Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1903 — THE RAILROADS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE RAILROADS

The following table shows the new railroad mileage built in the United States during the last decade: 1803 3.024 1898 3.266 1894 I,760!18fi0 4,569 1895 1,428|1900 4,894 1896 1,6924901 5.368 1897 2,109,1002 6.026 The table exemplifies the stendy recovery of the country from the depressing conditions which existed after the panic of 1893. In 1894 and 1895 rails were cheaper than before or since, but only about one-quarter ns many miles of track were laid in each of those years as in I!K>2. The purchases by the railroads of freight cars and locomotives during the last four years show how rapidly the business of the country and consequently their business has been Increasing. The following table gives the number of cars and locomotives under contract or construction on Jan. 1 and July 1 of 1898 and sulmequent years: Freight Locomocars. tlvcs. Jan. 1, 1898 14,717 21T July 1, 1898 33.088 802 Jan. 1, 1899 32,614 440 July 1, 1899 35,684 519 Jan. 1, 1900 102.485 1,192 July 1, 1900 30,606 1.001 Jan. 1. 1901 54.118 1,102 July 1. 1901 52.823 1.311 Jan. 1. 1912 77.226 2.281 July 1, IQO2 91,005 2,172 The total number of freight ears in service on American railroads increased Arom 1,110,045 Jan. 1, 1898, to 1.488,197 July 1 last, and the locomotives in service from 32,771 to 37,945. Yet the railroads never have felt the need of more cars and locomotives so acutely ns during the last six months. Business has increased more rapidly than their facilities for handling it.