Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-01
CHIHUAHUA
A wheeling Boy 10 the Hand Of the
Aztecs.
HIS IMPRESSION OF An ANCIENT Tow
The Mexican Central RaIroad-A Specimen
Creation Of American Enterprise
and Piuek-An Interesting
Interview.

I'd EhSoi lcAnstiS ieoS"oN " -
Daylight ride ofeightor nine hours over
the Mexican Central railroad.
A few worls IS 10 the railroad which
has invested this old Mexican city with
renewed interest to ell Americans, may
nolj be Inappropriate before we reach
the city Itself. My informant was Mr..
d. B. Robinson, the accommodating
general superintendent. whom l met
in FL Paso, who is Boston Yankee,
brimful of business and energy. aud who
bears stamped upon every lineameut
the distinctive American traits OF
Audacity, Enterprise and Force sr VIII.
81 understand, Mr.. Robinson, that
this Mexican Central road, which you
are constructing, Is, practically, con.
tinuation of the railroad system Of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe."
"Well, in one sense, that Is correct.
While the two corporations are entirely
separate and distinct, the OWNERS and
managers ofth Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe own large majority Of the
stock Of the Mexican Central. The
former road branches, you know, at
Rincon, about seventy miles north Of
here, one branch going southwest from
that point through Deming aud on TO
Guaymas, on the Pacific coast. The
other branch, running south from Rim
con, stops here at the Rio Gra1de river,
in FL Paso. That river has been bridged,
and track connects with theirs on the
Texas side. Our trains make connec.
tons with all their trains, and the two
roads will be operated for the mutual
advantage OF each"
"Wbat will be the extent OF the Mex
lean Central road when finished"
"Oh, il will be q
Pretty Big Concern.
We will have over two thousand miles
Of road in operation, when the trunk
and the branches are finished. | mean
we have charter from the Mexican
government for that now, have the
capital, and shall put II through as rap
idly as possible"
"What will be your principal ter.
minal points, and how long before You
expect to have your system nnlshed"
"The City Of Mexico the capital
will be the southern terminus. We
are authorized to build two branches,
one to the Pacific ocean and the other
TO the Gulf Of Mexico, We have not
vet located these two branches, and
consequently don't know either where
they will connect with the main line,
or where they will terminate on either
coast. Our charter Is very liberal we
can locate them when and where we
please, and We are at present bending
all our energies to
Completing the Main Line.
We have been hoping to have that com.
pleted by July, 1854. think we can
nearly finish 1t by the end OF that year.
We are building from both ends, and
have finished about 800 miles from the
City OF Mixico north, on which we are
running daily trains, On this end We
are running daily trains from FL Paso
| to chihuahua, 225 miles, and besides,
we have about seventy miles completed
| south OF Chihuahua, which will have
daily trains by May. That IL, We have
about 600 miles of the main line In
operation, which leaves gap OF about
600 miles yet to be built"
Glow does the road pay, 80 far as
built?"
This end does not pay. The country
from here to Chihauhau IL barren. but
south of that place 1t improves all tho
way. The southern end, from
| The City Of Mexico
is paying far beyond our anticipations.
That city has about 300, 900 inhabitants,
and all the country traversed by that
end Is thickly settled"
"You spoke of the liberality Of the
government in the matter OF your char.
ter; what Is the policy OF Mexico, ~ far
as you have observed, with reference to
Americans and American enterpriseP
"The government was extremely lib.
eral In all concessions demanded by our
road. They come, in the main, to our
views in the matter Of right Of way, OF
land grants, and Of taxation. think
the general policy OF the present gov.
plent is TO welcome foreign capital, for
eign enterprise and immigration. The
people also, | am informed, manifest
the utmost readiness to mingle with
the new. corners, to buy their wares,
&C., and / know they manifest q sort
of childish, balfcivilized delight In
riding on the cars"
$50 you have no
Apprehension OF Danger
to the large amount Of capital you are
investing In this country, during one
Of the frequent revolutions INDUCED In
here?"
"Well, we have thought OF that, OF
course; but our property will be vested,
under chartered rights, by n lawful
government. Besides, our own gov.
eminent Is near, and pretty strong, and
moreover we Americans are going TO
rapidly increase in numbers In this coun.
try. While 1t won't do to say 1t out loud,
yet the fact Is this country Is destined
TO become Americanized I'm the
near future, and our government
will have to take hold OF 1t to protect
its own citizens"
After leaving this live man, had
very pleasant ride to this city. Az
he had told me, ] found most OF the
route from FL Paso To lie through bar.
rem plains. But the last fifty miles be-
fore reaching Chihuahua gave evidence
of habitatiOn aud wealth. We saw
numerous herds OF cattle grazing on
the plains, and now and then we pass.
ed little collections OF adobe houses.
Chihuahua
Is the capital OF the State OF chihuahua,
and Is q city OF about 5000 inhabitants.
1t IL situated on a limpid stream OF the
same name and partly on the gently
sloping hills that rise gradually, and
merge finally into rugged looking and
picturesque mountains. II b over two
hundred years old, and has many
marks that speak Of the former Spanish
domination. The population Is about
nineteen.twentieths Mexican, though
since the opening OF the railroads last
September, the Americans have come
in rapidly. There are already Ameri.
can stockmen, American miners and
mining and land workers, American
merchants, American doctors and the
principal hotels, which bear the signif.
cant names Of "the United States Ho.
TEL" "the American House." and
"the Ohio House." are kept by Ameri.
cans. might add here that Americs