The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-11-18
Mexican Railroad Projects.

The contracts were signed by Presi-
dent Diaz under the act of June l, 1880, !
whereby the Mexican Congress empow-
cred the Executive to grant definite
charters for railway construction. The
scheme of the system embraces, first,
the completion of an interoceanic line
from the Gulf of Mexico across the CEN
trai portion of the country from Vera
Cruz, via the Capitol City of Mexico, to
the Pacific coast; and second, an inter-
national line opening the channels of
commerce by rail communication be-
tween that country and the United
States. The companies to which the
concessions have been made are the
Mexican Central Railroad Company, a
corporation organized under charter
from the State of Massachusetts,, and
the National Mexican Railway Construc-
ton Company, a corporation made up
of the Sullivan-Pa party, which has
hitherto been connected with the Den
yer & Rio Grande Railroad. The stock
holders of the Mexican Central Com
pany are capitalists OF Boston, New
York, Baltimore. Philadelphia, Buffalo
and Cincinnati. Thomas Nickerson, of
Boston, is President. He is now the
President of the Atlantic & Pacific Rail-
road, and is known as the late Presi-
dent of the Atchison, Topeka q Santa
Fe Road. Mr.. Rudolph Fink, who is
Younger brother of Pool-COmmissioner
Albert Fink, and was lately General
Manager of the Memphis and Little Rock
Railroad, has been appointed General
Manager of the company, and left to
assume charge of the work OF construc-
ton by the steamer City of Washington
for Vera Cruz.
Tie Mexican Central Company has
been engaged during the past six
months in constructing its line OF road
from the CITY of Mexico northward to
the City of Leon. a distance of 262 miles.
Until the new law was promulgated this
line was the extent to which the Com
pany had right to build. The work is
now well forward. About thirty-five
miles, from Selaya to Salamanca, are in
operation, and the section extending
from the City of Mexico to distance Of
about thirty-seven miles is expected to
be opened about November q. On
November 80 Diaz retires from the
Presidency, and every effort is being
made to have the section ready for
formal Inauguration by him before that
date.
The new concessions gives the Next
can Central Company the right to ex-
tend its line from Leon to Ell Paso del
Norte on the Rio Grande frontier of
New Mexico. where it will meet with
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail-
road, the Southern Pacific of California,
the Texas Pacific, the Galveston, Har-
risburg & San Antonio, and the Sonora
Railway now being constructed from
the Port of Guaymas in the Mexican
State of the same name on the Gulf OF
California. The company is also au-
| thorized by this law to construct line
| to the Port of Mazatlan on the Pacific
Coast. in the State of Sinaloa, from any
convenient point on its line from the
City of Mexico between the cities OF
| Leon and Arguas Calientas, passing
through the city of Guadalajara. The
total mileage thus authorized is esti-
mated to be about 1,400 miles. The
mountain ranges of Mexico extend the
length of the country north and south.
The north-and -south line is estimated
to cost 81, 1000 per mile, but the sea-
coast branch will be very expensive at
the mountain passes.
A subsidy of $500 per kilometre
is granted by the concession to the
company. 1t is payable from six per
cent. of the entire Custom House receipts
of the Mexican Government by means OF
Government certificates. All importers
] Cd bv-f hn of q
to use these certificates in the payment
of their duties. to the extent of six per
cent. of the payment, under penalty OF
twice that per cent. in cash. For in
stance, if the duty is 800, then Sc must
be paid in certificates or S106 will be
exacted. The road from Vera Cruz to
the City of Mexico, which is owned by
an English Company, was subsidized in
a similar way, and thus far it has been
assisted by the Mexican Government to
the extent OF about SI3, 1000, 000. The
lines of the company will all be of the
standard gauge.
To the National Mexican Railway
Construction Company (the Sullivan
Palmer party incorporated) another
concession grants the privilege of build
ing a road from the City of Mexico to
the Pacific coast at the port of Man
camilla, passing through the Cities OF
Toluca, Morelia and Zamora. To aid
this line a subsidy of $1,000 per kilo
metre. equivalent to about 81, POO per
mile. is granted. The same company
is also granted the right to build road
from a point on the aforementioned
line in the State of Michoacan, west oil
the City of Mexico, northward through
the Cities of Celaya, San Luis POtosi,
Saltillo and Monterey to a convenient
point on the Texan frontier between
Leredo and Eagle Pass on the Rio
Grande, where connection is expected
with the international IL Great Northern
Railroad, now constructing the extern
sion of its line south of Antonio, anC
with probable branch from the Gal
weston, Harrisburg & San Antonio RoaC
in its extension to Ell Paso for cOnnec
ton with the Southern Pacific, Mexican
Central, Sonora, and other roads. Th'
subsidy to this line is fixed at 500
per kilometre All the subsidies tt
this company are payable from the Gus
toms receipts in manner similar t.
that provided in the case of the Mexican
Central Company, but because the line
are to be narrow-gauge, only to the ex
tent of four per cent. thereof.-N Z
World
The Dartwell family moved into
small but comfortable house at Med
ford. Mass, and did not manifest an
desire to be neighborly, though the,
were polite enough to those who called
Curiosity was excited by the fact tina
the very pretty but pale and sad face
| ., Gttla o,;yl xvas sometimes seen at