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Internal Communications

The growth of the railway system of the United States dates from 1827, when the first line was opened for traffic at Quincy, Massachusetts. The extent of railways in operation in 1830 was 23 miles; it rose to 2,818 miles in 1840; to 9,021 miles in 1850; to 30,635 miles in 1860; to 53,399 miles in 1870; to 84,393 miles in 1880; to 91,147 miles in 1881; and to 171,000 miles in 1892, 4,168 miles having been added during 1891. The railways are divided as follows among the great groups of States, the statistics overlapping to some extent: - New England States,6,839 miles; Middle Atlantic, 20,112 miles; Central Northern, 36,913 miles; South Atlantic, 17,- 511 miles; Gulf and Mississippi Valley, 13,568 miles; South-Western, 33,038 miles; North-Western, 27,578 miles; Pacific, 12,180 miles.

The total capital invested in railways in 1890 was $9,680,942,249; the gross yearly earnings, $1,003,735,656, and the net earnings, $322,284,986. In the 56 principal cities of the United States in 1888-89 there were altogether 3,151 miles of street railway, 2,351 miles being worked by animal power, 260 miles by electricity, 256 miles by cable, and 283 miles by steam.

The telegraphs of the United States are almost entirely in the hands of the Western Union Telegraph Company, which had in 1890 183,917 miles of line, 678,- 997 miles of wire, and 19,382 offices; the number of messages sent in 1890 was 55,- 887,762; the receipts, $22,389,029; expenses, $15,074,304; and profits, $7,312,725. Including minor companies, there were altogether over 210,000 miles of telegraph line open for public use in 1890. In 1890 there were 193,213 miles of telephone wire belonging to one company, with 449,861 telephones, and 757 telephone exchanges. Including this company it is estimated that in 1890 there were about 250,000 miles of wire for telephone use. In 1892 over 300,000 miles. The postal business of the United States for the fiscal years of 1886-90 was as follows:- Fiscal Year end- Pieces of Mail Registered Sacks handled.

Total. ing June 30. handled.

Packages. 1886 5,329,521,475 15,525,844 798,725 5,345,846,044 1887 5,834,690,875 15,752,569 950,613 5,851,394,057 1888 6,528,772,060 16,001,059 1,103,083 6,545,876,202 1889 7,027,837,339 15,866,550 1,134,898 7,044,838,787 1890 7,847,723,600 16,576,293 1,138,208 7,865,438,101 Money orders issued (1889-90) :- 10,624,727 amounting to $114,362,757.12 Domestic..

International.

Postal notes.

Total. 859,054 6,927,825 18,411,606 " " " 13,230,135.71 12,160,489.60 $139,753,382.43 There are (1890) 62,401 offices. The total expenditure of the department during the year 1889-90 was $65,930,717.11; total receipts, $60,882,097.92; excess of expenditure over receipts, $5,048,619.19.