256 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



ciation and decay, demanding renewal and replacement. 

 Let us consider the matter of ties alone, for that will 

 serve as a fair parallel to all other uses for railroad 

 purposes. The average number of ties to the mile of 

 tracks is 3,000 ; so that 858,786,000 ties have gone into 

 the construction of the tracks. The probable average 

 life of an oak tie is ten years. Pine ties naturally last 

 from four to six years, and when burnetized, creosoted 

 or otherwise treated their average life is probably 

 extended to ten years. It will, therefore, be seen that 

 10 per cent of the ties now in track must be renewed 

 annually, making a yearly demand for replacement of 

 nearly 90,000,000 and in a decade 900,000,000. The 

 average price of oak ties is 55 cents, and of pine ties 

 38 cents each. Treating for prolongation of life adds 

 10 cents to the cost of each tie. The average cost of 

 all ties now going into the trackage of the railroads 

 of the United States is 50 cents apiece, making an 

 annual expenditure of $45,000,000, and $450,000,000 

 every ten years; and this calculation of cost does not 

 include the labor of placing the ties in the track or 

 the expense of local transportation. Nor does it take 

 into account the gradual but inevitable increase in price 

 as the supply lessens, the demand incident to the build- 

 ing of the new lines of road absolutely demanded by 

 the ever-advancing commerce of the country, both 

 intra and interstate, and the necessary supply of street 

 car lines, both horse and electric; elevated railways, 

 subways, and mine tracks. The demands of these 

 corporations are enormous, and constantly increasing. 

 Add to these requirements the many others caused by 

 the uses heretofore briefly referred to and some con- 

 ception can be had of how capacious is the maw of 

 the great transportation lines of the republic, upon 

 whose successful and steady maintenance all industries 



