188 
Modern Business Geography 
2. Make a list of all the special types of railroad cars that you find. What 
are the rcasons for each type of construction? 
3. Note where the tracks are placed with reference to (a) waterways; (b) 
valleys or plains; (c¢) factories; (d) distributing houses; (e) retail stores; 
(f) residence districts. 
What are the main cities through which the freight train observed by you 
has passed or will pass? Find out what a *‘ division point ”’ means on a 
railroad, and mark the division points on a map showing the line traversed 
by your freight train. 
Find out how the number of freight trains on your railroad compares with 
the number of passenger trains. How manv other kinds of trains traverse 
the line? 
Look up the history of your railroad. When and why wasitbuilt? What 
were the chief difficulties in its construction ? 
What is the present financial condition of your railroad? Look up the 
values of its stocks and bonds in the financial pages of the newspaper. 
Find out how many people the railroad employs in your town or city. 
List the different workers, as ticket agent, freight agent, etc., and explain 
briefly the work of each. 
F. How railroads are financed. 
1. Find out how the money is procured to build and equip railways. Try 
to ascertain how brokers and the stock market are connected with the 
matter. Study the lists of stocks and bonds in a newspaper and use 
them as the basis of a report on the degree of prosperity of various roads. 
G. The advantage of electrification of railways. 
1. In what way is the electrified railroad superior to the steam railroad for 
(a) city districts; (b) mountainous districts: (c) tourist and passenger 
traffic ? 
How does the use of the electric engine reduce the damage done by forest 
fires in the Rocky Mountain states? 
What sections of the country can best use electric transportation devel- 
oped from water power? How well are these sections supplied with coal ? 
New York does not permit the railroads to run steam locomotives into 
the city; electric engines are required. Why? 
5. Investigate the electrification of some one railroad. 
Be