620 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



titles of lath and pickets. Pennsylvania has 

 two United States ports of entry, Philadelphia 

 and Erie. Pittsburg is a port of delivery in 

 the district of Louisiana. The vast mineral 

 wealth of Pennsylvania has led to the develop- 

 ment of a system of internal improvements not 

 excelled by those of any other State. In 1826 

 the State began the construction of a line of 

 communication between Philadelphia and Pitts- 

 burg, consisting of about 292 miles of canal 

 and 126 miles of railroad. This line was com- 

 pleted in 1831, at a cost of $18,615,663 ; this 

 liability was increased, in consequence of other 

 works undertaken and aided by the State, to 

 $41,294,462. After great losses had been sus- 

 tained, the State, about 1857, disposed of its 

 entire interest and control in these works, and 

 in that year an amendment was made to the 

 constitution prohibiting the State from con- 

 structing or being a stockholder in any canal 

 or railroad. The constitution, as amended in 

 1873, prohibits railroads and canals from mak- 

 ing unjust discriminations in charges for freight 

 or passengers, or in facilities for transporta- 

 tion ; railroad companies are prohibited from 

 granting free passes, or passes at a discount, to 

 any persons except officers or employe's of the 

 company. The Secretary of Internal Affairs 

 has a general supervision over railroads, canals, 

 and other transportation companies. The two 

 most extensive railroad corporations of the 

 State are the Philadelphia & Reading and the 

 Pennsylvania. The former, chartered in 1833, 

 was opened for through-trains between Phila- 

 delphia and Pottsville in 1842. This company 

 now operates from fifteen to twenty main lines 

 and branches, comprising more than 700 miles 

 of railroad ; also the Schuylkill and Susquehan- 

 na Canals. The investment of the company in 



railroads, workshops, coal-mines, and iron- 

 works, is estimated at about $125,000,000. 

 The chief business of the company is the trans- 

 portation of coal from the southern anthracite 

 coal-fields to tide-water in the Delaware River 

 near Philadelphia. About 7,000,000 tons of 

 coal are annually transported over the roads 

 of this company. The Pennsylvania is per- 

 haps the most powerful railroad corporation 

 in America ; nearly 2,500 miles of railroad in 

 Pennsylvania are operated by it, and its in- 

 vestments in this State are estimated at not 

 less than $150,000,000 ; besides which it owns 

 or leases a large extent of road outside of the 

 State. At the beginning of 1874 the mileage 

 of railroads in Pennsylvania was reported by 

 the Auditor-General at 5,854 miles, including 

 4,257 miles of main track, and 1,597 of branch- 

 es. There were also 2,218 miles of sidings, 

 and 1,819 of double track. The entire length 

 of main line reported by Pennsylvania compa- 

 nies was 8,401 miles, of which 6,655 miles 

 were laid. The capital stock authorized by 

 law was $515,368,954; subscribed, $389,374,- 

 234 ; paid in, $478,711,873 ; funded debt, $378,- 

 590,370; floating debt, $37,601,157; cost of 

 road and equipment, $621,312,048. 



The total expenses of all these roads amount- 

 ed to $95,207,139, including $48,818,074 for 

 operating the roads ; the total receipts, $147,- 

 995,214, of which $28,350,040 was from pas- 

 seugers, and $107,533,075 from freight. The 

 various lines of railroad in Pennsylvania under 

 the control of the Philadelphia & Reading and 

 the Pennsylvania Railroad Companies, with 

 details showing their termini, the miles in 

 operation in Pennsylvania, cost of road and 

 equipment, the capital stock paid in, etc., are 

 as follows : 



BAILEOADS OWNED, LEASED, OB OPEEATED BY THE PHILADELPHIA & BEADING BAILEOAD 



COMPANY. 



