The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-05
BUILT
DURING LAST YEAR.
Prospects Bright. for In
crease in South
AND NORTH CAROLINA
Notwithstanding the Depression,
Work Was Vigorously Pushed on
Carolina, Clinchfield and ONO.
North Carolina Fifth in Largest
Number of Miles Built. Detailed
Statement of the Amount OF Line
Constructed in This State and New
Construction Decided Upon.
Manufacturers Record.)

Manufacturers RecOrd.)
The annual review of railroad con-
structiOn in the South. which the
Manufacturers Record regularly pub
fishes at this season. shows that this
year there were built little more than
halt as much railroad as was built
last year in this section. The total
nnmber of miles constructed during
1905 in the South, including Missouri
and Oklahoma, was 1850 miles. Last
year there were aver $500 mites
built. In the South proper-that is,
leaving out Missouri and Oklahoma
there were 1852 miles built in 1908;
last year it was 2,9S7 miles. These
figures are brought up to December
81. This is the lowest RECORD of new
construction in the South for many
years, but the prospect for next year
is that 3,256 miles will be construct
ed, although this may be exceeded if
more encouragement is given to the
building of railroads. IS the general
Improvement in business is such that.
with prospects of fair treatment, pro-
motors of railroad extensions Will b.
able to command capital for their
enterprises.
OF course, the attacks upon rail-
roads and effects of the panic We're
mainly responsible for the heavy fall
iEs off in railroad building, although
the uncertainty OF the political cam
paign prolonged the period of doubt,
so that there were really three fac
tors which deferred investment in new
railroad plans and which prevented
old companies from branching out.
Indeed, the amOunt of construction
by the big railroad corporations was
extraordinarily small. as will be seen
by reference TO the detailed statement
Of What has been accomplished. Sew
oral of them reported no building at
all, while those which did anything
accomplished nothing more than the
FIJI I ~ n nj 3 or ~ rfin n Of
work already undertaken.
The Atlantic Coast Line, the Central
of Georgia., the Kansas City Southern,
the Mobile & Ohio. the ST. Louis
Southwestern and the Texas & Pacific
railroads, for instance. reported absO-
lute!y nothing done during 1908 and
nothing in prospect for 1909. The Sea-
board Air Line. the Missouri Pacific,
h Chesapeake & Ohio and the Nash
vile, Chattanooga & st. Louis rail-
ways reported only a mile or two built
! at various points. : On the Baltimore
& Ohio also there was practically
nothing done Many smaller COM
! panies which usually build each year
from 10 to IS or even more miles of
railroad also shut down on work. eN-
cept maintenance
Notwithstanding the depression,
work was vigorously prosecuted on
such new enterprises as We're financed
before the panic, like the Virginia Rail-
way, the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio.
the Florida East Coast extension. the
Atlanta, birmingham & Atlantic. the
Georgia x Florida, the Kansas City,
Mexico & Orient and the Missouri x
| North Arkansas railroads. The lat
ter. the Atlanta. birmingham & At
lartic and the Nirginian We're practi-
cally completed by the work done this
wear. The Virginia Air Line, a new
connecting road in Virginia. 80 miles
long. was also finished. The Texas
Traction Co. a new electric railway.
and the longest Of its kind in the
South, was completed from Dallas to
Sherman. Texas. 63 miles. The Caro-
lima. Clinchfield & Ohio. the Georgia
& Florida and the Kansas City. Mex
leo & Orient Railway all have con-
siderable work in prospect for next
year.
The greatest amount of construn-
ton accomplished in any one State
was in Texas. where practically $40
miles We're built. Arkansas came next.
with 213 miles; Virginia third, with
20 miles; Louisiana fourth, with III
miles. next coming North Carolina.
with 124 miles; Tennessee. 119 miles.
and Alabama. lis miles. All the,
others reported less than 100 miles
each. The prospect for 1909 indi-
Gates that 95S miles will be built in
Texas, 27S in Arkansas. 273 in Ala
hanna. PAT in Florida. 229 in West
Virginia. 223 in South Carolina. PIG
in Georgia, 175 in Oklahoma, 125 in
Tennessee, III in Louisiana. Ill in
Kentucky and 1O7 in North Carolina.
AS usual, in OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES !
the Manufacturers Record made 4
canvass of all the railroad companies.
in the section covered. and most ae
the figures presented We're furnished
by the courtesy of railroad officials.
To complete and round out these sta
tistics other data which was collected
during the year (much of it also be-
ing OFFICIALLY was used, but in prepar-
ing the table of construction only
| new main track was considered. no
note being made of second track or
sidings.
The following table shows the
amour of new line built in 1905 aud
tlso the construction proposed for
100 in each State covered by the re-
view:
1908. 1903.
.Alabama ....... llS.7 212