RAILWAY SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



677 



R 



RAILWAY SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Fifty years since there were less than 1,000 

 miles of railway in operation in the United 

 States. At the close of the civil war the num- 

 ber of miles had reached a little over 33,000. 

 In January, 1885, we have over 125,000. The 

 nominal cost of the service has been over $7,- 

 600,000,000. The actual cost has doubtless 

 been over $6,000,000,000. At the latter sum 

 the value of railway property is over 20 per 

 cent., or one fifth part, of the value of all the 

 capital of the country. That is to say omit- 

 ting land, whose value is given to it only in 

 proportion to the capital that is placed upon 

 it or the use to which it is put, and by the facili- 

 ties that are given for the movement of its 

 products the present value of all the build- 

 ings, works, mines, dwellings, farm- machinery, 



and improvements, together with all goods and 

 wares of every description on sale, and includ- 

 ing household furniture, mechanics' tools, and 

 all railways, canals, improvements of mines, oil- 

 wells, and the like, can not exceed $30,000,000,- 

 000. Neglect the land for two or three years, 

 and it reverts to a state of nature ; the ware- 

 house of twenty-five years' date is hardly suit- 

 able for the purposes of modern commerce ; 

 close the dwelling and it will soon be ruined ; 

 neglect the mill for a single winter, and its 

 wheels may never start again; what moth, 

 rust, and frost do not destroy, the inventor, 

 more destructive than either, renders valueless 

 by substituting improved works or machinery 

 by which more work can be done with less 

 labor. Even the superstructure of the rail- 

 road may be destroyed, but the opening of the 



1866 



1867 



2868 

 1869 



1870 



1871 



1872 

 1873 



1874 



1875 



1876 



1877 



1878 

 1879 



1880 

 1881 



Miles of Railroati in Operation on the \st January in Each Year and the Miles 



Added in the Tear JSnsuing* 

 1865 83.908 



1,177 

 35,085 



1,718 

 36,801 



2,449 

 89,250 



2,979 

 42,229 



4,615 

 46,844 



6,070 

 52,914 



7,379 

 60,293 



5,878 

 66,171 



4,107 

 70,278 



2,105 

 72,383 



1,713 

 74,096 



2,712 

 76,808 



2,281 

 79,089 



2,687 

 81,776 



4,721 

 86,497 



7,048 

 93,545 



9,789 



1882 103,334 



11,591 



1883 114,925 



^6,618 



1884 121,543 



