814 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts , and Letters. 
Northwestern road consistently refused to increase their right 
of way value above the market value, one very large difference 
is removed at once. The value of the right of way of this road 
through farm lands is approximately $1,286,285, according to 
the estimate of the appraisers for the road*. If this figure he 
increased by 150 per cent, the percentage of difference would 
be changed to 11.2, and the percentage of totals in the right of 
way columns to 15.4, without materially affecting the percent¬ 
ages for the column for all the items. 
The Green Bay and Western road was very low in all its 
estimates, as is shown in the column for all items. It is also 
possible that its estimate of the value of its right of way is the 
estimated ordinary value without any added increment. If 
this be true, a large part of the difference would disappear in 
this case also. 
The great difference in the case of the Puluth, South Shore 
and Atlantic is not so easily explained. This road runs for 
most of its length through land that was formerly covered with 
a heavy growth of pine, and it is possible that many of the con¬ 
siderations recorded give the value of the land with the timber 
standing, and it may be with the value of saw mills located 
upon it added, while the figures given by the road indicate the 
present value of the land with timber cut off. Assuming the 
right of way to be 100 feet wide, the road’s figures would be 
about $15.00 per acre, while those given by the state apprais¬ 
er would be nearly $70.00 per acre. It is quite certain that 
outside the' city of Superior the market value of the right of 
way for the road would probably not exceed one-fifth of this 
sum, so that $45 per acre or $550 per mile would be a liberal 
estimate for the cost of reproducing the right of 
way outside the city of Superior. If the state’s esti¬ 
mate of this right of way is too high, it is just as certain that 
the road’s estimate is much‘too low, if one assumes that the cost 
of reproduction is the thing required, for this estimate would 
bring the market value of the land below $8.00 per acre for the 
whole line. 
Further comment upon the table seems unnecessary. It 
