Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-01
RAILROADS MAKE GOOD FIGHT
Come Out Of Depression with Great
R%ecuperative Powers.
TWO DOZEN GO TO RECEIVERS
Lines Entering Nebraska Make Good
Showing and only One IL
Ptnched Into R~eceIVership
During Year.

Railroads have not prOspered during inc
year Just closed as much as they have IN
previous years. in fact the year 1908 Will
70 down into history as the worst year Tor
the railroads since the year 1898. While
this is true for the entire country, the
railroads entering Omaha, the leading
ones OF the middle west. have pulled
through the financial troubles better than
roads OF any other section Of the country
and but one Of the number has been forced
into the hands of a receiver. Very few
railroads have been able to show a gain
of any kind.
In. spite Of the financial depression and
the lack OF business and the fact that the
railroad managers states over a year ago
that no new work would be done. the
western lines have managed TO Jake many
improvements and none Of the roads has
been permitted to take any backward steps.
Some Large Figures.
Reports show thai during the year 3,21i
miles OF new line have been built in this
country. representing an expenditure OF
$19O,oO0,O0o. the smallest amount since 1904,
when but 2,s32 miles were built. East Of
the Mississippi river 76l miles of new track
were laid in 1908 as compared with 1854
miles in 1907, a loss of 80 per cent. West
of the Mississippi river the decrease was
much less, being but 2s per cent, the roads
building 2,455 miles, against 3,420 miles in
1907.
Montons had the greatest amount of new
building as the Great Northern built 16l
miles In that state, the Milwaukee 395, and
the Nothern Pacific thirty-one.
To the Milwaukee belongs the distinction
of building the longest stretch of track in
the United States. That road built 10
miles drought the states of Montana,
Idaho and Washington. The Southern
Pacific takes second rank with 44S miles,
and the Great Northern third with pa
miles. In Canada. 1,24s miles of new track
were laid and in Mexico 4S5 miles, which
is an increase over the preceding year of
% per cent.
The number OF cars ordered during the
year was 1858 as compared with 1853, SOZ
in 1907 and the number of cars built was
1871 which is but q per cent of the num-
Der built in 1907. The total amount ordered
during the year was practically s2OO,O 900, OO
including 62.oo freight cars, 1900 passen-
ger coaches and 11,214 locomotives. This
is small In comparison with last year wher
the figures were 151.11 freight cars, 1,79l
passenger coaches and 3,4S2 locomotives.
This decrease in orders Of equipment is
taken as a good indication of the decrease
in business and are a reflex of business
conditions.
Two Dozen ReceIverships.
Twenty-four receiverships for railroad,
were made necessary in the year JUS
closed and the mileage and capitalization
of the roads going into the hands Of re
ceivers was greater than for any yea.
since 1893.
The total mileage of the roads going int
the hands of receivers in 1903 was 5000 anC
the capital stock of these roads was 1925,
$500 their funded debt was $21, OOO, 900 ant
their total outstanding capitalization wal
1886, 900. In 1893 the mileage of roads go
ing into receiverships was 20, $40 and tn
capitalization was s1,7s1. O46, 600. The yea
1893 was the most disastrous in the histor,
of American railroading and the mex
worst year was in 1884 when an aggregat
of u.03S miles OF road became insolvent.
The number of roads becoming lnsolven
In 1908 was greater than for any year sine
1895. The principal roads which went int
receivership last year and their mileag
were: Seaboard Air Line, 2,6l1; Chicag
Great Western, SIS; Detroit, T and Irontor
43s; Chicago, Cincinnati and 81. Louis, 2Sl
International & Great Northern, 1,1O
Western Maryland. 54S; wabash-P 1ttsburl
terminals. 6; wheeling and Louisville. AZ
Southern Indiana, 2S7. and the Norfolk
Western. $50.
Roads Fast Recovering.
The railroads are fast recovering fror
the depression of 1908 and are not only dc
ing a bigger business than ever, but ar
preparing to do some extensive buildin
during the coming year. One of the move
contemplated is for the Union Pacific (
connect Omaha with Kansas and Kansa
City by a short line of rails and good trai
service. This will be done either by III
Union Pacific building a new line betwee
Omaha and Lincoln or by using Rock Il
land tracks between Omaha and Lincoll
With the completion OF the Topeka an
Northwestern last year the Union Pacif
now has a good line between Lincoln ar
kansas City and all that is needed to pc
init the Overland to put on fast service b
tween Omaha and Kansas City is a lii
between Omaha and Lincoln.
In forcing the Great Western into II
hands OF a receiver. the year just clos,
has again put one OF the prominent figur,
OF the railroad world into harness. Hora,
G.. Burt, former president of the UniC
Pacific, was first selected by the Engli,
bondholders of the Great Western to loo
over that road to see II it was worth +
building. He was then made one of the 7