Railroads, like manufactures, have undergone important changes since the first line in the United States was opened for business in 1830. Originally projected as local enterprises with local capital, they gradually became national in character and in service. Further consolidation and extension transformed them into great, through trunk lines, each line embracing thousands of miles and employing tens of thousands of workmen. Here again our chief interest lies in the fact that these developments have shaped, to a large extent, our methods and forms of business organization.