ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT.

COMMISSIONERS:

J. P. THOMPSON, Chairman, Lebanon.

JOHN D. YOUNG, Flat Creek.

I. A. SPALDING, Morganfield.

SECRETARY,

CLARENCE EGBERT, Frankfort.

COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.

To the HON. J. PROCTOR Knott,

Governor of the State of Kentucky: The Commissioners are gratified to be able to say that the past year has been one of unusual activity and prosperity for railroads. This activity has been displayed in a marked degree in our State by the extension of old roads and the construction of new ones. Since our last report 101.24 additional miles of road have been constructed and operated in the State, as follows:

Besides the above, there are now actually under contract

These new roads will be spoken of in detail elsewhere in this report.

Mileage.

The mileage of Railroads now in operation in the State is 2,098.286. There was an error in our last report of mileage.

The mileage then was 1,987.806, and it was set down in our report 2,057.586. The following table shows all the roads in the State and their length:

Nearly every road in the State shows an increase of business for the past year over the year 1885. The gross earnings of twenty-three of the principal roads in the State amount to $10,937,177.95, while the operating expenses amount to $6,095,375.33; which leaves the net earnings for same roads $4,402,603.24. The following table shows in detail the workings of the roads:

The amount received per ton of freight per mile, on the roads in the State, varies from seven mills to ten cents. The following table shows the earnings in detail:

It is very difficult to ascertain the cost of roads in this State. There are only a few roads in the State that have not been sold at decretal sale. Roads sold at decretal sale were reorganized by the purchasers, and the cost of those roads is what they sold for, not what was orignally paid for their construction and equipment. There are six roads in the State that were never sold, and their cost, as shown in their annual reports, represents the price of the construction, equipment, terminal facilities, machine shops, offices, and other property acquired by the companies. The following table shows the cost per mile of the roads mentioned: