The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1882-04-01
Csvrsspoadenes Baltimore County Uaion.
MEXICO RAILROADS.


article on our gauge railways, as promised,
vii frst give your readers an article on the sub.
jsetsfths Mexican National railway and iss future.
with general views In regard to other railroad en-
tsrprisss In Mexico and the condition Of the eoun-
try itself.
Mexico 10 stiii In the pack .hoFse" stage - re-
CARDS movement, mules and Indians doing most
OF the carrying there. There arc no navigabie
rivers, no roads worthy Of the name, canals there
are none, and as to the eoAsting trade, which 10
limited for the want Of good harbors, Il can Of
course furnish no communication between the ca q,
and west coast. This country, so populous and so
full OF resources, 10, therefore, In position pass
Immediately from the pack horse stage TO tho rail.
way stage, when the railways will be left without
the somPssitisn Of canal. road or river.
AZ to the question whether the country 10 pre-
pared for so violent transition, cannot see why
not; for merchants will send their goods and folk.
will travel BY the means which 10 cheapest, quick
est. most easy and sure. With the experience Of
Mexican stage-coaeh fresh In his mind he thinks
10 idle to say that country where one 10 obliged
to move about in this way Is not "ready for rail-
roads Aud now about Mexicos resources, for
amer all you cannot make \ silk purse gu, Of a
dogs ear nor have traffic where there 10 nothing 70
carry.
One Of the richest and most varied zones In the
world. but from various causes her resources have
never been fully developed. An efhcien. railway
system, connected with that Of the United States,
Will powerfully assist in developing the vast re-
sources Of this rich country. The soil, which &.
Ranarallv fsrstfa
oranges, peaches. aprcOt' grapes, olives. and all
the fruit, cereals and vegetables Of Central and
Southern Europe. The medicinal plants are also
very numerous. Mahogany. rosewood aud ebony
trees also abound. The products Of it, mine. in.
Glade gold, silver. iron, copper, lead. tin quick
silver, alum and many precious stones. The chief
imports are wooiens, cotton, linens and silks The
chief exports are gold and silver in coin, bullion
and plate drugs. sugar, -four. indigo. timber. to-
baeeo. coffee and hides.
What ssastiss Us so much Is not the development,
- the rapidity Of It, which I think Is mostly due
TO railways. which bring VIA, vas far Oh near i'm.
msdiatsiy. Then the whole country side Jumps
into vigorous life. II does not undergo any more
childhood than Minerva did. Il has not 70, 10
spsnd lie time in looking out for mean. Of feeding
and clothing itself; !, Is fed and clothed from dis
tant eitss 50 all its time 10 spen, In ,s
osn resources.
Colorado was once In Mexico, yet the Mexican,
never opened up its mines. Ys. In q few years.
since the railroad reached IL, IL has become the
most prolific in the precious metals Of all the State,
In the Union. They never found or worked the
gold Of California, which was also part Of Mexico
The country must have been rich indeed which
could afford to overlook outlying lands containing
wealth 90 great. California was frst developed
bseaase 1t was on the seaboard. Then came
Nevada The whole question Of the working Of
the mines these States contained vas the facility
Of getting at them.
All that stands good for Colorado stand. good
for promise in Mexico, and much more abundant.
y. There 10 coal, too, L. Mexico. Already IL has
been discovered and already Il is worked close TO
Lorsdo. The National system 10 just extended TO
u. els found In several places and abundau,.-
This will prove another advantage to the smelling
industry and to the railways
There are drawbacks 10 railroad operating In
Colorado which Mexico will no, share. There 10
ofsen terrible winter weather In the mountainous
regions there which inpsdss ,rafhe. In Mexico
there 10 no winter. There are advantages In rail.
rood building in Mexico in which Colorado does
not participate. Rails come In from EnrIand 10
Mexico dsty free, and the distance from the sea-
coast 10 nowhere great Labor 10 vastly cheaper
and can continue unintsruptedly Ill the year
round But Mexico has its rainy season from June
70 September. doubt that being any disadvantass
70 railways. Occasional vashouts will occur along
the iss. but otherwise trains are not much stopped
~ fsin-not half - oftsn - 10 Colorado and
Kansas.
The Mexican National railway has subsidy
from the oevsrnnsst Of about $4,000 per mile Of
eonstssessd line. Il has been much Questioned
whether the Governnsns will have the poser 10
faian this subvsntioa, 90 far st Ill events - the
spssisi charge on the customs does not secure Il.
IL would not BE- fatal II 10 failed to do So large
proportisn of the revenue goes 10 the maintenance
efs standing army. Its army Il indeed larger
than that Of the United States. Now what need
10 there for such foresl thosght 90 when
saw L. IL cannot be TO protect Mexico FROM enc.
mics In lie hsmisphsre. There IL only one power
there with which Il could come into collision, and
against that Il would be Idle 10 fght. The same
power would never allow again Of European inter.
fsrsness In Mexican Affairs. This large army 10,
therefore. maintained for purposes Of police. But
with facility Of transport Throughout the country
AFFORDED By railroads, 1.-THE Of the present army
would present the same elective force. Here Gen.
Psinsrthisks weald be great saving 20 the State.
and Of course the men absorbed In large army are
an NE while removed from Industrial occupations.
Moreover, think there are no large arrears Of
sssvsntion due from tho Gevsrnnsst % the Mex.
lean railway, OF the Aisxandrls line Of steamer
across the Gull, or the Paciae mail. y.s.G.