The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-06
RAILROAD NEWS.
A Wonderful Record for Twelve
Years Is Shown
In the Management of Grand
Trunk by Chas. M. Hays.
A STEADY PROGRESS.
Success Finally Crowns Efforts
and Hard Labor.
Other Items of Interest in Rail-
way Circles.
A STEADY PROGRESS.

A report has been prepared by the
Grand Trunk road setting forth the re-
suits of it's operations for the last
twelve years, or since Charles NJ. Hays
took charge of the administration of its
affairs. 1t is a record of substantial.
progress, such as few roads on the con-
tinent can show for the same period.
In this time the mileage of the road
has increased IL per cent. or from Abs
to 4,645. The increase in financial re-
sponsibilities has not kept pace with
the improvement of. the road. In 1896,
the beginning of the period covered In
the report, the roads bonded indebted
ness was $112, 595, $751; Now 1t is $l3I,-
SIG, 1897 an increase of $24, 930,816. In 1886
the capital stock was $19S,627,324. To-
day it is s215. ,609, an increase OF SlI'-
114285. Fixed charges in 1896 were
H,2S2 1888. They are now S75l4,896, an
increase of but $232, 1853 The road paid
no dividends in 1896, while during the
last year it paid to its stockholders con-
siderabIy over $4,100,0O0.
During the same period the Grand
Trunk increased it's single track mile
age by 40 and it's double track mileage
by sos miles, so that today 1T has IN
operation 1,034 miles of double track
double tracking $5.S4s,66s. and since
then the outlay has been l$9,OS9,994,
making a total Of $14.e93,663. In the
same twelve years the company has
laid 423,450 tons of eighty-pound rails,
| / ,62O tons of underground rails ana
s., 1877 tons of 100-pound rails. replacing
the old seventy-pound rails on 3.loS
miles of track, at cost of $lz,i3I,z1o
| The system has spent $795SSl on ne"
| stations, $60S, 405 on new engine houses
and s356,471 on new coal chutes, max
ling a total of $1.760,757 on new build
ings. Besides this the company mas
spent s., $50 900 on two new office build
ings in Montreal.
| Among other heavy investments were
s.. $50, 444 for renewing and strengthen
| ing bridges. $1,S82,67S on reconstructlns
and double tracking the Victoria bridge
and 1921 $50 on improving the 1nterna-
tional bridge at Buffalo, making a total
outlay of S7,712072 on bridges during
twelve years. $40
In 1896 the company owned LUIS en-
gines of the old type. To-Day IL oMns
Ill locomotives of modern type Win
a traction capacity of SO per cent great
err than the machines of 1895; rms w" "a,
achieved at a cost of $6,O55'15. "
freight cars in 1896 the road owned 20
515 with a capacity of s473,S77 tons. II
, 1907 II had 81, 019, with a. -capaclty "a
500 Gas tons an increase OF over % PEI
cent. This change cost the company
s12. GAG. 900. In the same time $l'slA'4s'
, was spent on new passenger cars; .
Thus in twelve years the GraHu
Trunk spent So, 963,74S on its equip
Tnent or an average of nearly $4,5O0,oos
a wear The pay roll of the compans
has been enlarged from S9's69'Ha u
1S.274.427 an increase of $S,5O4'l1s rol
az per cent. in the last ten years. az
rate of wages has increased from 20
80 per cent in all departments. 1s7