round trip every 24 hours, going one way as a sleeping car and returning as a chair car."

On this subject the Railroad Gazette comments as follows:

"The interurban electric roads are building up an enormous traffic in the Middle West. In the States of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio all of the important towns and cities with the exception of those on the Lakes or the Ohio River, have been built up by the railroads. When the electric interurban lines came into the territory there were no profitable routes through nonrailroad towns and the projectors of the new roads naturally built their lines to connect with the already prosperous cities. The most feasible routes through this country are those of shortest distance where there are few natural obstructions requiring long de

has only been in local traffic, and, as is always the case, the new roads have created a large additional traffic over that taken away from the steam roads. Such a competition is not a permanent menace to the prosperity of the steam roads since it builds up a community from which they reap the benefit of the resulting large volume of freight and through passenger business. The electric roads, however, are not satisfied with their lion's share of the local passenger business, and by consolidation and traffic agreements have inaugurated competition with the steam roads for business for distances of 150 miles or over. Nor is this all; they have put in operation a package freight service which is to the local freight business what their passenger accommodations are to the local passenger business. Low rates and frequent service is the weapon of the electric lines in their fight for a foothold.

The running of sleeping cars is only another move to take from the steam roads more and more of their traffic. Such cars as have been described will provide every comfort and convenience for the traveling public at a substantial saving in fares, and there is no question but what they will be liberally patronized. The significant feature of the situation is that a new company is to operate in the new field with a type of car specially adapted to the service and differing considerably from the Pullman cars in use on the steam roads. The advent of the electric interurban lines means the building up of many new industries outside of the steam road field of which this is only one. The history of railroading by steam is being repeated in the consolidations and

tinue to move freight by steam engines. This road is in operation from Zanesville to Bellaire, 112 miles, making the total distance from Indianapolis to Bellaire 364 miles, or from Martinsville 394 miles, over which, in a short time, it will be possible to run a trolley car. From Bellaire to Wheeling an electric line is in operation, and between Wheeling and Pittsburg, 66 miles, a portion of the distance is covered by trolley roads from these cities, and it is promised that within a few months the connection will be completed. Then there will be possible a continuous trolley ride from Pittsburg to Indianapolis, 436 miles, to which might be added the 30-mile line to Martinsville, increasing the possible journey to one of 466 miles in the same general

constant improvements and betterments of the electric roads, and it may be that the electric trunk line will be a reality instead of a dream."

The following, together with a map showing the lines completed and in process of construction, in the states of Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania, is reproduced from The Railway Age:

"Electric railways, developing through the successive stages of urban, suburban and interurban, are now reaching forth to the proportions of steam lines, and through trains, sleepers and dining cars are among the possibilities of the future. The longest continuous line of electric roads, thus far, running in the same general direction, is that which may be formed by the half dozen companies now operating from Indianapolis, Ind., easterly via Richmond, Dayton, Springfield and Columbus to Newark, O., a distance of 226 miles, and from Indianapolis westerly to Martinsville, 30 miles, a total of 256 miles. Another line now under construction will soon extend from Newark to Zanesville, about 26 miles. There it will connect with the Ohio River and Western, successor to the old Bellaire, Zanesville and Cincinnati road, which is being converted into an electric line for its passenger service, although it will cop

direction, passing through four different States. From Indianapolis the journey might be continued almost indefinitely in other directions by connection with one of the many lines radiating from that great trolley center. The connection of Indiana and Ohio by the completion of the last gap between Columbus and Indianapolis was celebrated at Richmond, Ind., a few days ago. Five separate companies compose this route, 188 miles long. which soon expects to invite through traffic, namely, the Indianapolis and Eastern, Indianapolis to Dublin; Richmond Street and Interurban, to Richmond; Dayton and Western, to Dayton; Dayton, Springfield and Urbana, to Springfield; and Columbus, London and Springfield, to Columbus. Three other companies, the Columbus, Buckeye Lake and Newark, Newark and Zanesville and Ohio River and Western, will carry the connection to Bellaire; the Wheeling Traction Company will take the passenger to Wheeling, and between that point and Pittsburg two or more companies will ere long complete the line to Pittsburg.

"While the possibilities of through service over this combination of lines are large, the actualities are at present meager. It was intended to celebrate the completion of the roads between Indianapolis and Columbus by running a special

car of distinguished guests over the 188 miles between those chief cities, and then on to Newark; and in returning to make a detour from Dayton to Cincinnati over the electric line already in operation between those two cities. But not far out from Indianapolis it was found necessary to lose 20 minutes in removing the trolley stand in order to pass under a low bridge; and on reaching the outskirts of Dayton a still greater disappointment was experienced by finding that a curve in the track would have to be changed and an iron bridge would have to be widened before the big car could enter the city. These difficulties, which caused the abandonment of the through journey, indicate that there is need of considerable action in regard to uniform standards by the numerous companies concerned before through car service will be practicable.

"Our map shows this long stretch of electric lines, and also shows the steam roads which may be most directly affected by their competition for through passenger traffic. It will be seen that two or more steam roads are practically paralleled for the whole distance, and that between Indianapolis and Columbus the Panhandle and Big Four companies are especially interested. Any competition on through car and fast train travel between these trolley and steam roads is far in the distance, if it ever materializes; and while the trolleys are carrying and will increasingly carry a great local business from town to town, some of which would otherwise have gone by the steam roads, it is yet a question whether the electric lines do not create new business to so large an extent that the ultimate effect upon the steam roads may be beneficial rather than the reverse."

Prosperous Railways.-London, Boston and St. Paul entirely disagree with Wall street's valuation of Northern securities. Lord Strathcona tells his friends in London that it is worth nearer $200 per share than $100, but Burlington people in Boston tell their friends if they want to share in the future prosperity of the road they sold out at $200 per share, they cannot do better than buy Northern securities, which they declare is worth a good deal more than par, although selling at more than 10 per cent. discount. Mr. James J. Hill tells his friends in St. Paul that the Burlington road is now turning into the Northern Securities Company $7,000,000 of profit per annum, or 14 per cent. on the entire $400,000,000 of Northern securities share capital. He also declares that if Northern securities should be forced into liquidation, he believes he can liquidate it and return $140 per share. In London, in Canada, and in the Northwest, James J. Hill is reputed to hold the sharpest lead pencil that has ever figured on Northwestern prosperity, and that this is what Mr. Hill declares his lead pencil proves: "If the Northwest will grow one-half as much in the next ten years as it has in the past ten years, I can pay off not only the cost of the Burlington road, but all the bonds of the Burlington road and all the bonds of the Northern Pacific and the Great

Northern roads and increase the capital of the Northern Securities Company from $400,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 and pay 6 per cent. thereon."-Railway World.

Commerce Between Canada and the United States.-According to statistical information made public by the U. S. Treasury Department, commerce between the United States and Canada was larger in the fiscal year just ended than in any preceding year. This is true both as to imports and exports. The figures of the year's commerce, presented by the Department of Commerce and Labor through its Bureau of Statistics, show that the imports from Canada amounted to $54,660,410, and the exports to Canada, $123,472,416. In this term is included British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Of the imports of the year, $38,000,000, speaking in round terms, were from Quebec and Ontario, $10,000,000 from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and $6,000,000 from British Columbia. Of the exports $110,000,000 were to Quebec and Ontario, $7,000,000 to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and $6,000,000 to British Columbia.

Both in imports and exports the total of the year's commerce with Canada was larger than in any preceding year. The imports never before reached so much

A Record-Breaking Transcontinental Run.The Lowe special which left Chicago over the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe at 10:17 a. m. on August 5th, in an endeavor to reach Los Angeles by 10:30 on the night of August 7th, arrived at its destination at 1:06 p. m. Friday, August 7th, over nine hours ahead of the schedule, and thereby established what is very probably a new speed record, from ocean to ocean, of 73 hours 21 minutes, including all stops. The details of the record-breaking run are as follows: H. P. Lowe, chief engineer of the Engineering Company of America, left New York on Au

gust 4th at 2:45 p. m. on the Twentieth Century Limited of the New York Central in an effort to reach the bedside of his daughter, who was seriously ill at Los Angeles. After the train was on its way Mr. Lowe telegraphed ahead for a special train to Los Angeles, and on his arrival at Chicago at 9:54 a. m. was transferred by a cab, which was waiting, from the Grand Central to the Polk Street Station, 23 minutes being occupied by the change. From Chicago to Los Angeles the special, consisting of a coach and hotel car, traveled 2,265 miles in 52 hours 49 minutes, actual time, or 15 hours 10 minutes less than the schedule time of the California Limited of the Santa Fe. At Las Vegas, N. M., word reached Mr. Lowe that his daughter was dead.

The nearest approach on the Santa Fe to the time of the Lowe special was that of the Peacock special, which in March, 1900, made the run from Los Angeles to Chicago in 57 hours 56 minutes, an average speed of 38.55 miles an hour, actual time, or 41.7 miles per hour deducting stops. Furthermore, this train, coming from west to east, as it did, had the advantage of more favorable grades than are encountered on the run from east to west.

In April, 1901, President Hill made a run over the Great Northern from St. Paul to Seattle and return, covering 3,646 miles in 4 days and 23 hours, including a stop of nine hours at Seattle, and on the trip from Seattle to St. Paul, 1,823 miles, covered the distance in 45 hours 50