| Annual Report of the Muskogee RR |
| as of August 1, 1861, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report |
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| Muscogee Rail Road Company |
| Columbus, Ga., Aug. 1, 1861 |
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| To John L. Mustian, Esq., President |
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Sir,
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I herewith submit my Annual Report, showing the year's
operations of this Road, ending July 31st, 1861.
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Earnings of the Road for the Year |
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| Freight Earnings |
$104,883.43 |
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| Passenger Earnings |
49,125.27 |
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| Mail Earnings |
9,668.75 |
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| Interest on Loans |
2,532.50 |
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| Wood Account |
3,376.75 |
$169,586.70 |
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Expenses for the Same Time |
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| For Transportation |
$64,114.65 |
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| For Repairs of Road, ordinary |
36,621.04 |
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| For Repairs of Road, extraordinary |
8,287.75 |
$109,023.54 |
| Leaving a balance of
Net Earnings of |
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$60,563.16 |
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Current Expenditures |
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| The expenditures for operating the
Road, have been as follows: |
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Repairs of Road |
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| Salaries of Supervisors, wages of Overseers,
Watchmen at Kendall's Creek Bridge and Baker's Creek Bridge,
and hire of Negroes, for the year |
$19,665.94 |
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| Materials, Stringers, Ties, Spikes, new T Rail,
new Switches and Switch Stands, Bridge Timber, &c. |
19,978.21 |
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| Tools, Subsistence, Clothing, Physicians' bills
for Negroes, &c. |
5,264.64 |
$44,908.79 |
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Fuel and Water |
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| Wood for Locomotives and Stationary Engine |
$3,473.23 |
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| Pumping Water, putting up new Pumps and new
Cisterns, repairs on Cisterns, Pumps and Wells |
1,667.13 |
$5,140.36 |
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Repairs of Buildings |
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| Including repairs of Station Houses and all
other Buildings |
$702.91 |
$702.91 |
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Maintenance of Motive Power |
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| Salary of Master Machinist, wages of Mechanics
and Laborers in Shop Wheels, Axles, Lumber, Paints, and all
other Materials used for repairing Engines, Tenders, &c. |
$9,684.71 |
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| Oil, Tallow and Waste, for Locomotives and
Stationary Engine |
2,047.97 |
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| Wages of Runners and Firemen |
8,857.12 |
$20,589.80 |
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Maintenance of Cars |
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| Salary of Master Carpenter, Wages of Mechanics
and Laborers in Shop, Wheels, Axles, Lumber, Paints, and all
other Materials used in keeping in order Passenger, Baggage,
Mail, and freight Cars |
$9,355.87 |
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| Oil, Tallow, Cotton Waste, &c. |
2,559.14 |
$11,915.01 |
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Transportation Expenses |
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| Salaries of President, Treasurer,
Superintendent, and Clerks, wages of Conductors and Train
Hands, Salaries of Agents at Butler, Howard, Geneva, Box
Spring, and Columbus |
$19,824.59 |
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| Stock killed -- paid for Cattle, Mules, Hogs,
&c., killed and injured |
1,262.00 |
$21,086.59 |
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Freight Damages |
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| Paid for Goods lost and damaged |
$181.22 |
$181.22 |
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Incidental Expenses |
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| Including Printing, Stationery, Books, Postage,
Taxes, Court Costs, Attorneys' Fees, Salary of Transfer Agent
at Savannah, and Contingent Expenses, not included under
either of above heads |
$4,398.86 |
$4,398.86 |
| Total Expenditures |
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$109,023.54 |
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The total earnings for the past year have been
$169,586.70; total for previous year, $232,218.93 -- showing a
decrease of $62,632.23.
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The decrease in earnings is large, and as you are fully
aware of the cause, it is unnecessary for me to enter into any detail
explanation.
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We have paid out of the earnings of the Road, for the
past year, which are not included in expenses, as follows:
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| Construction on Road |
$106.90 |
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| Construction in
Columbus Depot |
285.96 |
$392.86 |
| Outfit of Rolling Stock |
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| Engine John L. Mustian |
$8,852.78 |
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| Two Long Box Freight
Cars |
509.63 |
$9,362.41 |
| Construction on Account of |
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| New Passenger House |
$1,670.73 |
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| Bridge over Crossing |
656.00 |
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| Flooring Crossing at
Through Warehouse, and other work |
193.49 |
$2,520.22 |
| Total |
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$12,275.49 |
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Our expenses for the past year exhibit a decrease of
$22,808.51. This should be satisfactory, as we have done a large
amount of work on the Road bed and track.
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On the 17th of September, we commenced relaying a portion
of our flange rail track with T rail, 21 feet long, weight 40 pounds
to the yard, which rails we had re-rolled at the Atlanta Rolling
Mills, Atlanta, Ga. Cost of re-rolling 110 tons of old scrap and
flange rails, $3,271.67; freight of same, $687.50; chairs and
spikes, $551.25; 822 stringers 6 by 9, by 21 feet long, $776.79; 2880
cross ties, $720; labor, and use of gravel train, $1,252. Total cost,
$7,259.21, which amount is charged to repairs of Road extraordinary.
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On the 15th of July, we commenced building a levee of the
following dimensions: Length, 8000 feet; average height, 5 feet; width
on bottom, 12 feet; width on top, 5 feet. The object of the levee is
to protect section No. 8, which is all embankment. For several years,
it has been clearly shown that some relief should be given to the
south side of this section. In grading the Road bed, the earth was
borrowed immediately at the slope of the embankment, which formed a
large ditch the whole length of the embankment. This section runs just
along the banks of Bull Creek, and as the banks are very low, every
swell in the Creek forced the water out of the banks, which found its
way to the excavation along the base of the embankment, washing it to
a considerable extent yearly. In 1855, the Road rip-rapped all the
wash places, about one-eight of the embankment, thus leaving
seven-eights of the section yet exposed.
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The rip-raps would have been continued, but for the heavy
expense of doing the work. After consultation, it was deemed best to
build a permanent levee.
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In the early part of July I had a consultation with Mr.
G. Hollenbeck and Judge M. J. Crawford, and they gave their consent
for us to run the levee through their lands.
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Estimated cost of building the levee, $1,028.50, which
amount is charged to repairs of Road extraordinary.
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On the 1st of January, we employed twelve extra hands for
the gravel train. This force is now at work, clearing out the deep
cuts and widening embankments, which work it was very important to do,
as several of our high embankments were very narrow.
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With this extra force at work, we will have the Road bed
in excellent order by the 31st of December. We now have fifty-four
negro men and seven overseers on the repairs of Road. For the ensuing
year, we will not require more than forty negro men and six overseers.
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The track is in very good order. Amount of ties and
stringers delivered on the Road for repairs of track -- ties 19,821,
equal to a renewal of eleven miles; stringers 7,430, making lineal
feet 155,730, and 546,105 feet broad measure, equal to 11 1/4 miles of
track.
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| Cost of Ties |
$4,955.25 |
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| Cost of Stringers |
5,461.05 |
$10,416.30 |
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Seventy-five thousand seven hundred and forty-four board
measure sawed lumber were used for repairs on bridges. Shanties, Road
crossings, &c., cost $757.44.
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Our bridges are in good condition, with the exception of
one over the crossing on the south side of the Depot at Columbus. This
one needs rebuilding.
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It will be necessary during the year to build brick
culverts at the following places on the Road: Section No. 2, one
culvert, cost $174; Section No. 12, one, cost $122; Section No. 23,
one, cost $153.
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The repairs of our Locomotives have been heavy for the
past year, having had to put new furnaces in three engines, besides
other extensive repairs. They are now in excellent order, except
engines Columbus and Howard.
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There have been built in our Car Shop within the year,
two long box Freight Cars, with iron trucks, and rebuilt one box
Freight and nine platform Freight Cars; also built five Water Tanks
for Stations on the Road, and have done all necessary repairs to keep
the cars in good order. Our stock of cars now consist of
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| 3 |
First-class Passenger |
| 4 |
Second-class Passenger and Baggage |
| 3 |
Conductors' Freight |
| 1 |
Express Freight |
| 28 |
Box Freight |
| 48 |
Platform Freight |
| 1 |
Stock Freight |
| 12 |
Gravel for Road |
| 10 |
Repair for Road |
| 2 |
Crank for Road |
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We have materials on hand as follows:
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| For repairs of Road and Bridges, good Rails,
Chairs, Spikes, Ties, Stringers, Bridges and other Lumber |
$2,500.00 |
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| Worn-out Rails, &c. |
1,400.00 |
$3,900.00 |
| Materials for Cars |
$2,025.00 |
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| Materials for Engines |
3,030.00 |
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| Fuel and Water |
350.00 |
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| Material for repairs of Buildings |
340.00 |
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| Oil, Tallow and Waste |
1,020.00 |
$6,765.00 |
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$10,665.00 |
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The contract for building a Passenger House at Columbus
was awarded to Messrs. Barringer & Morton, on the 10th of
September, for the sum of $14,000. The building, when finished , will
be 202 feet long, 75 feet wide, side walls 18 feet high from floor
line, thickness of walls 2 1/2 -- brick. Plan of roof to be the same
as the one built by the Central Rail Road Company at Macon.
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By reference to Table B, you will find our receipts of
cotton for the past year have been 76,656 bales; previous year,
92,202, thus showing a decrease of 15,546 bales. For the last two
months, no cotton has been shipped over the Road, and as other
freights were so light, we discontinued running our regular freight
train, and we are now hauling all freight by day-passenger trains,
except lumber and wood.
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There has been a decrease in our passenger receipts of
$13,935.77, as compared with the previous year. I would therefore
recommend taking off one of our daily passenger trains. By so doing,
we would decrease our transportation expenses, and I am confident that
we can do all the passenger business that is now offering, with one
daily train.
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It affords me much satisfaction to inform you, that our
trains have been very regular, having had no run-offs or accidents of
a serious nature, involving life or limb, or material injury to the
Company's property, during the year.
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For the details of the business of the Road for the year
ending July 31, 1861, I beg to refer you to the Treasurer's Report,
and the tables which accompany this Report.
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Respectfully submitted.
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W. L. Clark
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Superintendent and Master Machinist
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