Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1883 — THE IRON HORSE. [ARTICLE]

THE IRON HORSE.

Railway Construction in the United States. Over 4,000 Miles or New Track Laid Daring the Year. The Railway Age prints the following interesting summary of railway construction in the United States during nine months of the current year: Railway building has proceeded with much vigor during the present year, notwithstanding the assertions freely made at its commencement that construction, had ceased, and that little if any new mileage would be added in the United States during 1888. It was evident at the outset that the remarkable record of 1881. during which about 11,600 miles of new lines were added, would not be equaled, ns 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 1 of theUnited States is still inadequately supplied with railway facilities, and that the legitimate Work of building roods 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 hew railways is proved again by the following summary of the mileage of new track laid in the nine inontns 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 anaclo not include sidings or second track, which would very eonsiderably swell the result Following is the amount of track laid from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30,1883: States. Miles. | States. Miles. Alabama .... 129 Minnesota......... 35 Arizona. 155 Mississippi 226 Arkansas 97 Missouri 84 California 227’Montana ...... 251 C010rad0...... .... 41 i Nebraska*., 44 Dakota...... ...... 2SB New Jer5ey........ 6 Florida. 10l New Mexico 81 Georgia 64 New York 387 Idaho 210 North Carolina.... 12 “Indian Territory.. 12 Ohio 195 Illinois 150| Oregon 65 Indiana 127 : Pennsylvania 296 lowa .. 69 South Carolina,,.. 28 Kansas v,... 42 Kentucky.... tit Texas 53 Louisiana 1eiitRuh.,............. 160 ■Maine IS; Virginia 58 Maryland . 11 Washington Ter... 44 Massachusetts.... 17 West Virginia..,. . 45 Michigan... 142 Wisconsin 106

Total . - 4.244 It will be seen frqm this table that at Ibast 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 the Union. The only States not reporting any new track are New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut; Nevada, locked in the Rocky mountains, and the almost uninhabited Territory of Wyoming. New York leads, with 3u7 miles of new lines, and Pennsylvania, which excels in number of roads, follows In mileage, reporting no less than nineteen lines, aggregating 296 mile a Young Dakota comes next, with 288 miles of new track, laid on only six lines; Montana 6hows 251 miles added; California, 227; Mississippi, 226; Idaho, 210; and Ohio nearly 200 miles on thirteen lines. The ether States and Territories reporting more than 100 miles thus far are Louisiana, Utah, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Alabama, Indiana and Wisconsin. Inmost of the'States grading is being actively pushed on numerous lines,' and some track has doubtless been iaid during the period named of which we have not obtained report, although our researches and correspondence have been very thoroughly extended. ■ T -r- -•.» I 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 1832 we reported 8,075 miles of track laid, on 200 lines, against 4,244 miles on 190 lines for the corresponding period of 1883. Assuming a similar comparison for the entire year, the railway mileage Added during 1883 is likely to aggregate about 0,000 miles, which will exceed the record of any year previous to 1880, when the “boom’’ began. We have a record of nearly I*so miles upon which track-laying is still 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 inflesi. Of course the foregoing figures do not Include the thousands of miles of new lines which will be bniit during 1883 in the neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico, and for which American manufacturers to a very large extent supply the materials