and yards in Louisville for the use of the Big Four railroad, which is already running its passenger trains into Louisville, using the Union Depot, at the foot of Seventh street, and will begin its freight service before the close of the year. The Chesapeake and Ohio will jointly use with the Big Four the Louisville and Jeffersonville Bridge Company's freight house and round house, and also run its passenger trains into the Seventh Street Union Depot.

This with the reorganization of the Kentucky and Indiana bridge by the Southern Railway, Baltimore and Ohio, Southwestern and Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroads (these companies having acquired in the past few months a majority of the securities of the K. and I.), and the reorganization of the Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern by the Illinois Central, will smash the monopoly of freight handling in Louisville, so long enjoyed by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Louisville Bridge Company.

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company recently bought the securities of the Shelby road, 19.10 miles, between Anchorage and Shelbyville, and is now constructing an extension about eight miles in length from Shelbyville to a junction with the Lexington division at Christiansburg, which will be completed about January 1, 1896, and this will hereafter be the main line between Lexington and Louisville, shortening the distance ten miles. This change is made in consideration of a contract with the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, which will hereafter operate its own trains through to Louisville over this line. Some of the local passenger trains of the L. and N. will continue to go via the old route.

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company has 103.31 miles of track in Kentucky full ballasted, (twelve inches of ballast under the ties), of which 56.74 miles is on the Circinnati Division, 11.82 miles on the Main Stem, 9.75 miles on the Knoxville Division, 3 miles on the Memphis Line, and 22 miles on the Henderson Division. Of the remainder of this system in Kentucky, 864.20 miles are partially ballasted, and 245.99 miles without ballast. This company has in this State 641.87 miles of track fenced on both sides--1,283.74 miles of fence. Of this, 40.59 miles of fence were built during the past year.

The L. and N. has in Kentucky 17.46 miles of 35-pound steel, 45.14 miles of 50-pound steel, 15.31 miles of 54-pound steel, 495.56 miles of 581 pound steel, 183.14 miles of 61-pound steel, 90.67 miles of 68-pound steel, 267.40 miles of 70pound steel, and 98.82 miles old iron rail. During the year 41.35 miles of 70-pound steel rail were laid as follows: Cincinnati Division, 3.37 miles; East Louisville to South Louisville, .22 miles; Kentucky Central Division, 3.62 miles; Main Stem, 8.70 miles; Knoxville Division, 14.76 miles; Henderson Division, 10.68 miles. This company expended for repairs of road, renewals of bridges, tunnels and maintenance of way during the year, $936,686 64; motive power and cars, $885,338.13; other improvements, $135,398.55.

The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railroad Company during the year ballasted 9.2 miles of track at a cost of $24,500; laid 34.71 miles of 75 pound steel rail at a cost of $42,500; built additional sidings at a cost of $15,443.52; electrical signals, $5,838.66; new buildings, $11,595.42.

On the Maysville and Big Sandy Railroad there was expended during the year for repair of road, renewals of bridges, etc., $175,758.07; for motive power and cars, $193,868.93. Eight miles of track was ballasted and five miles fenced. This road now has 196.61 miles of 70-pound steel rail, 37.79 miles of road ballasted with stone, 104.70 miles ballasted with gravel and 137 miles fenced.

The Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad expended during the year for repairs of road, etc., $73,626.14; for motive power and cars, $71,689.69. Eleven miles of track were ballasted with stone.

The Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern Railroad expended for repairs of road, etc., during the year $247,187.56; for motive power and cars, $198,868 58. There were ballasted with stone and gravel during the year 6.21 miles, and new 75-pound steel rail was laid upon miles. There were 23.81 miles of fence built. This company now has 89.5 miles of its track ballasted with stone, and 202.25 miles ballasted with gravel, leaving 105.25 miles of its entire line, from Louisville to Memphis,

During the past year the following railroads have been sold and reorganized:

The Middlesborough Belt Railroad was sold to the security holders of the Knoxville, Cumberland Gap and Louisville Railroad.

The Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia Railroad was reorganized as the Ohio River and Charleston Railroad.

The Paducah, Tennessee and Alabama Railroad was sold to parties said to be representing the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. It has not yet been reorganiz-d.

The Kentucky Union Railroad was sold to its creditors and reorganized as the Lexington and Eastern Railroad.

The Louisville Southern Railroad was sold to the Southern Railway, and is now styled the Southern Railway in Kentucky. The Cincinnati and Kentucky Southern was sold to the Alabama Great Southern, and it is said its track will be torn up and the road bed abandoned.

The Louisville Terminal Railroad was abandoned and its rails sold and taken up.

The Breckenridge Coal Road has not been operated for two years.

The Midland Railroad, forty miles in length, from Frankfort to Paris, by order of court, within the past few months has twice been offered for sale, but failed to bring the upset price, $320,000.

There has been no railroad construction in this State the past year save the eight-mile extension of the L. and N. from Shelbyville to Christiansburg, now about completed, and a coal road in Union county from Sturgis to the Ohio river, about three miles in length.

The following table shows the mileage:

TABLE No. 2.

Showing Mileage of Railroads in Kentucky from 1835 to 1895, Inclusive,

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, which has been operating the Cumberland and Ohio (Northern Division), from Shelbyville to Bloomfield (26.72 miles), has notified the president of the Cumberland and Ohio (N. D.) that it will throw up the contract January 1, 1896, the line having been operated at a steady loss. The contract was for a period of thirty years, not yet expired, and the owners of the line, it is reported, will insist upon its fulfillment. The Southern Railway Company in Kentucky has been offered the line, and it is now said some arrangements will be made to continue its operation.

President M. E. Ingalls, of the C. and O. Railroad, advises Ashland capitalists that at a very early date steps will be taken to extend the Ohio and Big Sandy Division of the C. & O. Railroad from the present terminus at Richardson through the coal-fields of Johnson, Floyd and Pike counties, Ky., via the Breaks of Sandy, to connect with the C., C. and C. road, now operating from Charleston, S. C., to Johnson City, Tenn. The entire stretch of territory thus to be opened up is exceedingly

rich in coal and timber, while iron deposits are found on the lower stretch. The route will be practically the same as that surveyed by the three C's some years ago, and over which the entire distance rights of way have already been obtained. Two or three different surveys into the rich coal fields of Morgan county are being made, and it is probable that a railroad line will penetrate this favored section at an early day.

The Pan Handle Bridge, from Newport to Cincinnati, is being rebuilt and equipped with double track.

COMPLAINTS.

A number of complaints have been filed with the Commission since our last annual report, and various steps taken in those previously filed as hereinafter stated.

Rates on Tobacco at Adairville.

Frank G. Wake & Co.,
Complainants,

vs.

The Louisville & Nashville
Railroad Co., Defendant.

Complaint-Unjust discrimination in rates on tobacco from Adairville and contiguous points to New York.

As shown in our last Annual Report, page LX, a petition was filed before the Inter-State Commerce Commission by this Board on the 26th day of January, 1895, seeking to obtain for complainants the relief sought. A letter was addressed to complainants advising them fully as to the steps taken. Later, complainants wrote the Commission that the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company had satisfactorily adjusted the matter with them, and that they desired the Commission to dismiss the proceedings before the Inter-State Commerce Commission.

This the Commission did not feel warranted in doing, in as much as the proceedings then pending were for the purpose of procuring the relief not only for the complainants, Frank G. Wash & Co., but for all other shippers at Adairville and points contiguous thereto. The Commission having declined to accede to complainants' request, defendant, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, then filed its answer with the InterState Commerce Commission. In a recent conference with that body, this Commission were assured that an early date would be fixed for a full hearing of the complaint.