In 1852, the Moscow and St. Petersburg road was finished.
2. In 1856, the United States of America had in operation 23,000 miles, and in progress 17,000 miles; employing 6,000 locomotive engines, 10,000 passenger and 70,000 freight cars; costing in all about 750,000,000 of dollars; running annually 114,000,000 miles, and transporting 123½ millions of passengers, and 30 millions of tons of freight per annum; performing a passenger mileage of 4,750,000,000, and a freight mileage of 3,000,000,000.
3. By mileage is meant the product of miles run, by tons or by passengers carried. Thus, 500 persons carried 100 miles, and 750 persons carried 75 miles, give a passenger mileage of
500 × 100 + 750 × 75 = 106,250.
4. The rate of progress in the United States has been as follows:—
| In 1828, | there were 3 miles. |
| In 1830, | 41 miles. |
| In 1840, | 2,167 miles. |
| In 1850, | 7,355 miles. |
| In 1856, | 23,242 miles. |
At the present time, January 1, 1857, there is probably, in round numbers, 25,000 miles of completed road, or enough to extend entirely around the world. As regards the ratio of completed road to population, and as regards the actual length of railroad in operation, the United States stand before any other country.
INFLUENCE OF RAILROADS.
5. The effect of a judicious system of railroads upon any community is to increase consumption and to stimulate the production of agricultural products; to distribute more generally the population, to cause a balance between supply and demand, and to increase both the amount and safety of travelling. It is stated that within two years after the opening of the New York and Erie Railroad, it was carrying more agricultural produce than the entire quantity which had been raised throughout the tributary country before the road was built.
6. The following table, cut from a Chicago paper, shows the effect of railroad transport upon the cost of grain in that market:—