Railroads 
179 
cross. The people there are as civilized as those in Massachusetts, 
Illinois, and New York, but they are so few in number that it does not 
pay to build railroads to carry their scanty freight. 
How plains and mountains influence the number of railroads. 
On a relief map of California notice how largely the railroads are lim- 
ited to the low, level regions of the coast and the great central valley 
or plain. In the first place, the mountains have too sparse a popula- 
tion to provide much railroad business, while the plain is thickly settled 
and productive. Second, railroads are extremely expensive among 
mountains. The grades, curves, bridges, cuttings, and tunnels make 
it cost ten, twenty, or even fifty times as much to build a mile of rail- 
road in the mountains as in the plains. Moreover, the mountain 
railroad is relatively long because of the windings, and the expense of 
running trains is great not only because much coal is needed, but be- 
cause of wear and tear, and low speed. 
How natural resources attract railroads. Among the mountain 
railroads of the world a large number have been built to open up nat- 
ural resources, such as minerals. For example, the Leadville road 
in Colorado is famous as the highest in the United States. The rail- 
road would scarcely have been built if it had not been for the silver 
and lead ores that attracted large numbers of miners. Elsewhere 
mountain railroads have often been built to tap resources of lumber in 
rugged regions that would otherwise have no good lines of communica- 
tion. The woods of northern Maine contain many such roads. 
Another resource of rugged regions is the scenery. Many people 
will pay more than the ordinary rate of fare in order to enjoy it; 
0D. Dickie 
F1g. 130. Nine pairs of horses are hauling four wagon loads of wool to market, across the Wyo- 
ming sage-brush. Which would be the better substitute — a railroad train or a motor truck?