322 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTUllE. 



to own the railroads, though they suggested some legishitiou that might tend 

 to bring this about. As for the effects of consolidation the Northeastern rail- 

 way was referred to, which consists of thirty-seven once independent and com- 

 peting lines, and is tlie most complete monopoly in England. Yet it paid the 

 highest dividend, and charged tlie lowest rates of all the great English com- 

 panies, and whereas complaints were frequently made against the other com- 

 panies, none whatever had ever been made against this company. 



Ou the whole, combination seemed to be giving satisfaction in England. 

 The governments of continental Euro])e have themselves been railroad builders, 

 and restrictions were put upon otlier lines, so as to make competition possible 

 only within certain limits. In those countries the governments own most of the 

 lines and expect in time to control them all. Their lines appear to be well 

 run, have low uniform rates, and in their management have given a satisfac- 

 tion to the public which has not been equaled on the American lines. So 

 much in regard to the general development of the railway lines in this and in 

 other countries. Now we will briefly refer to some phases which have character- 

 ized this development in this country. The first thing to attract notice is the 

 remarkable growth of the railroad svstem in this countrv. Though an Eng- 

 lish invention, it was received here witii a favor unknown at home, and its 

 development in this country has been so characteristically American, that al- 

 though it is of English origin our railroad system is in every other respect 

 decidedly American. 



In 18'<i? there were in the United States three miles of (horse) railroad; jn 

 1830, 41; in 1835, 918; in 1840, 3.797; in 1845, 4,523; in 1850, 7,475; 

 in 1855. 17,393; in 18G0, 38,771 ; in 1865, 34,443; in 1870, 48,860; and in 

 1873, 70,051: in 1878, 81,800, and nearly seven hundred different railroad 

 companies. 



The following table shows the miles of railroad in the principal countries of 

 the world : 



NAMES. 



Belgium 



United Kingdom, G. B. and 1 



Germany 



HwitzerlanJ 



France 



Italy 



Austria 



Denmark 



Spain 



United States 



Australia 



Mexico 



Canada 



India 



Kussia 



Brazil... 



Netherlands.. .- 



I)at<-. 



1874 

 1873 

 1874 

 1874 

 1874 

 1874 

 1874 

 1874 

 1873 

 1873 

 1873 

 1874 

 1874 

 1873 

 1874 

 1873 

 1874 



Miles 

 Completeil. 



2,093 



10,082 



15,080 



977 



12,409 



4,274 



9,525 



557 



3,310 



70,651 



1,419 



306 



5,030 



5,204 



10,.5G0 



710 



955 



World, 1873-1, about 1!)5, 129 miles comploteil. 



The entire earth, after dcUucting Afric4i, one mile of railroiul lo 190 square inile3 of area. Popu- 

 lation to one mile of railroad, 'd.SX'j. 



From this table it is seen that tlio United States possesses moro than four 

 times the number of miles of rtiilroad of any country in the world, and 



