Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1885 — RAILROADS. [ARTICLE]

RAILROADS.

Statistics Showing the Railway Con* struction in This Country During the Past Tear. The number of miles of new railway constructed in the United States during the year 1884, says the Railway Age, would have been pronounced extraordinary if it had been built six years ago, and yet it is small compared with any year since 1878. Our returns, very carefully collected from official sources, show the total of the new main line track added during the year to have been a little under 4.000 miles, which figure may possibly be reached by final returns. This is about 3,000 miles less than that laid in 1883, and about 7,600 miles less than the total reached in the wonderful year 1882. It is also much less than that of the years 1879, ’BO, and 81; but on the other hand it far exceeds the work of 1875, ’76 ’77, and ’7B. Considering the general condition of the country, the new mileage added in the last year was enough; and yet, with the exception of a few parallel and unnecessary lines, it can not be said that railway building has been overdone. In general the roads built were needed for the development qf the regions which they enter, and there is room for a large amount moreof new construction of this character.

The following is our statement of the new mileage added in the different States and Territories, arranged in what may be called the nine natural geographical subdivisions of the country. It should be understood that these figures show main line only, and do not include side tracks, or second tracks, of which many miles have been laid. The intention also is to report only the mileage actually laid down since Jan. 1, 1884, and hence we have thrown out a considerable number of miles officially reported to us as built during the past year, but on which we know the rails to have been laid in 1883, and which were included in the report of that year: TRACK LAID DURING THE YEAR 1884. No. & g States. Lines. No. ~ New England ■ States. Lines. Maine 3 41 Tennessee 6 72 New Hampshire Kentucky 5 40 Vermont 1 4 Missouri BeltMassachusetts... 3 19 Minnesotalo 279 Rhode Islandlowall 279 Connecticutl 11 Missouri 7 118 Eastern Middle— Arkansas 4 32 New York 1 20 Louisiana 4 120 New Jersey 4 191 Kansas BeltPennsylvania ...14 252 Dakota 5 269 Delaware 2 24 Nebraska 7 79 Md. and D. C.... 3 17 Kansas 6 160 Middle Western— Indian Territory West Virginia... 4 70 Texas 4 72 Ohios 105 Colorado BeltIndiana 3 29'Colorado 2 34 Michigan 4 26 Montana .1 9 Illinois 3 40 New Mexico 2 48 Wisconsin 6 224 Utah 2 7 Southern— Wvoming.. Virginia ...8 118 Pacific BeltNorth Carolina.. 5 184 California 5 66 South Carolina.. 1 7 Nevada...• Georgia 8 111 Oregon. 5 218 Florida 8 153 Arizona 1 5 Alabama 6 74 Idaho 2 39 Mississippi 3 246 Washington Ter. 1 62 RECAPITULATION. No. lines. Miles. New England States 8 75 Eastern Middle States 24 332 Middle Western States 25 564 Southern States (east of Mississippi River) 50 1,003 Missouri Belt 36 828 Kansas Belt 22 580 Colorado Belt 7 98 Pacific Belt,’ 14 390 Total in 42 (of the 47) States and Territories.. 186 3,870 It will be seen that the railway mileage was increased during the year in every State except the little, finished commonwealths of New Hampshire and Rhode Island, and the inhospitable mountain land of Nevada, and 'in every Territory except the Indian country, which is still strangely sealed by legislation against the inroads of civilization, and Wyoming, whose mountain wastes offer few inducements to the railway builder. The States and Territories showing the greatest addition to their mileage are lowa and Minnesota, each 279 miles; Dakota, 269; Pennsylvania, 252; Mississippi, 246; "Wisconsin, 224; and Oregon, 218. In the others the increase runs from 4 to 160 miles. The number of lines reported is 186, against 257 last year, and the average extension is only a little over 20 miles to each road.

Eastern MiddleNew York 1 20 New Jersey 4 19! Pennsylvania ...14 252 Delaware 2 24 Md. and D. C.... 3 17

COMPARATIVE RAILWAY MILEAGE FOB TEN YEARS. Miles Total Miles Total Year, built, mileage. Year, built, mileage. 1875 1,712 74,696 1880 7,174 93,454 1876 2,712 76,808 1881 9,789 103,242 1877 2,281 79,089 1882.....-.11,596 114,838 1878 2,687 81,776 1883 6,870 121,592 1879 4,721 86,497 1884 3,870 125,462 It will be seen that in the last ten years our railway mileage has increased more than 51,000 miles, or nearly 70 per cent, and that the total mileage of the United States is now, in round numbers, 125,500 miles. This is an immense and magnificent system, but every coming year will add thousands of miles more until these figures shall have been at least doubled. With a country so vast and rapidly growing as ours, none cun set bounds to the possibility of our railway extension.