318 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



shorter lines, united by contract or by common management or ownership, into 

 one continuous line. The trunk lines belonging to this system are: 



First, Tiie line formed by the (jliicago and Lake Huron, Cliicago and North 

 Eastern, and the Grand Trunk, making a total distance from Chicago, to 

 Montreal of 827 miles, or to Portland 1,1^5 miles. 



Second, The Grand Trunk and Michigan Central. By tliis route Montreal is 

 846 and Portland 1,140 miles from Chicago. 



lliird, The Michigan Central, Great Western, and New York Central, or 

 Erie. By the New York Central the distance from Chicago to New York is 

 962 miles; by the Erie it is 950 miles. 



Fourth, By tlie Miciiigan Central, Canada Southern, and New York Central, 

 or Erie, New York is 976 to 902 miles. 



Fifth, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and New York Central, New York 

 to Chicago, 9T9 miles. 



Sixth, Baltimore &, Ohio, Chicago to Baltimore, 8o2 miles. 



Seventh, Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne *& Pennsylvania, Chicago to Philadelphia, 

 914 miles. 



Thus we see seven independent, or once independent competing lines, con- 

 sistins: in every portion of at least five lines of railroad. Some of these lines, 

 as the M. S. & L. S., are double tracked roads, and consequently the capacity 

 of all roads leading from Chicago to the sea is fully equal to that of seven 

 single tracked railroads. The whole amount of freight transported from the 

 territory lying west of the meridian of Buffalo does not exceed 8,000,000 tons 

 according to U. S. Government Report on Internal commerce. 



The capacity of a single track freight railroad, when well equipped, is calcu- 

 lated to be 9,000,000 tons per year — that is a single well conducted railroad 

 could carry not only wiiat is carried by the seven lines mentioned, but also what 

 is carried over all tlie other roads of this great region, and over its navigable 

 streams and lakes. Practically the capacity of a single freight road can not 

 be so great, for want of terminal facilities, side tracks, etc. 



The New York Central, with its miles of four parallel tracks, carries over its 

 lines each way but one and one-half miles of freight cars daily. The capacity 

 of the road would permit many times this amount. This fact clearly indicates 

 that the carrying capacity of our roads has increased much faster than the 

 business that must pass over them. 



As a matter of fact, roads have been built, in nearly every case, not as legiti- 

 mate business enterprises, but to advance the interests of ])rivate individuals, of 

 portions of the country, or of cities. Thus in this State the Michigan Central 

 was partially built by the State, not with the expectation of making money 

 from the railroad, but for the purpose of developing the interests of the south- 

 ern portion of this State. It is the same with the land grant roads so far as 

 government is concerned. It does not care whether the roads ])ay, that is 

 not the question ; what it desires is, to advance the interests of the country. 

 It has been the same way with cities and towns, realizing the necessity of 

 transportation by railroads, they are induced to subscribe or to make large 

 grants to secnre a railroad ; and to secure the advantages which is gener- 

 ally believed to exist in unlimited competition they arc willing to mako still 

 further grants. These practices have been carried to such an extent that it is 

 probably true that not a single road has been built free from the influences of 

 local subscription, and on a route which in every essential is most favorable to 

 business. Tl)c bane of local subscription is not so much that it aids in the con- 



