5 86 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and also the miles of road operated, by the Central Pacific system, com- 

 pared with the Massachusetts roads : 



Central Pacific. 



Massachusetts. 



1 Poor's "Manual," 1879, p. 932. 



2 "Central Pacific Annual Report,'' 1879, pp. 20, 30. I find, upon examination and 

 inquiry, that Poor's " Manual " for this year repeats the tonnage and rates of the pre- 

 vious vear, in error. 



3 Poor's "Manual," 1881, p. 800. 



4 Poor's "Manual," 1882, p. 868. Poor states the rate for 1881 at 2-14 cents, which 

 appears to be the result of an error in calculation. I take 2'16 cents, as calculated from 

 data given. 



5 "Report of the Massachusetts Railroad Commissioners," 1875, pp. 126, 127. 



6 Ibid., 1877, pp. 188, 189. 



. 7 The rate given in each case is the average per ton per mile for all freights. (See 

 " Massachusetts Report," 1S77, p. 101.) 



To arrive at the latest results the figures taken are for the last four 

 years of the Central Pacific, but, in order to make an equitable com- 

 parison in the volume of the tonnage, it is necessary to take the Mas- 

 sachusetts roads for a few years previously. In any corresponding 

 year the Massachusetts roads have a considerably larger tonnage than 

 the Central Pacific ; thus, as has been shown, making any fair compari- 

 son impossible. Even in the years given they have an annual average 

 of thirteen per cent more tonnage than the Central Pacific, placing the 

 latter system to that amount of disadvantage in the comparison. 



On the other hand, however, is the consideration that the prices of 

 material and labor necessary in the operation of railroads have been 

 considerably reduced during the periods shown in the above table, 

 but, in California, they have always been much higher than in the At- 

 lantic States, and were probably higher in the former State in 1881 

 than they were in Massachusetts in 1876. The relative conditions 

 seem, upon the whole, as fair as it is possible to make them between 

 any two systems. 



As a result, the following more important comparisons may be 

 noticed : The average mileage of road operated is about the same in 



