The method of financiering these competitive extensions varied: sometimes the parent company guaranteed the principal and interest of the branch-line bonds; sometimes it took these into its treasury and issued collateral bonds against them; sometimes, perhaps more frequently still, it leased new roads for a rental equivalent to the annual interest on their bonds. If the branches could have earned their fixed charges the burden on the Atchison would have been nominal, but as in large part they could not it was real and serious. In 1888 there were actually paid in rentals, interest on Sonora Railway bonds, and on sundry railway bonds, $2,361,300. Large sums were carried to capital account. In 1888 there was an accumulated account of “due from sundry leased, controlled, and auxiliary roads in construction and general account” (net) $13,558,678, including various cash current construction and other charges, which was carried as an asset, but which in reality consisted of advances from which there was little or no hope of return. Besides the claims for interest the parent company had in practice other claims to meet. Where a branch failed to earn operating expenses, as often happened, sums had to be advanced to keep the road and rolling stock in repair. Thus the item “due from auxiliary roads in current traffic and operation accounts” amounted in 1888 to $1,008,554. Bills and accounts payable the same year were $6,553,775, and accrued interest, taxes, and sinking funds totalled $915,337. The following table shows vividly the effect upon the system of the rapid extension of the years 1884 to 1888: _Total System_ 1884 1888 Mileage 2,799 7,010 Bonds 48,258,500 163,694,000 Stock (Atchison) 60,673,150 75,000,000 Gross earnings 16,699,662 28,265,339 Operating expenses 9,410,424 21,958,195 Net earnings from operation 7,289,237 6,307,145 Net profits, excluding dividends 5,147,883 def. 2,933,197 Net profits, including payments for dividends and interest on floating debt def. 5,557,323