| Annual Report of the South Western RR |
| as of August 1, 1863, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report
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| South-Western Railroad Co. |
| Macon, Ga., August 1, 1863 |
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To R. R. Cuyler, Esq.
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President
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Sir,
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The twelfth annual report from this office, showing the operations of the Road for the fiscal year
ending August 1st, 1863, is herewith submitted:
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| Earnings of the Road
for the Year |
| Up Freight (eastward) |
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$332,856.94 |
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| Down Freight (westward) |
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110,039.77 |
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| Total from Freight |
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$442,896.71 |
| Through passengers |
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113,319.58 |
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| Way passengers |
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261,939.95 |
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| Total from Passengers |
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375,259.53 |
| Mails |
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16,906.20 |
| Total earnings |
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$835,062.44 |
| The current expenses of the year have been |
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397,681.69 |
| Showing net earnings for the year
of |
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437,380.75 |
| Current Expenditures |
| The expenses for
operating the Road have been as follows: |
| Repairs of Road |
| Proportion of salary of President,
Superintendent and Supervisors -- wages of Overseers and hire of Negroes for the year |
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$72,057.58 |
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| Materials -- Stringers, Ties, Bridge Timber, etc. |
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46,743.87 |
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| Tools, Subsistence, Clothing, Physicians' bills
for Negroes, Stationery, Printing, etc. |
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57,821.08 |
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| Total repairs of Road and Bridges |
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$176,622.53 |
| Fuel and Water |
| Wood for Locomotives and Stationary Engine |
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$10,677.92 |
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| Pumping Water, putting up new Pumps and
Cisterns, Wells, and Cistern-houses |
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3,250.10 |
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| Total Fuel and Water |
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13,928.02 |
| Repairs of Buildings |
| Including repairs of Station Houses and other
buildings |
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2,403.52 |
| Maintenance of
Motive Power |
| Repairs of Locomotives, including proportion of
salary of President, Treasurer, Superintendent and Master
Machinist, wages of Mechanics and Laborers at Shops, and all
Materials used for the year |
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$22,456.77 |
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| Wages of Runners and Firemen |
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29,015.35 |
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| Oil, Tallow, Cotton Waste for Locomotives and
Stationary Engine |
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14,713.16 |
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| Total Maintenance of Motive Power |
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63,185.28 |
| Maintenance of Cars |
| Including proportion of salary of President,
Treasurer, Superintendent and Master Carpenter, wages of
Mechanics and Laborers at Shops, Wheels, Axles, Lumber,
Paints, and all other materials used in repairing and keeping
in order Passenger, Baggage, Mail and Freight Cars for the year |
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$21,964.65 |
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| Oil, Tallow, Cotton Waste, etc. |
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14,307.02 |
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| Total Cars |
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36,271.67 |
| Transportation
Expenses |
| Including proportion of salaries of President,
Treasurer, Superintendent and Clerks, Wages of Conductors and
Train Hands, salaries of Agents at Americus, Butler, Albany,
Cuthbert, Fort Gaines and Chattahoochee, Laborers and Watchmen
at Macon, Americus, Smithville, Albany, Cuthbert, Fort Gaines
and Chattahoochee, Freight Houses and Cotton Yards |
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$75,100.12 |
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| Printing, Books, Stationery, etc., for the year |
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3,343.80 |
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| Freight damage, paid for goods lost and damaged |
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1,999.11 |
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| Stock damage, paid for Horses, Mules, Cattle,
Hogs, etc., killed and injured |
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9,326.45 |
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| Agents at Stations, paid commissions |
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12,179.23 |
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| Total Transportation |
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101,948.71 |
| Incidental Expenses |
| Including Printing, Advertising, Books,
Stationery, Postage, Attorney's Fees, Court Costs, Donations,
Gratuities, Salary of Transfer Agent, and all contingent
expenses not included under either of the above heads |
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3,321.96 |
| Total Current expenditures |
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$397,681.69 |
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The total earnings have been $835,062.44. Total last
year, $368,336.74. Increase, $466,725.70. The current expenditures for the year have been
$397,681.69; last year, $240,104.05.
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Included in current expenditures are the following
extraordinary expenses:
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| Repairs on account of damage done by freshets in
the spring of 1862 |
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$13,000.00 |
| Purchase of steam mill and appurtenances |
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6,433.87 |
| Extraordinary Pay Roll |
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8,027.21 |
| Excess of supplies on hand this over last year |
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57,637.20 |
| Making total extraordinary
expenditures |
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$85,098.28 |
| Which, if deducted,
will reduce current expenses to $312,583.41, or about 37 4-10
per cent. of gross earnings. |
| Earnings per mile, passenger and mail |
$1,899.11 |
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| Earnings per mile, freight |
2,144.78 |
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| Total per mile |
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$4,043.89 |
| Current expenses per mile |
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1,974.58 |
| Net earnings per mile of track in use |
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$2,069.31 |
| Gross earnings per mile run by engines |
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2.99 5 |
| Current expenses per mile run by engines |
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1.46 2 |
| Net earnings per mile run by engines |
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$1.53 3 |
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Total bales of cotton transported during the year, was
27,034, against 39,832 last year.
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Tables D and E show that there was from the
South-Western Railroad proper 12,852 bales; last year, 32,980 bales.
Decrease 20,128.
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From Columbus and Muscogee Railroad, we received 14,182 bales, against
6,852 bales the year previous, making increase of 7,330 bales; and a total decrease for the year of
12,798 bales.
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From the South-Western Railroad to Macon, there were
8,091 bales; the previous year 25,992 bales. Decrease 17,901 bales.
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From the Muscogee Railroad to Macon there were 1,298
bales; last year 1,258 bales. Decrease 40 bales.
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Number of through passengers for the year, 47,975. Way
passengers 130,587. Total, 178,562, being an average per day of 489, against
310 last year. Total number of passengers carried over the
Road since it was opened, July 1st, 1851, 1,114,583.
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Number of miles run within the year by Passenger and Mail
trains, 173,372; Freight and other trains, (exclusive of filling or
gravel trains,) 105,443. Total, 278,815. Wood used by locomotives,
4,118 cords, being an average of 67 7-10 milers run to each cord of
wood, at a cost of 4 1-10 cents per mile for fuel.
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During the year there has been delivered on the Road for
repairs, 27,799 cross-ties, equal to a renewal of 18 miles; stringers,
11,544, making lineal feet, 239,518 and 1,079,788 feet, board measure,
equal to 22 7-10 miles track. For other than track lumber, 64,363
feet, board measure. Trestle bridges, foundations, etc., 272,927,
board measure. Total feet, board measure, of lumber paid for during
the year, for repairs of track, bridges, buildings, cars, etc.,
1,433,295, at a cost of $18,686.56, and for cross-ties, $11,050.96.
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The damages done the Roads by freshets in the spring of
1862, have all been repaired, by putting in good, substantial brick
culverts where necessary, and refilling the embankments, except at
Everett's mill creek. This point was substantially repaired with wood
at the time, which will stand another year, when it will be replaced
by a brick or stone culvert. There have also been six hundred feet of
trestle bridging, with good brick abutments, put in at Beaver creek,
on the Columbus line, where the embankment was washed away.
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The bridge at Camp creek, below Oglethorpe, and a large
portion of the bridge across Muckalee creek, below Americus, have been
renewed this year. Several other trestle bridges will require heavy
repairs during the ensuing year.
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Our iron is wearing remarkably well. It is wearing out
much faster on that portion of the Road between Macon and Fort Valley,
over which much the largest business passes, than the balance of the
line, but with the iron we have on hand for repairs, we will be able
to keep it in good order for several years.
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It was impossible, at the beginning of the year, to
procure a sufficient supply of timber for repairs, and a steam mill
was bought, which has materially benefited the Road. I recommend that
another mill be purchased, if a suitable one can be found.
Notwithstanding the difficulties in procuring a supply of timber and
ties, the Road is in very fine order, for which we are indebted to our
principal Supervisor, Mr. John M. Walden, and his assistants, J. J.
Dasher, A. J. Heard, and W. J. Edwards.
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Motive Power and Cars
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By reference to the table of Locomotives, it will be seen
that we have six engines now in want of tire; in addition to these,
four others will need them. They are all now running on the Road, but
any of the ten are liable to fail at any time. The engines, otherwise,
are in very good order, and if we could get a supply of tire, could be
kept in good running order for a number of years.
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There have been two platform cars changed to box cars
during the year, and I expect to have eight more changed as soon as it
can be done. Our stock of cars is the same in number as last year, but
owning to the impossibility of procuring material to repair them, our
passenger cars are not in as good condition as heretofore. Our freight
cars are generally in good order.
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We have on hand materials as follows:
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| For repairs of Road and bridges, good rails,
chairs, spikes, ties, stringers, and other lumber, in value |
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$35,858.00 |
| Supplies and Stores for repairs of Road |
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30,126.25 |
| Materials for cars |
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23,067.25 |
| Materials for motive power |
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10,317.70 |
| Oil, tallow and waste |
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17,954.00 |
| Stationery, etc. |
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1,386.00 |
| Fuel and water |
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400.00 |
| Value of Materials on hand paid for, Aug. 1, 1863 |
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$119,109.20 |
| Value of materials on hand paid for, Aug. 1, 1862 |
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61,472.00 |
| More materials on hand this than last year |
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$57,637.20 |
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The stone and brick-work for the bridge across the
Chattahoochee River at Eufaula is completed, and the wooden
superstructure being framed. With a favorable Fall, there is no doubt
the bridge will be finished and the Road completed into Eufaula this
year.
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It will require about $44,000 to complete the Road.
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The officers and employees of the Company have generally
performed their duty faithfully, and to my entire satisfaction, during
the year.
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Respectfully submitted,
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Virgil Powers
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Engineer and Superintendent
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