The
following information may be of interest to you and others as a follow-up to
the transcript of Alfred R. Longshore's recollections, written in July, 1903,
and published by the Sugar Loaf Historical Association of Hazelton in 1935.
Among
other things, Longshore mentions the "great flood" along the Lehigh River
in 1862. You will note that the report
below also indicates expenses caused by that event of nature. Despite those additional costs, the Beaver
Meadow
appears to have been a quite profitable little railroad in 1863 . . . compare
expenses vs. revenue and note the tidy dividends paid.
From Reports
of the Several Railroad Companies of Pennsylvania Communicated by the Auditor
General to the Legislature, January 22, 1864 (Harrisburg:
Singerly & Myers, State Printers, 1864):
Beaver
Meadow.
State
of Pennsylvania, }
} ss.
Philadelphia
County }
Personally
appeared A. G. Brodhead, Jr., superintendent, and L. Chamberlain, treasurer, of
the Beaver Meadow railroad company, and in due form of law made oath, that the
statements in the following report are true and correct, to the best of their
knowledge and belief.
(Signed)
A. G. BROADHEAD, Jr., Superintendent.
L. CHAMBERLAIN, Treasurer.
Sworn and subscribed before me, this 27th
day of November, 1863.
JAMES M'CAHEN, J. P.
Stock
and Debt.
Amount
paid in as by last report . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,816,150 00
Total
amount now paid in of capital stock . .
. . . . . . . 1,983,900 00
Funded
debt, as per last report . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 1,500 00
Total
amount now of funded debt . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 1,000 00
Average
rate per cent. per annum of interest on funded debt . 6 per cent.
Date of
each dividend: January, July and
October Rate per cent. per annum of dividend:
In January, a dividend of 5 per cent. in cash and 10 per cent. in
stock; July, 5 per cent.; October, 2 1/2 per cent.
Amount
of capital on which the respective dividends were
declarred:
January -- $1,816,150; July --
$1,983,400;
October -- $1,983,900
Cost of
Road and Equipment.
Construction
. . . (By last report) $1,042,691
94 (By present report)
$1,064,230 16
Equipment
-- estimated present value . . . (By last report) 317,328 74
(By present report) 400,560 14
Characteristics
of Road.
Length
of main line of road, from Mauch Chunk to Audenried, 24 1/2 miles
Length
of road laid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 24 1/2 miles
Length
of double track, including sidings . . . . . . . ., 24 7/8 miles
Gauge
of road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., 4 ft. 8 1/2 in.
Weight
of rail per yard on main track: about
one-fourth 56 pounds, balance
60
pounds.
Number
of engine houses and shops: 5 engine
houses, 1 machine shop.
Number
of engines, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Number
of first class passenger cars, rated as eight wheel cars, (average cost of each
$2,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 2
Number
of baggage, mail and express cars (rated as eight wheel cars) . 1
Number
of freight cars, rated as eight wheel cars (average cost of each ($600) . .
. . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . .
3
Number
of coal cars: 1,000 four wheeled, and
300 eight wheeled. Average cost of each
-- $180 for four wheeled; $420 for
eight wheeled . . 1,300
Number
of iron bridges . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 3
Number
of wooden bridges . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .. 5
Number
of depots on main road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Number
of wood and water stations on main road:
1 wood and 6 water stations
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . . .
7
Value
of real estate held by the company, exclusive of road-way $54,072 44
How is
track laid, and on what foundation?
Partly stone ballast, partly without -- oak cross ties.
Doings
of the year in Transportation, and total Miles Run.
Number
of miles run by passenger trains . . . . . . . . . . . . . )
Number
of miles run by freight trains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,507
These trains ran together.
Number
of miles run by coal trains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208,573
Number
of passengers (all classes) caried in cars . . . . . . . 21,501
Number
of tons of 2,000 lbs. of through freight for the year on main road .
. .
. . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . .
. . . 15,022
Gross
amount of tonnage for the year: coal,
1,595,729 tons of 2,000 lbs.; merchandise, 15,022 tons of 2,000 lbs.; lumber, 5,965,129 feet – not weighed.
The
amount of Freight, spedifying the quantity in Tons.
Anthracite
coal, 1,424,758 tons of 2,240 lbs.
Other
articles not kept in detail, answered in gross above, 15,022 tons of
2,000
lbs.
Lumber
-- not weighed . . . . . . 5,965,129 feet.
The rate
of fare for Passengers cahrged for the respective classes per mile, as follows:
Only
one class . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1/2 cents
EXPENSES.
The
accounts are not kept so as to furnish the details according to the questions
-- following are the expenditures:
Taxes
on real estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $566 75
State
taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 7,388 25
United
States taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 11,517 58
Expended
on repairs of railroad, bridges, machinery of shops and tools, iron, engine
houses, damages by flood . . . . . . .
. . . . 102,344 49
Wages
of engineers, firemen, brakemen, repairs of engines, fuel, oil, &c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 81,739 28
Repairing
and oiling cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,650 00
Superintendence,
salaries, office expenses, &c. . .
. . . 10,356 31
Weighing
coal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,995 49
__________
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 240,558 15
=========
Receipts
from all Sources.
From
passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,019 47
freight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 571,369 15
mail transportation . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 1,047 96
interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 1,669 00
other sources (mine leave)
. . . . . . . . . .
1,113 40
__________
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 583,218 98
=========
Payments
other than for Construction.
For
maintaining and operating the road . . . . . . . . . $240,558 15
For
dividends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253,940 00
For
interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 89 10
For
other payments, engines and cars . . . . . . . . . . . 85,524
50
Accidents.
KILLED
-- employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
others . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
__
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .. 5
==