Making in the aggregate of the main line and branches, a distance of about 861 miles, upon which there was laid during the year ending June 30, 1891, 10,545.71 tons of new steel rails, 66 pounds per yard weight, and 382,065 new ties, mostly oak, with some pine and tamarac. The depots, station houses and other buildings, the property of this road, are well preserved, newly painted and neatly kept.

The bridges on this road in the State of North Dakota are as follows: One iron bridge crossing the Missouri river between Bismarck and Mandan, consisting of three spans of 400 feet each, with two short spans, the one on the east end, connecting with the east bank of the Missouri river, and the one on the west end, connecting with the high trestle. This bridge is 1,442 feet 10 inches long. Twenty-four wooden bridges, the aggregate length of which is 2,174 feet 6 inches, and six combination bridges, with an aggregate length of 974 feet 10 inches. There are 752 trestles, with an -aggregate length of 58,943 feet, the longest one of which is at the west end of the iron bridge crossing the Missouri river between Bismarck and Mandan, which trestle is 2,132 feet long. The company has commenced to fill this trestle, and it is expected that this filling will be completed during the next season. The bridges and trestles are all in good condition. There are no tunnels on this

road in the State of North Dakota.

This company has added to its equipment, during the year ending June 30, 1891, 15 new passenger locomotives, making the number now in use 74, of which 73 are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake. Seventy-three new freight locomotives, making the number now in use 392, of which 389 are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake. There are 29 switching locomotives in use, of which 16 are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake. The company has also in use 108 leased locomotives, all of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, making the total number of new locomotives added to their equipment during the year 88, and the total number of locomotives in use during the year 603, 586 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake.

Sixteen new first-class passenger cars were also added, making the number now in use 69; 9 new second-class passenger cars, making the number now in use 50; 4 new combination passenger cars, making the number now in use 20. There are 40 emigrant cars, 24 dining cars, 45 sleeping cars, in use and which have not been added to during the year. Three new baggage, express and postal cars, making the number now in use 98; one new business car, making the number in use 16, making 33 new cars added to the passenger service during the year, making the total number of cars in the passenger service at the end of the year June 30, 1891, 362, all of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 37 of which are equipped with the Cowell automatic

coupler, and 325 with the Miller automatic coupler; 1,533 new box cars, making the number now in use 6,778, 4,257 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 1,150 of which are equipped with the Janney automatic coupler, and 500 with the Gould automatic coupler; 713 new flat cars, making the number now in use 4,045, 1,831 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 450 of these are equipped with the Janney automatic coupler and 550 with the Gould automatic coupler; 242 new coal cars, making the number of coal cars now in use 1,532, 831 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake; 11 new refrigerator cars, making the number of refrigerator cars now in use 196, 30 of which are used exclusively for fruit, and all of these refrigerator cars are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 50 of them are equipped with the Janney automatic coupler, 36 with the Miller automatic coupler, and 50 with the Gould automatic coupler; 58 new other road cars, making the number of other road cars at the end of the year 550, 32 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake. The company had also 849 stock cars in use at the end of the year, all of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake. The total number of new cars added to the freight service during the year ending June 30, 1891, being 2,557, making the total number of cars used in the freight service of the company during said year 13,954, 7,996 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 2,786 are equipped with automatic couplers; 35 new caboose cars, making the total number of caboose cars now in the company's service 335, 236 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake; 238 new other road cars, making the total number of other road cars in the company's service at the end of the year (June 30, 1891) 1,707, 5 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake. There are also 11 derrick cars for use in the company's service. The total number of new cars added to the company's equipment during the year 2.863, making the total number of cars owned by the company and in its service at the close of the year ending June 30, 1891, 16,369, 8,599 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 3,148 of which are equipped with automatic couplers. The company had also in its service, at the close of the year ending June 30, 1891, 3,771 leased cars, 3,571 of which were equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 41 with the automatic coupler, making the total number of cars in the service of the company at the close of the year ending June 30, 1891, 20,140. Total number equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, 12,170. Total number equipped with automatic couplers, 3,189.

This company consumed on its locomotives in the State of North Dakota, during the year ending June 30, 1891, 113,465 tons of bituminous coal, 355 cords of hard wood, and 3,197 cords of

soft wood. The number of miles run upon this amount of fuel were 3,137,267.

The passenger equipment and service of this road is not excelled by any road in the United States, and is not equaled by many. The Board has received various and numerous applications for better facilities for shipping grain, produce and live stock from persons living along the main line and branches of this road,* during the time of this visit and inspection; also some prior and subsequent thereto, all of which will be hereinafter fully set forth, together with the answer of the company to the same.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

The Commissioners made their annual visit and inspection of the main line and branches operated by the Great Northern Railway company in the State of North Dakota, pursuant to the provisions of Section 10, of Chapter 122, of the Session Laws of 1890, after giving due notice thereof, as required by law, in the following order:

Wahpeton, De Villo, Hankinson, Stilef and Lidgerwood, in the county of Richland, on the 10th day of June.

Ellendale and Geulph, in the county of Dickey; Straubville, Rutland and Cayuga, in the county of Sargent; Dwight, Colfax and Walcott, in the county of Richland; Kindred, Davenport, Durbin and Page City, in the county of Cass; and Hope, in the county of Steele, on the 11th day of June.

Armenia, Arthur, Hunter, Erie, Ripon, Everest and Casselton, in the county of Cass; Blanchard, Mayville, Portland, Clifford, Galesburg and Hatton, in the county of Traill; and Northwood, in the county of Grand Forks, on the 12th day of June.

Langdon, Osnabrook and Milton, in the county of Cavalier; Edinburg, Park River and Conway, in the county of Walsh; Inkster, Orr, McCanna, Larimore and Niagara, in the county of Grand Forks; Petersburg, Michigan City, Mapes and Lakota, in the county of Nelson; Bartlett, Crary and Devils Lake, in the county of Ramsey, on the 13th day of June.

Grand Harbor and Church's Ferry, in the county of Ramsey; Cando, in the county of Towner; Rolla and St. John, in the county of Rolette; Leeds, York and Pleasant Lake, in the county of Benson; Rugby Junction, in the county of Pierce; Willow City and Bottineau, in the county of Bottineau, on the 16th day of June.

Towner, in the county of McHenry; Minot, in the county of Ward; Stanley and White Earth, in the county of Mountraille; Williston and Buford, in the county of Buford, on the 17th day of June.

Neche, Bathgate, Hamilton, Glaston, St. Thomas, Crystal and Cavalier, in the county of Pembina; Auburn, Grafton, Minto and

Ardock, in the county of Walsh; and Manvel, in the county of Grand Forks, on the 18th day of June.

Grand Forks, Ojata, Emerado, Arvilla, Thompson and Reynolds, in the county of Grand Forks; Buxton, Cummings, Hillsboro and Kelso, in the county of Traill; Grandin, Gardner, Argusville, Harwood and Fargo, in the county of Cass, on the 19th day of June, 1891.

The Aberdeen & Ellendale line of the Great Northern Railway, in the State of North Dakota, from where the said line crosses the Bois de Sioux, the east line of the State, to Ellendale, a distance of about 94 miles, and from Rutland to the south State line, a distance of about 10 miles, making about 104 miles of this line in the State of North Dakota. The roadbed is fairly well ballasted, and both track and roadbed are in good condition.

The Wahpeton & Moorhead line, in the State of North Dakota, from Wahpeton to where said line crosses the Red River, a distance of about 6 miles. The track and roadbed are in good condition.

The Wahpeton & Larimore line, from Wahpeton to Larimore, via Ripon and Portland Junction, a distance of about 131 miles, and from Everest to Portland Junction, via Casselton and Mayville, a distance of about 50 miles, and from Ripon to Hope, a distance of about 30 miles, making a total distance on this line of about 211 miles.

On that portion of this line from Casselton to Portland Junction, via Mayville (what is known as the Mayville branch) the rails are old and badly worn and the ties are sunk in the ground and much decayed. The officers of the Great Northern Railway, however, have stated that this portion of their line shall receive their attention and will be put in as good repair and condition as the remainder of their line, as soon as the company can do so. The roadbed of the remainder of this line is fairly well ballasted, and both track and roadbed are in good condition, except as herein. stated.

On the Fargo, Grand Forks & Neche line, from Fargo to the north boundary line, a distance of about 155 miles, the roadbed is fairly well ballasted, and the track and roadbed are in good condition.

On the main line of this company, from Grand Forks to the Montana state line, a distance of about 354 miles, the roadbed is well ballasted, and the track and roadbed are in very good condition.

On the Park River & Langdon branch, from Park River Junction to Langdon, a distance of about 76 miles, both track and roadbed are in good condition.

On the Pembina Mountain line, from Grafton to Cavalier, a distance of about 31 miles, both track and roadbed are in good condition.

On the Cando & St. John line, from Church's Ferry to St. John, a distance of about 55 miles, both the track and road bed are in good condition.

On the Bottineau branch, from Rugby Junction to Bottineau, a distance of about 38 miles, the track and roadbed are in good condition, making a total of about 1,030 miles, of which about 144 miles are laid with iron rails and about 886 miles are laid with steel rails, 60 pounds to the yard weight, and the company is replacing its iron rails with steel as fast as the same can be accomplished without detriment to its other business.

There were 4 tons of new steel rails and 194,692 new ties laid during the year ending June 30, 1891, to replace old and worn out rails and decayed ties.

This company's equipment at the close of the year ending June 30, 1891, consisted of 82 passenger locomotives, 2 of which were added during the year, all of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake; 141 freight locomotives, 1 of which was added during the year and 2 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 3 with the American train brake; 33 switching locomotives, 1 of which is equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, 2 with the American steam driver brake and 1 with Eames' vacuum brake, making the aggregate number of locomotives owned by the company and in its service 256, 3 of which were added to the company's equipment during the year..

There are 97 first-class passenger cars, 3 of which were added during the year, and all equipped with the Westinghouse train brake and Miller automatic coupler; 21 combination passenger cars, 2 of which were added to the company's equipment during the year, all equipped with the Westinghouse train brake and Miller automatic coupler; 6 dining cars, all of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake and Miller automatic coupler; 38 sleeping cars, 37 of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake and Miller automatic coupler, and 1 with the hand brake; 52 baggage, express and postal cars, 2 of which were added to the company's equipment during the year, all of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake, and 49 of which are equipped with the Miller automatic coupler; 3 other cars, all of which are equipped with the Westinghouse train brake and Miller automatic coupler, making the total number of cars in the company's passenger service 217, 7 of which were added to the company's equipment during the year.

There are 6,348 box cars, 509 of which were added to the company's equipment during the year; 1,328 flat cars, 225 of which were added to the company's equipment during the year; 478 stock cars (coal cars included with the flat cars in the report of the company); 103 refrigerator cars and 416 furniture and hay cars, 400 of which were added to the company's equipment during the year, making the total number of cars in the company's freight