Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-12-01

$23,714,6 3S; of Wisconsin, $42,056,-
| sos. Minnesota Kansas and Nebras-
ka made no returns, their property
being too scattered to tabulate. Now
the listed property of those six states
amounts to $685. ,237, while the
other six states toward the Pacific
swell the total to $S,632,430,2 30.
Much of this wonderful growth, Mr..
Hill declares, may be attributed to
the rise and scientific development
of modern transportation systems. In
1850 there were few railroads, and as
factors in national growth they were
| little considered and less understood.
The cost Of carrying freight then and
now is compared.
In 1862 the entire railroad mileage
tween St. Paul and St. Anthony. The
scanty products of the country, to use
Mr.. Hills language, were shipped out
by steamboat and barge; and had
that remained unchanged, they would
be scanty still. The railroad, aiding
incoming population and growing in
dustry, made the northwest and add
ed it's immense resources to the
wealth of the nation and the natural
capital of the world.
Mr. Hill discusses the financing and
construction of the early railroads,
particularly those which now are in
cluded in the Great Northern system.
He calls particular attention to the
fact that while the St. Paul & Pa.
cific, in 1878, when it was purchased
by George Stephen, now Lord Mount
stephen; Donald A. Smith, now Lord
Strathcona; Norman w. Kitson, and
himself, was stocked at $4,000, 600,
and had a bonded Indebtedness OF
$33, 900 900, besides floating indebted
ness, making approximately $44,000,-
900, the new purchasers sealed down
to $31 900, 900, instead of increasing
it, as is usually the case. The prop
erty included 656 miles of road. At
first dividends on the stock were but
4 per cent, less than the interest on
the money invested in the bonds.
Then is given the history of the de-
velopment toward the lakes, toward
Canada, and toward the Pacific. More
than 5000 miles were constructed In
thirty years, the lines penetrating
new sections as fast as there was
prospects of development 1t into
freight-producing territory. To a
large extent, says Mr.. Hill, better
ments and extensions were paid for
out of earnings instead of by new
stock and bond issues. Rolling stock
was provided in the same way. In
the seventeen years between 1891 and
1907 all the surplus earnings of the
system and s1,366,72S additional were
put back into the property in addi-
lions and betterments. The total
outstanding stock and bonds mile
of main line now amounts to $45,-
O31.77.
The growth in average trainloads !
for the Great Northern and Northern |
Pacific are shown in tables as Is the
increase in revenues, and the decline
in rates.
Maps show the growth of the Great
Northern system and other northwest
ern lines in succeeding terms of
years.
$50 much for the past of the
northwest" writes Mr.. Hill in con-
clusion. "The duty Of it's people
now is to render secure it's develop
ment and progress. The causes of
it's growth are to be found in the
transfer of an immense population,
supplied by our own natural Increase
and by immigration, to enormous
areas of fertile land. 1t was like
opening the vaults of a treasury and
bidding each man help himself.
"But these conditions cannot be
permanent. The present era is the
crisis of the old order. The primary
business of the northwest hitherto
has been the mastery of natural con-
ditions. It's next contribution should
be to the economic and social evolu-
ton of the race. We must determine
upon a national economy quite differ
ent from the present when our popu-
lation shall approach three times
what it was in 1900. Striking as the
contrast has been found between
1850 and 1900, that between 1900 and
1850 will reveal more serious fea-
lures.
"Practically speaking, our public
lands are about all occupied. Our
other natural resources have been ex-
~12;+od with q Iovid1, hond 0Jsr irOn