Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Mississippi River and Bonne Terre Railway

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The railroad of Mississippi River and Bonne Terre Railway, hereinafter called the carrier, is a single-track standard-gauge steam railroad, located in southeastern Missouri, and extending from Riverside in a general southwesterly direction to the lead-mining field in St. Francois County. The main stem, from Riverside to Doe Run, is 46.492 miles long. Eight short branch lines have a total trackage of 17.418 miles. Sidings and spurs aggregate 30.664 miles, and all tracks owned 94.574 miles.

Corporate history.—The carrier was incorporated for a term of 50 years on May 11, 1888, under the provisions of chapter 21, articles 1 and 2, of the revised statutes of Missouri. The incorporators were nominees of the St. Joseph Lead Company. The avowed purpose of the corporation was to construct, operate, and maintain a standard or broad gauge railroad, extending in a northerly direction from Bonne Terre, St. Francois County, through St. Francois and Jefferson Counties, in Missouri, to a point on the Mississippi River now known as Riverside. The proposed line was 30 miles in length, and the authorized capital stock was equivalent to $10,000 per mile, or $300,000.

The following amendments to the original charter have been filed: On May 1, 1891, to change the style of construction of the road from standard to narrow gauge, and on November 4, 1893, to change it back from narrow to standard gauge; on May 1, 1891, to extend the line from its then southern terminus at Bonne Terre to Doe Run, about 18 miles, and on June 21, 1895, to make a further extension of about 12.5 miles, southerly from Doe Run to a point in Madison County, Mo.; on May 1, 1891, to increase the authorized capital stock to $500,000; on June 21, 1895, to $600,000; on September 14, 1903, to $2,500,000; and on August 3, 1911, to $3,000,000, which is the amount of capital stock authorized on June 30, 1914, the date of valuation.

Further facts under this heading, including a statement of the development of the physical property of the carrier, are given in Appendix 2.

APPENDIX 2

CORPORATE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF FIXED PHYSICAL PHYSICAL PROPERTY

At the time the carrier was incorporated in 1888, the mine products of the St. Joseph Lead Company were hauled 18 miles by ox-team from the mines to Bonne Terre. From Bonne Terre they were transported 10 miles westerly by a narrow-gauge industrial line to Summit, a point on the line of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Company. The narrow-gauge line was apparently owned by the St. Joseph Lead Company. It was removed after the carrier's property was placed in service.

The carrier's main line from Riverside to Bonne Terre, 29.246 miles, was constructed for it by the St. Joseph Lead Company during 1889 and 1890. It was placed in regular service on March 10, 1890. The extension of the main line from Bonne Terre to Doe Run Junction, 13.898 miles, was also built by the St. Joseph Lead Company for the carrier. It was placed in service in June, 1892. The southerly end of the main stem, extending from Doe Run Junction to Doe Run, 2.348 miles, was built, during 1892, by the Doe Run Lead Company, a subsidiary of the St. Joseph Lead Company. It was operated by the carrier under lease until September, 1893, when it was purchased outright. The foregoing 46.492 miles of line were originally built as narrow gauge, but was changed to standard gauge in 1893-4. The four branch lines, embracing 17.418 miles, were constructed as standard gauge as follows:

Turpin branch, Doe Run to Turpin, built by the carrier in 1895-6 3.007

Hoffman branch, Hoffman Junction to Big River, 3.180 miles, built by the carrier in 1899, and extension from Big River to end of track, 3.605 miles, built by the carrier in 1902 6.785

Gumbo branch, from River Mines to Mitchell Junction, 3.289 miles, was built by the St. Joseph Lead Company in 1898 and was purchased by the carrier in 1901; the extension from Mitchell Junction to the end of track, 1.326 miles, was built by the carrier in 1906 4.615

Crawley branch, from Flat River to milepost 1.03, 1.03 miles, was constructed by the St. Joseph Lead Company in 1893 and was purchased by the carrier in 1901; from milepost 1.03 to Columbia Mill, 0.731 mile was constructed by the Doe Run Lead Company in 1900-1901 and was acquired by the carrier in 1908. The extension of 1.250 miles from Columbia Mill to end of track was built by the Columbia Lead Company in 1897, and was acquired by the carrier from the Doe Run Lead Company in 1908 3.011

Total 17.418