Payment of State As mentioned in a previous paragraph, the attempt of the State to operate successfully a central railroad ended in utter failure. In 1851 the people of Illinois were under a burden of some $60,000,000 as the outcome of the experiment. The establish ment and active operation, with ever continuing development of the road, enabled the whole of that debt to be paid off in due course with proper interest.
Other Benefits to State and The persistency of the railroad authorities in extend ing their own lines and giving added vitality to smaller railroads made possible the cultivation of the Grand Prairie, previously waste, thereby raising the prestige of the State as a pro ductive national factor of extraordinary im portance. It is on record that over $3,000,000 has been expended since about 1836 by the rail road company upon the construction of dikes, piers and breakwaters to protect the city against lake encroachments. Very great benefits, too, have been derived by Chicago from being brought into close commercial touch with prairie lands and the agricultural area of the Lower Mississippi Valley. Chicago has also gained an outlet by rail to the Gulf of Mexico. It is said, to the credit of the Illinois Central Company, that the extent and vigorous adminis tration of its affairs during the period extend ing from the inception of the World's Fair in 1893 until its close made the success of that enterprise possible by furnishing ample trans portation within its jurisdiction for the im mense passenger and freight traffic which im pended there from start to finish.
The States in which the Illi nois Central Railroad is now operating are Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri and Alabama. The present total mileage of the road, includ ing leased lines and the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, is nearly one-half the rail way mileage of the State. The total number of stockholders in the company, according to the latest report of the Interstate Commerce Com mission, is 10,697. The par value of stock out standing since 1908 was $109,296,000. The highest rate at which stock was quoted in 1904 was 159; lowest 125X. The highest rate quoted for 1905 was 183; lowest 15234 at end of 1910, around 135.
Other lines operating in Illinois are the Santa Fe; Baltimore and Ohio; Chicago and Alton; Chicago and Northwestern; Chicago, Burlington and Quincy; Chicago Great West ern; Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville; Chi cago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul; Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific; Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and Saint Louis; Erie; "Frisco Sys tem'; Grand Trunk; Great Central Route; Iowa Central; Lake Erie and Western; Lake Shore and Michigan Southern; Louisville and Nashville; Michigan Central; Missouri Pacific; Mobile and Ohio; New York, Chicago and Saint Louis; Pennsylvania; Southern; Toledo, Saint Louis and Western; Vandalia; Wabash and Wisconsin Central.