The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-11-01

Mexican Letter to The Troy Times.
| had the exceeding good fortune while on
the train to meet a most polite and well-in-
formed Mexican gentleman, Jose NJ Ortiz, Of
Alamos Sonora, Mexico, brother of the gov
ernor of Sonora. We had Il long conversation
about old Mexico's prospects He told me
Mexico was waking up to the latter-day civil
cation. 1t had no banks up to last February,
when the Mexican government gave conces-
sion to French bankers with capital of
s40,OOO,000 The government gave them the
privilege of using bills to the amount Of
sGO,Oo0,0Oo, and promised to give the bank the
business of the government Offices In return
for the concession the bank gives the govern
ment credit of slO,0O0,QM.
Senior Ortiz, said there was now no further
fear of revolution, as with this large credit the
government could at once find means to put
down an uprising. In the past the difficulty
has been that the government had nothing i'll
the treasury with which to equip and pay an
army. The republic is now safely founded,
and will be preserved, as the public like it and
want it perpctuated. Senior Ortiz says that
he and his brothers have also recently founded
a bank in Sonora, with capital Of 100000,
one-fifth of which is held by Boston parties
He SAYS that Mexico is very quiet. 1t still
feels the effects of the last revolution, but
within two or three years a great change Is
expected. The new system of railroads con-
Meeting the United States and Mexico will be
finished within eighteen months, and they
will undoubtedly give q great impetus to
trade. AS convenient markets will be opened
by them Great quantities OF lumber, cotton
and grain. he thinks, will be sent to this
country The Mexican tobacco and coffee,
he says, are the finest i'll the world,
and these, too, will seek our marts
At present it does not pay to raise wheat on &C
count of the expense OF shipment ana inc
lack of demand for it at home. Hence the
large area of uncultivated land. Not one-tenth
of Mexico's arabic lands is under cultivation.
Senior Ortiz has tract of 2OU square miles,
and only utiliZes two miles of it. y square
mile OF land can be bought in some places III
Mexico for $500, and the price ranges from
that up to s. per acre. Irrigation is necessary
TO raise crops, but there is plenty of water in
many places from which 10 run bitches and
canals.
What Mexico needs, he says, is immigration,
and to meet this necessity the government IL
hard at work. 1t recently imported 5000
Italians, Swedes and others from Europe,
giving mem lhDu On lpl iliIO tl''llt III H'dii
Mexico. II is expected that they viii send for
their friends and relatives and that in time
they will develop into very large colony.
The senior said Mexicans wished 10 be
friendly with Americans, and prefer to trans
fer their trade from England to the United
States, but they fear the American people may
want in time TO annex Mexico to the United
States and despoil the Mexicans of their Iands,
as the Spanish MaNcans were dcspoilci
by Calfornians. At present it requires
six months 10 receive an invoice of
goods from England, and, as a con-
merchants must be allowed, and very
large orders must be given by the latter to
make mp a slSp-load Of goods, When the rail-
roads 10 the United States shall be !iui he'd,
orders can be filled from New Iorl, within
thirty days and, instead Of being compelled
10 purchase from $50, 600 10 S2uu.uO worth Of
goods at once, the Mexican merchant can or
sending the order By telegraph and having the
goods quickly railroadcd