RAILROADS. 



307 



Number of passen- 



Groups. gers carried. 



New England 93,483,949 



Middle Atlantic 176,361,731 



Central Northern 87,292,882 



South Atlantic 11,315,150 



South Central 11,379,600 



South-western 18,421,275 



North-western 13,502,021 



Pacific 16,468,905 



United States, 1887.. 

 " " 1836.. 

 " " 1885.. 

 " 1884.. 



" " 1883. 



428,225,513 

 382,284,972 

 351,427,688 

 334,570,766 

 312,686,641 



Number car- 

 ried one mile. 

 1,482,312,733 

 3,059,957,868 

 3,027,621,204 

 396,245,486 

 438,688,840 

 923,887,906 

 614,419,651 

 627,173,022 



10,570,306,710 

 9,659,698,294 

 9,133,673,956 

 8,778,581,061 

 8,541,309,674 



An examination and comparison of these figures 

 show that in New England the average distance 

 travelled by each passenger was less than in any other 

 group, while the longest trips were made in the 

 bouth-western States. In like manner the rates of 

 fare averaged lowest in New England and highest in 

 the South-west. This can be best illustrated by the 

 following tabular statement showing the average dis- 

 tance travelled per passenger and the average rate 

 of fare per mile for same in each group in 1837 : 



Average Average rate 



distance per passenger 

 Groups. per passenger. per mile. 



New England 15.85 miles. 1.964 cents. 



Middle Atlantic 17.35 " 2.092 " 



Central Northern 34.68 " 2.274 " 



South Atlantic 35.01 " 2.777 " 



South Central 38.55 " 2.421 " 



South-western 50.15 " 2.824 " 



North-western 45.50 " 2.692 " 



Pacific 38.08 " 2.277 " 



In the whole United States the average distance 

 per passenger was 24.68 miles, and the average rate of 

 fare per mile 2.276 cents. The tendency throughout 

 the country in both these respects is toward decreases 

 in the length of the average trip and in the rates 

 charged. No better evidence or the constant and 

 rapid growth of the country can be furnished than 

 the statistics of the passenger traffic of iu railroads. 

 By the table of passenger traffic given above it is 

 shown that within the short space of five years, from 

 1883 to 1887. the number of passengers using the 

 railroads of the United States (excluding all elevated 



and surface city roads) increased 115,538 872 or from 

 312,686,641 to 428,225,513. The rate of increase 

 within this period of five years was 37 per cent. If 

 an increase of 33J per cent, in every five years were to 

 be maintained for fifteen years longer we would have 

 in 1902 a passenger traffic of more than 1,014,000,000 

 persons. The following statement shows the steady 

 decline in the average rate of fare per mile in every 

 year from 1882 to 1887 (except the latter year, iu 

 which a slight advance was recorded), and the cor- 

 responding decreases in the average distance per pas- 

 senger per mile : 



Average rate 



per passenger Average distance 



Years. per mile. per passenger. 



1882 2.514 cents. 28.89 miles. 



1883 2.422 " 27.32 " 



1884 2.356 " 26.24 " 



1885 2.198 " 2599 " 



1886 .... 2.181 " 25.27 " 



1887 2.276 " 24.68 " 



The constant decrease in average distance is due 

 to the increase in the number of passengers carried, 

 which as a country becomes developed will inevitably 

 reduce the average length of trip for all passengers. 



While the country has been undergoing the wonder- 

 ful and unprecedented material development witnessed 

 in the past twenty-two years, the inventive genius of 

 the country has been engaged in bringing to perfection 

 the details of railroad construction. The result is 

 shown in the solidity of railroad superstructure of 

 to-day, its massive bridges and viaducts, its wonderful 

 tunnels and other great works built to overcome na- 

 ture's obstructions, in the improved cars and engines 

 of to-day, and the consequent increase of comfort in 

 railroad travel. It was to be expected, with all those 

 forces operating simultaneously, that there would be 

 a steady increase of use of the improved facilities, but 

 the results have surpassed anticipations. 



Table VII. shows the number of tons of freight 

 moved each year, the earnings therefrom, the aggre- 

 gate tonnage-mileage, and the average rate per ton 

 per mile for all roads, yearly, from 1865 to 1887, in- 

 clusive, on the Illinois Central, the Chicago and Alton, 

 the Chicago and Rock Island, the Chicago, Burling- 

 ton, and Quincy, the Chicago and North-western, the 

 Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroads, with the 

 aggregate tons moved annually on the same : 



TABLE VIL Freight Busineu of Six Principal Western Railroads since 1865. 



