Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1883 — THE IRON HORSE. [ARTICLE]

THE IRON HORSE.

Railway Construction In the United States. Over 4,000 Miles of New Track Laid Daring the Tear. aThe Railway Age prints the following interesting summary of railway construction in the United States during nine month* of the ourrent year: Railway building has proceeded with, much vigor during the present year, notwithstanding the assertions freely made st> its commencement that construction had. oeased, and that little if any new mileagewould be added in the United States durlng--1888. It was evident at the outset that the> remarkable record of 1882, during whldfc about 11,600 miles of new lines were added, would not be equaled, as the “boom* In. business had in a large degree subsided and speculation of all forms had received a. severe and salutary check. But it should also have been realized that a vast, portion of the territory of the United States is still inadequately supplied with railway facilities, and that the legitimate work of building roads must go on. every year, resulting in an addition of thousands of miles in the aggregate. That gloomy predictions at the end of the year cannot stop the steady development of the country by means of new railways is proved again by the following summary of the mileage of new track laid in the nine months from Jan. 1 to Sept 80, so far as we have been able to obtain information. The figures, it should be remembered, represent only the length of main track added, and and. do not include sidings or seoond track, which would very considerably swell the result Following is the amount of track laid from Jan. 1 to Sept SO, 1888: States. Miles. I States. Miles. Alabama 129 Minnesota 36Arizona 166 Mississippi........ 296 Arkansas 97 Missouri 84 California 227 Montana .... 261 Colorado 41 Nebraska 44 Dakota 288 New Jersey 6 Florida lOliNew Mexico 81 Georgia 64* New York 887 Idaho 210 North Carolina.... 12' Indian Territory.. 12|Ohio 196. Illinois 150| Oregon 65 Indiana 127IPennsylvan‘a 296 lowa 6<j|Sonth Carolina.... 28Kentucky 61,Texas 63 Louisiana 161 1 Utah 160 Maine 16| Virginia. 58 Maryland.... 11 W ashington Ter... 44 Massachusetts.... 17 West Virginia 46 Michigan 142 Wisconsin 106Total... 4,244 It will be seen from this table that at least, 4,244 miles of main track have been laid thus far on 190 different lines in forty of the forty-seven States and Territories of th* Union. The only States not reporting any new traok are New Hampshire, Vermont,. Rhode Island and Connecticut; Nevada, locked in the Rockv mountains, and the aJUmost uninhabited Territory of Wyoming. New York leads, with 807 miles of new lines, and Pennsylvania, which excels In number of roads, follows in mileage, reportbag no less than nineteen lines, aggregating 296 miles. Young Dakota come* next, with 288 miles of new track, laid on only six lines; Montana shows 251 miles added; California, 227; Mississippi, 226; Idaho, 210; and Ohio nearly 200 mile* on thirteen line*. The other States and Territories reporting more than 100 miles thu» far are Louisiana, Utah, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Alabama, Indiana and Wisconsin. In most of the States grading is being actively pushed on numerous lines, and som* track has doubtle- s been laid during the period named of which we have not obtained report, although our researches and correspondence have been very thoroughly extended. As was to be expected, the figures for this year are much less than they were in the* previous year of extraordinary railway building. At this date in 18»2 we reported 8,075 miie3 of track laid, on 260 lines, against 4,244 miles on 190 lines for the correspond-, ing period of 1883. Assuming a similar comparison for the entire yea», the railway mileage added during 1883 is likely to aggregate about 6, COO miles, which will exceed the record of any year previous to 1880, when, the “boom” began. We have a record of nearly 150 miles upon which track-laying instill in progress or expected to commence this year, and our own estimate now is that the total extent of track laid during 1882 will be between 6,000 and 7,000 miles. Of course the foregoing figures do not Include the thousands of miles of new lines whioh. will be built during 1883 in the neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico, and forwhich American manufacturers to a very large extent Bupply the materials