The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-31
UNIQUE RAILWAYS
IN THE SOUTHLAND
Three Monster Lines Attracting;
Eyes Of the World to
the South.
TWO OF THEM ARE IN VIRGINIA
Men Who Believed in Oppor-
TUNES of Dixie and Backed
Their Judgment.
TWO OF THEM ARE IN VIRGINIA

Three Of the most interesting, and
unique, railroads in the world" says
the Manufacturers Record, are in the
South Two of theu@the Clinchfieid
and the VirGinian-were built pracd-
cally without regard to initial cost
with n view to enabling them to handle
traffic ut the lowest possible figure. The
remarkable results which have been
obtained by these roads demonstrate
the wisdom of theft builders. The
third-the East Coast Line OF Florida
stands pre-emincnt among all the rail-
roads of the world for uniqueness by
reason of the construction of its Key
West extension over series OF long
viaducts stretching from island to is
land along the coast OF Florida This
road. like the others mentioned, was
built at cost that would have stag
cered any ordinary financial genius,
and when projected <as regarded by
the ablest bankers of the country as a
visionary project of Henry NJ Flagler.
and one which would never be finan-
cially profitable. Indeed, some of the
best railroad men of the country look
ed upon these three enterprises as
visionary in the extreme.
In Spite of False Prophets.
THE building of the Clinchfield road
at cost of about $4,000 a mile was
claimed by some railroad people as a
ure. The building of the Virginian by
H H. Rogers. which, like the Clinch-
field. was built at an enormous cost
per mile in order to secure low grades
and freedom from Nharp curves. was
also accounted by many as an under
taking hardly more wise than Mr.
Flagler's extension of the East Coast
Line to Key West And yet all three
of these roads have demonstrated the
pre-eminent wisdom of their builders.
LAS the Clinchheld road was prob
ably the costliest 250-mile line ever
constructed by new road. 1T is inter-
esting to note that its operating cost
in proportion to its income is prob
ably to-day the lowest in the world
for any important road"
The Great yirgininn Railway.
The Record gives q column or more
of facts and figures to prove the state
ment in the last paragraph above, and
also to show the splendid work the
road has accomplished in developing
the resources of the country through
which 1t runs. including portions of
Virginia, North Carolina and Tennes-
see, and the proposed developments in
South Carolina. 1t then says of the
Virginian Railway:
when Henry H. Rogers determined
to build the Virginian Railway, he plan
ned to construct n line somewhat like
the Clinchfield, to be built at n very
heavy first cost in order to handle traf-
fic at n low figure. It Is said that Ro-
gers had. in mind thu possibility of re-
ducing the cost of operating expenses
to As per cent of the gross earnings.
AT that time such a Ngure was regard
ed rs almost, if not quite, impossible.
The Clinchfield. however, has already
beat that figure, and the Virginian is
rapidly reducing its operating expenses,
having cut its operating cost from 61.43
per cent for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1912, to 57.75 per cent for the fiscal
year ending 1913. The transportation
ratio for the year was cas- per cent, or
"a per cent lower than the 1912 ratio
During the year the Virginian earned
n surplus, after. all charges of $1.01S.
435, which is equivalent to $3.50 per
cent on the s27,779,000 of per cent
accumulative preferred stock outstand-
ing When this eSad was built some
experts thought that Mr.. Rogers had
made serious blunder and that 1t
would not be possible for the line to
develope sufficient business to justify
its existence. Its success has demon
strated the correctness of Mr.. Rogerss
Judgment, although 1t had been his in
tention, prior to the panic of 1907, to
carry this road ONTO the Lakes, and
thus greatly enlarge It's field of ope-
rations. f
Tho pro eminent success OF these
I - (C.ontinued ON Thir,i pa ceY = -