Weekly Arizona citizen., 1880-11-06


 San Francisco Bulletin.l
 As yet there is but one running from the city that is fairly entitled tu ! the name, and that is the one between thIs city ana Vera Cruz. Its length is about 260 miles. It Is in all respects an English enterprise. An American company, known as the Mexican Central, and believed 10 be an of shoot of the AtchisOn, Topeka and SanIa Fe Company, has obtained pos sesslOn of an old concession made by this Government years ago for the construction of railroad from the City of Mexico to the City of Leon, Tn the State Of GuanajuaIo. This con- cesslOn Is a valuable one, provided the Government can carry il out. IL grants 10 the company SI5, 1000 per mile in cash for every mile ot road constructed. This sounds very well, and looks remarkably we'll in the pro>peOrus circulated broadcast amongst all the capitalists of the Unit ed States and elsewhere, and l have uo dou Jt has been the means of secur- ing many subscriptions 10 the capital stock, subscribers believing that the amounts 10 be pad by the Govern ment would pay fully 15 per cent. of the cost of constructing the road, and that they would never be called upon for a second instaliment. So far so good. Knowing ones say, however, MeXicans as well as foreigners-those who understand well (and some of whom have bitter experienced the promises of this Government and it's financial ability, that the Sl5, 900 per mile will not be forthcoming when the time arrives for the payment 10 be made, not because the Government does not desire or intend 10 keep its agreement, but because it will not have the money, and cannot get it without an increase of taxation or the hypoIhecation of n portion of its rev. enues, which the sovereign people will not stand. Governments in Mex leo have been overturned before now for a less cause than this, and it would be policy for those who pro- pose 10 place their funds in what promises so we'll 10 examine the mat ter thoroughly, and find out what se- curity the company has that the funds will be paid when they are needed. In the meantime the work goes on, grading is being pushed, cross-ties are being contracted for, a mile of track has been laid, a cargo of rails has reached Vera Cruz, and one loco motive is here and others are 10 come. The Engineer office is in full blast, and from the style about it and the army of assistants and clerks employ ed, green one might suppose the SI5,000 per mile was already iD the treasury of the company. Now the interesting part of the story com mences. The Mexican Central desires a further concession, and at the same rate, of course, for the extension of their road from Leon to Fl Paso, but they are meeting with strong Opposl- ton from the Palmer Sullivan inter- est, which means the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Company. Both parties have made the required deposit of $50, 900. and in all other respects have conformed to the law, but neither has yet been successful in getting what they want. The last Congress gave the President extraor- dinary powers respecting the grant ing of concessions 10 railroads, vIrtu- ally leaving the matter in his hands, but he has made no decision yet, and probably will not, for a third party has lately come into the field pre- pared 10 offer so much better terms Iban either of the others, and being SO well able 10 perform all Its agree meuts without outside help, that he Cthe PresidenD may, and probably will, determine 10 refer the matter back to the next Congress, and leave il 10 that body 10 decide question ol so much importance 10 the country al large, he declining to assume the re- spousibility when so great an interest is at stake. Congress has mel, and as the railroad question will be one oi tbe first taken up, we shall probably not have very long to wait. Dropping railroads financially, or rather rom A financial point Of view, l will speak of the one between this city and V I'd Cruz in a different strain. could uot fail when passing over 1t 10 con- lrast it with our Central and southern Pacific and other tirst-class roads ol inc United States. Everything about il indicates 0 management peculiarly Mexican. There was any quantity oi old material lyIng alongside the track; the shops at Orizaba looked Ike midshipman's chest, for everything snpeared to be on top and nothing al Land could not but think that an- o,bpr A. N. Towne 10 control Ills man. aqement would prove of great service t1 stockholders as well as 10 the tray cling public. II must be profitable road, judging from the amount or business and rates charged, and con- trolling. as it does, all the uatnc oe- tween he capital and the gulf, and to observe it's equipment, one would snnnose il to be on it's last legs, ana sbont ready to go into the hands or a recaiver Later-The President has decided the railroad question by grant inc to ihe LimOns party the ccnces- sie, from Leon 10 Fl PasO del Norte, and to the Sullivan-Palmer party that to Laredo on the Rio Grande. Now Lei ms wait and see what the result
 will he. what Congress will have 10 say about 1t, and what tue peop,e "Ill do. Ii is very long lane that has no turning, particularly in Mexico, ana manv revolutions may, and some donbtless will, taKe place long before ,he time when either of the roads are completed to the points named
 Upon the whole, Mexico, In the hands of others than those who now control it, would soon become ens oi