The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-02-18
CITY OF MEXICO.
Some Interesting Facts About
Railroading in Our SISTER
Republic"
The Mexican, a Parody on Amsri-
can Construction.
Demand for American Labor.
Where Our Months of May and
June ara Found in December
and January.

AS this southern country is at
tracting considerable attention il
the United States just now, through
its many anticipated railways
canals and various discoveries OF
antiquities, probably a few items re-
lating to the first of these will be OF
interest to the readers of your paper
There are at present four railroads
running from this city as a centre
viz, the Vera Cruz, the MOrelus, the
Mexican National and the Mexican
Central, the first of which is COM
pleted, the latter three scarcely be-
gun. The Very Cruz road connects
that city with this, being 26O miles
in length. 1t occupied ten years in
building, and cost S27,OOO,O0O. The
scenery along the road is grand and
picturesque in the extreme, while
the rapid ascent and change of
climate to EsperanZa from Vera
Cruz, is truly marvellous. Vera
Cruz at the level of the sea and
possessing a tropical climate, is left
lat 11.30 pm, and six hours later the
head of Metlac Canyon is reached,
and the traveller finds himself in a
temperate cline. From this point
the rapid ascent is continued, at one
time rising height of 4,7OO feet in
distance of twenty-five miles. Ten
hours from the time of starting the
train arrives at ESperanza, the
highest point on the road, being 1920
feet above Vera Cruz. Here the
passenger feels the necessity of an
oVercoat. To Mexico from this
point is a descent to an altitude of
400 feet, at which height we ex-
Iperience temperature varying bnt
little from Coz T.
The Morelus road is destined for
Acapulco, on the Pacific Coast. 1t
Is a narrOW-guage, and has about
forty miles of track laid.
The National and Central aims to
make connections with United
States roads, the former crossing
the boundary line at Laredo, in the
southern part of Texas, from which
point it will continue till cOnnec-
ton is made with the Denver and
Rio Grande; while the latter will
cross at Ell Paso, in the State of Chi
huahua, and proceed until it meets
the extension of the AtchisOn, To-
peka and Santa Fe. American COM
panieS control both roads, MessrS.
Palmer, of the Denver and Rio
Grande, and Sullivan, being at the
head of the National, and Messrs.
Simon 81 Co., of Boston, at the head
of the Central.
l understand that the charter of
each road cOmpels twO-thirds Mexi-
can labor to be employed. From
this fact, the roads are moving very
slowly. American engineers are.
almost wholly employed, as well as
American heads of departments and
section bosses.
The passenger lists of all New
York and New Orleans steamers are
made up principally of railroad men;
and even now the supply is INSULT
cient. a foreigner to Mexico need
scarcely apply to the railroad Off
Gals for work ere a position is fur
niShed him. His salary is seldom
less than $50 a month, while the
Mexican day laborer receives but
SIC; yet it is said that he does not
earn this in comparison with an
American labOrer at $3.50 day.
But few scraperS and carts have
been introduced into the country.
which necessitates the old native
way of carrying dirt. a gunny sack
or basket is held open by an Indian
while another fills it with dirt; after
it is filed, the first Indian throws it
onto his back and carries it TO the
place of deposit. Gunny sacks and
baskets have given out in some in
stances, and then powder kegs, with
rope handles, have taken their place.
4 Mr.. COyle, who crossed the Gulf
with us, called on us the other day,
and stated that he had been in charge
of 800 men on the Central road,
and that he handed i'll his weekly
report of the amount of dirt re-
moved as being cubic yard to a
man per day. This, he said, he ac-
tually thought to be too much. No
wonder they receive low wageSl
Mr.. COyle further stated that in his
opinion, the roads would never be
completed unless other means of
labor were obtained. To-day l heard
that an iron bridge, but lately fin
ished, had been condemned by gov
eminent; another was found to be
seven inches higher than it should
have been. Mexican masons, alone,
are accorded any credit for the work
they do, and, it is held, that they,
alone. deserve it.
Each road at present employs
from 1000 to 6,000 men, and all are
about on par as regards their de-
gree of progress; this is very slight
50 far as can learn. The National,
being a narrow guage, has decided
advantage; vet, l believe the Cen
trail has more track laid, having
about forty miles in all. l expect
to see Jay Gould here with a road
in time to dishearten these other
companies and cause them to dis
continue their building. a road be-
tween the United States and Mexico
must be built from the former re-
public, else the expense of building
will be so great that no amount of
| traffic with competition would ever
realize a profit on the investment.
The construction of these Next
can roads makes me think of an
other now being built between
TampicO, on the coast. and San Luis,
200 miles inland. All the iron is
imported to Tampico by steamer,
hauled to San Luis by mules, and
then laid on the grade back to Tam
picO. Such is true Mexican econ
Omy and intelligence.
If these international roads
should be completed, there is a pub
lie consolation in the fact that the
competition between them will pre-
vent recurrence of the extOrtionate
charges now eXacted on the Vera
Cruz road. The through fare on
this is SO, with an allowance of
only thirty pounds of baggage; for
all overweight, sc. a pound is
charged. To give you an idea OF
the exorbitant freight tariff, it will
be sufficient TO state that coal from
New York can be landed in Vera
Cruz for $1,000 a ton, while landed
in the City of Mexico it costs S64.5O;
or, the freight from Vera Cruz, q
distance of go miles. is little over
five times the aggregate of the first
cost and freight from New York, {
distance of about $500 miles.
The weather here is delightful. ]
have often wondered where the Sail
Lake May and June went to wheI
the future months came on.