The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-05
RAILROAD NEWS.
Roads Made Good Fight During
the Past Year.
Came Out of Depression With
Recuperative Powers.
TWO DOZEN RECEIVERS
This Is Remarkable Showing in
Face of Adversely.
Other Items of Interest in Rail-
way Circles.
TWO DOZEN RECEIVERS

| Railroads have not proSpered during
the year Just closed as much as they
have in previous years, in fact the year
1908 will go down into history as the
worst year for the railroads since the
year 1898. While this is true for the
entire country, the leading roads 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 stated over
! a year ago that no new work would be
| done. the western lines have managed
! to make many improvements and none
| of the roads has been permitted to take
| any backward steps.
! Reports show that during the year
| 3,214 miles of new line have been built
| in this country, representing an ex-
| penditure of $3.50, 100000. the smallest
amount since 1904, when but 1882 miles
We're built. East of the Mississippi riy-
er 761 miles of new track were laid in
1908 as compared with 1854 miles In
1907, a loss of SO per cent West of the
Mississippi river the decrease was
much less being but % per cent, the
roads building 2,455 miles against 1920
miles in 1907.
Montana had the greatest amount of
new building as the Great Northern
built 161 miles in that state. the Mil
waukee 1876, and the Northern Pacific
thirty-one.
To the Milwaukee belongs the dis
tinction of building the longest stretch
of track in the United States That
road built 100 miles through the states
of Montana Idaho and Washington
The Southern Pacific takes second rank
with 448 miles. and the Great Northern
third with PA miles. In Canada, 1,24S
miles of new track were laid and In
Mexico 435 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 |
15S. SOP in 1907 and the number of cars ]
built was 1921 which is but % per cent |
of the number built in 1907 The total !
amount ordered during the year was |
practically $2O0,000.000 including $1,000 |
freight cars 1900 passenger coaches /
and II PA locomotives. This is small in
comparison with last year when the
figures were 151,711 freight cars. 1.I9l
passenger coaches and 3,4S2 locomo-
tives. This decrease in orders of equip
ment is taken as a good Indication of
the decrease in business and are a re-
hex of business conditions.
Twenty-four receiverships for rail
roads were made necessary in the year
just closed and the mileage and CAPT
talization of the roads going into the
hands of receivers was greater than for
any year since 1893.
The total mileage of the roads going
into the hands of receivers in 1908 was
!. 009 and the capital stock of these
roads was 1926. $50, 600 their funded debt
was $271,0O0,O00 and their total out
capitalization was $596.359, 900.
In 1893 the mileage of roads going into
was $40 and the capt.
alization was S1,7s1,O46.00O. The year
1898 was the most disastrous in the his
tory of American railroading and the
MI, l
aggregate of 11,03S miles Or road be-
came inSolVent. IN
The number of roads becoming in
solvent in 1908 was greater than for
'oads which went into receivership last
year and their mileage were: Seaboard 6
Air Line. 2.611; Chicago Great Western t
'1S; Detroit, and Ironton 438; Chi {
ago Cincinnati and st. Louis, 2S4: In
ernational & Great Northern, 1.106;
Western Maryland. 543; Wabash-Pitts-
,urg. terminals. 63; Wheeling and
louisville. 422; Southern Indiana, 237, !
md the Norfolk & Western, $50.
The railroads are fast recovering
rom the depression of 1908 and are not |
'nly doing a bigger business than ever t
'ut are preparing to do some extensive t
building during the coming year. e
In forcing the Great Western into the
lands of a receiver, the year just closed =,
las again put one of the prominent
igures of the railroad world into har
ieSS T1OfdCe u 6uTI IOTInST pTeSluSllI C
f the Union Pacific, was first selected S
" the English bondholders of the t
ireat Western to look over that road q
o see if ii was worth rebuilding. He
vas then made one of the receivers and y
vord now comes forth that he is to be u
he new president of the road That a
fr. Burt would accept the presidency
( the Great Western is taken as an
Indication that the bondholders viii
urnish some money to rebuild the V
Dad which connects the commercial +
enters of the middle west o.