ANNUAL REPORT—COMMERCE. 
67 
was the construction of new and capacious stock yards in this 
city, accessible to all railroads entering the city, with sufficient 
grounds adjoining to enlarge them to any possibly required 
extent. Upon this work the company expended $28,000. 
“ Among the early and necessary improvements contem¬ 
plated by the company is the erection of a large union pas¬ 
senger depot in this city. It is a fact that would hardly be 
credited by people unused to visiting our city, that Mil¬ 
waukee, the terminus of nearly two thousand miles of rail¬ 
way, is absolutely without a single depot building for pas¬ 
senger trains. This, however, is not on account of any lack 
of means on the part of the railroac^s, but solely owing to the 
unsettled state of our railroad affairs in years past, and the 
difficulties of uniting separate interests upon any feasible plan 
for a union depot. These obstacles no longer stand in the 
way, and hence there is now a fair prospect of this long 
delayed work being accomplished at an early day. It is 
understood that the Milwaukee and St. Paul Company have 
decided upon the location, and purchased the grounds for the 
erection of this building. 
“ The total earnings of the Milwaukee and St. Paul Pailway 
for 1869, were $7,250,668 68, and the operating expenses 
$1,229,882 11, leaving the sum of $3,020,786 57 as net earn¬ 
ings. The interest on the mortgage debt was $1,246,582, 
which, deducting from the net earnings, leaves a balance of 
$1,774,204 57 applicable to dividends, or something over ten 
per cent, upon the total amount of the company’s stock, com¬ 
mon and preferred. 
“ The company expended during the year for renewal of 
track, new bri'dges, new fences, new cars, new tools and 
machinery, $677,626, and in building new lines, $577,853. 
The five miles of connecting track from the northern division 
to the track of the Prairie du Chien division at the head of 
Spring street in this city, cost $95,496. Thirteen new loco¬ 
motives were added to the rolling stock, at an^ expense of 
$172,562.” 
