WOODWORTH & LOUISIANA CENTRAL RAILWAY. The Woodworth & Louisiana Central Railway serves the mill of the Rapides Lumber Company at Woodworth, Louisiana, a station on the Iron Mountain railroad which has a spur track to the mill. The tap line and lumber company are identical in interest with the same principal officers. The tap line has a standard-gauge track extending from the mill eastward for six miles to La Moria, Louisiana, connecting with the Southern Pacific, Texas & Pacific, and Rock Island lines. Its main track, however, is narrow gauge and runs from the mill westward for 18 miles to a point from which unincorporated tracks extend into the timber. The right of way for the narrow-gauge track is leased from the lumber company; but the steel in the unincorporated logging spurs, on the other hand, is owned by the tap line and leased to the lumber company, as are four narrow-gauge locomotives which the lumber company utilizes in the operation of the logging spurs. The equipment of the tap line consists of 1 standard-gauge locomotive, 5 narrow-gauge locomotives, and 2 standard and 9 narrow-gauge cars. The logs are hauled from the end of the incorporated track to the mill by the tap line with-out charge against the lumber company and are dumped into the mill pond by the trainmen. The standard-gauge locomotive of the tap line switches the carloads of lumber from the planing mill to the point from which they are taken by the Iron Mountain, a distance, as the record indicates, of only 25 feet, or less than a car length. About 95 per cent of the lumber moves through La Moria, being switched to that point, a distance of six miles, by the tap line. The explanation doubtless lies in the fact that the allowances from the Iron Mountain out of the through rates run from 11 to 51 cents, while the trunk lines connecting at La Moria allow from 2 to 54 cents. There are no joint rates except on lumber. The record indicates that 40,707 tons of freight was handled for the lumber company during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910, and that there was 2,100 tons of outside traffic, consisting of merchandise, farm products, and miscellaneous material. It does not appear what proportion of this tonnage was intended for employees of the lumber company. There is no passenger service.

The Woodworth & Louisiana Central was incorporated in 1900, with a capital stock of $25,000. It has no bonds, but is indebted to the lumber company in the sum of $88,000 and to a bank in the amount of $10,000. Its operations for the year ending June 30, 1910, resulted in a deficit; but there was a surplus on that date, resulting from previous years, amounting to nearly $10,000. It files annual reports with the Commission.

ADDENDUM: The Woodworth & Louisiana Central Railway case was appealed through the United States Commerce Court, and eventually decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1914. The following was abstracted from that decision, published in 234 U.S. 1:

WOODWORTH & LOUISIANA CENTRAL RAILWAY. The Woodworth & Louisiana Central Railway Company and the Rapides Lumber Company, situated at Woodworth, are identical in interest. The mill is near the Iron Mountain which has a spur track to the mill, and the tap line has a standard gauge track from the mill to La Moria, about six miles, where it connects with the Southern Pacific Railway, Texas & Pacific Railway and Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, and a narrow gauge track in the other direction for 18 miles whence spur tracks go into the timber. The equipment consists of 1 standard gauge locomotive, 5 narrow gauge locomotives and 2 standard and 9 narrow gauge cars. The steel in the logging spurs and 4 of the narrow gauge locomotives used by the lumber company on the spurs are owned by the tap line and leased to the lumber company; while the right of way for the narrow gauge track is leased from the lumber company.

The tap line hauls the logs from its terminus to the mill without charge, where they are dumped by the trainmen into the mill pond. The carloads of lumber are switched by the tap line from the planing mill to the place where they are taken by the Iron Mountain, about 25 feet. About 95% of the lumber goes through La Moria, being switched there by the tap line; the allowances from the Iron Mountain out of through rates being from 1 1/2 to 5 1/2c per 100 pounds, while from the trunk lines at La Moria from 2 to 5 1/2c. There are no joint rates except on lumber. For the year ending June 30, 1910, there was 40,707 tons of freight handled for the lumber company and 2,100 tons of outside traffic. It has no passenger business. Its operations for that year showed a deficit, but there was a surplus from previous years of nearly $10,000. It files annual reports with the Commission.