National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-01-28
SINALOA DESCRIBED.
A WONDERFUL STATE IN MEXICO.
Zines. Land, Climate. Society. System OF Vegeta'
tiou, Educational, and Industrial Prog.
rcss OF the Pcoplc-rucnty
Years In the state.

graphical Society Of san Francisco an interesting
and highly instructive paper on the topography,
ethnology mineral and natural rcsourcesOf Sina-
loa one Of the northwCstetly states Of Mexico,
where he has resided for the past twenty years.
He reviewed its natural resources, climate extent
population, and general condition, the disposition
Of Its people well as the extent Of proccti0nNf.
brdcd by the Mexican government. -+Ync state Of
binaoa, he said, is Sltndtcd on the western slope
and at the foot ~ the high Mexican table lands Of
Anahu1c, between the parallels of nearly 20 3O'
and 27o 30 north and 1859 o. to 1922 80 west being
bounded by the high range OF mountain chain
vi the east aud by deep waters on the Pacific
Ocean and Gulfof California as It's western limit
Its width al different points from the state Of Du
range TO the Pacific Ocean is from forty.scvcn TO
ZIG miles About one third Of the state consists of
steep and rocky mountains, with dcep ulViues and
guchcs, It contains q 900 square miles and 2Oo.
90 inhabitants or about ten to square mile, or
one TO each eighty acres. MnAtlan IL
Its principal seaport back Of which are fine liable.
lands, at regularly increasing elevations above tue
Iea.levcl well adapted for agricultural pursuits,
Most Of IL mining region Is in the mountains. II
furnishes, ut various attitudes
GREAT VARIETY OF CLIMATES,
from the tropical at the scaboard, to cool air
among the mountains. The rainy season begins
IN June and extends until October, while from
November TO May no min falls In November the
southwesterly winds cease, aud the changing sea.
son uflen breaks up with hurricane after which
northwcsterly winds prevail. The average tenn.
pernturc Of Mnzatau Is 10 Fahrenheit but back
from the low coast line the nights arc cool, and
any unusual heat Is occasionally tempered by nlir
showers. The climate ur the high tablc-lauds neal
chihuahua is not unlike parS Of Italy and Ger
many Eight goou. sized rivers cross Silaoa from
southeast To northwest, and the climate depends
a. much upon the elevation Of the land above the
t0.. -. f.sGs
once visited and carefully explored by that - |
eminent traveller and one OF the fathers oGionco
Baron Alexander Won Humboldt, wing ohsoryo'
lions are eminenty correct andreliobic Re.
gently Professor weidner has Hde a complete
GEOLOGICAL NASr sSALoA.
which appears to hlarpcIy composed os old
tilurian and deynan formations. willie the car.
pon,lerous Pod is indicated by coal fields and
,uHS lakes. By systematic boring he be-
regular coal measures will be found. The
WITT veins, pyrites, and native gold are in Sec
Jndary rocks. The mountains abound in metallic
veins rich in gold and silver. Four hundred
mines are now in Sinaloa, and he expressed his
undoubtcd belief that the mineral region of Sinn-
loa, Durango, and Chihuahua is the richest in the
country. The ore generally yields from $40 to $40
ton, and the common width Of veins Is from two
70 six feet, some being from ~ to 100 feet and
one extends 1l6 feet from wall TO wall, with ore
averaging S75 ton. Some pocket mines yield
from 5000 to $1,000 ton in spots. Many mines are
owned abroad and others remain unworked
owing TO heavy government taxes which paralyze
industry. Large arrears are not claimed by any
one, and may be had by simply locating and de-
nouncing them before judge. Land can be
taken up by foreigner well as by Mexican,
provided II does not border on the national from
tier, adjoining a foreign country In passing
across the state to that of Durango
THREE SYSTEMS OF VEGETATION
are encountered. After the shore tropical are arid
and monotonous plains, then fine land, then fine
timber, ebony, and costly varieties of hard wood
some of whose trunks measure from six to nine
feet Forty miles from the coast thousand feet
elevated, the air Is clear, and sweet-singng birds
with gay plumage are abundant Here arc many
soft beds ofgranitc sand. At three four thousand
feet elevation the oak begins in cooler climate.
At five thousand feet virgin forests of splendid
pines, which cover both slopes of the Sierra Madre
AT Mazatlan is the magnolia dates, cocoanut trees,
oranges OF exceeding sweetness, grown up as high
as four thousand feet also indigo and sugar cane.
Although Sinaloa comprises only five degrees of
latitude, 1t has unusual diversity of climate. The
population are classed IN four general divisions
FIRST, the white descendants Of Spanish conquerors
second, the native race, now fading mysteriously
away, who comprised twenty tribes at the time of
the conquest and spoke many dialects of the
Maya language; third, the mixture of these two
races, who remain; fourth, all foreign immigrants,
Of whatever race, who inhabit the soil at this
time, numbering only about four or five hundred,
chiefly German, French, Italian, and American.
Although few when compared to the two hun
dred thousand inhabitants, who are mostly located
in thirteen towns, yet they exercise
LEADING INFLUENCE IN SOCIETY
Pure Spanish Is the language of the country
Mazatlan has elegant aud massive stone buildings
but the native population live mostly in hus
The total value of houses in Sinaloa is assessed
Is,0o0,OO0. Spirits are distilled from a nativ,
plant which grows on those parts where the soil Il
arid, and 1900 barrels are annually sold at 49,
barrel. species Of aromatic grass produces tn
best cheese in uhe world. Ranches have mules
cattle sheep, chickens, and raise barley, IndiaT
corn beams beef, pork, mutton, and eggs. II
places pheasant and quail are found, Fish, tur
tie, oysters, clans, shIimps, and wild hone,
abound. Ma2atlun has one iron foundry, an,
there are three cotton mills one flour MILL ant
three sugar factories in the state The total an
nual imports amount To s3OO0OOO, OF which one
tenth only comes from the United states of Amer
lea, mostly machinery and quicksilver, and all III,
balance comes from Europe The exports conss
OF ebony, mahogany, cedar hides, ores, and bul
lion, as IL Is mainly mining country. lie SPOKE
OF the general feelings Of the Mexican people
who value their own nationality and apprecat,
the great country north of them Their laws arr
very luIBcly tuIltu lIolu muse OF me lllc(
States. Their term Of Office is now four years, nj
though under their former condition of semi
chronic revolution they changed the presiding
officer of Sinaloa lO2 times In liny.siX years.
THE PEOPLE ARE no LoSdEH As IGNORANT
as many once were. They are not, as some hay
supposed destitute of character, but have imbibe,
all ardent desire for progress. Education wa
limited TO the priesthood up to 1850. and even /
nearly 1860 since which time II has become quit
gene rQl. Almost VILLAGE has q school nu,
larger places have higher Institutions of learning
The state Is now crossed by four stage lines run
ming daily. Two steamship lines touch at It's port
five times month. With greater eduCalona
advantages the masses have advanced, yet the!
still respect their early creeds and entertain
reasonable national pride. The capital, Culiacan
IS situated inland, and is city Of six thousand in
hRbitants. The natives make good labOrers 4
mines Mazatlan has ten thousand inhGbit
ants. It's houses are lighted with gas. an
street-car lines, public baths, beer-garden
light. houses, telegraph lines, and exec
lent meteorological obscrvatorles attest 4
progress. Several railroad franchises hay
been granted TO foreign companies with lber
subsidies and soon steam cars will cross the sta
and an iron network AFFORD Il easy and rellab
communication with other markets and inaugl
rate great changes In the condition of the Countr
Tie trade with the United States of America
then likely 10 materially increase, The chang
which Mexico is now undergoing is most in
portGnt one, and the country now is far advance
beyond what once 1t was represented TO be. n
native Maya or Indian population is disappcaru
without any apparently visible cause They CO
existed far better with the Spanish races tina
with the Anglo.saxon, possibly because bette
cared for and more kindly treated by the earne
priests seeking proselytcs while the Pilgrim stoc
has perfectly
AESHlLATED ALL INDIAN RACES