causing he desert TO
blossom.
THE HARTMAN TERRITORY.
IN order to understand the record
and the promise OF the Hartman
system. therefore study must be
made of the peculiarities of the
country il trayerses. "a we'll as the
ability of the management in develop
ing properties which shall success
fully fulfill their duty 10 the public
and at the same time become attrac-
tive TO investors.
Before examining. however. in
detail certain interesting features of
these railroads. glance at the
future transportation requirements of
the west Will be suggestive.
Take the Pacific group of states
Washington. Oregon. California.
Nevada. Arizona. Idaho and Utah
as compared 10 the southern Atlantic
states. including Virginia. West Vir-
ginia. North Carolina, South Caro-
lima. Georgia and Florida. The later
states. with a total area of 26S.00O
square miles. have 26.642 miles of
railroad The Pacific group with an
area i17.000 square miles have a.
$40 miles OF railroad
In other words. a territory one
third as large as the Pacific group of
states has twice as many miles OF
railroad Colorado with 104. 900
square miles has little over 5000
miles of of railroad. To compare
Pacific coast states with New York or
Pennsylvania or even Ohio would
mean little. but California. for ex-
ample. can Use at least as much
transportation as a state like North
Carolina. and California and her
sister states want this sportation.
The extent 10 which west and east
use their carriers is shown in the fact
that the average freight receipts per
mile in the two territories are almost
the same, while on the Pacific coast
the railroads transport 1000 more
people per mile of railroad than do
the Atlantic coast state carriers.
THE far western states have been
getting new railroads at the rate OF
less than 600 miles a year. They
could use more. Their position Is
not like that of the eastern states.