San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-01
MEXICO.
Physical Characteristics .of the Country win
Reference TO Railway Enterprise.

Reference TO Railway Enterprise.
Hon. John Bigslow. in HArpers Magazine.
Mexico, in her physical proportions.
and situation on tae
Globe. certainly offers many induoe-
ments to railway speculation. A terri
tory larger than the combined terrific
ries of Great Britain, France. Spain
the entire German empire; reaching
from the Gulf OF Mexico TO the Pacikic
ocean, and forming what Humboldt
some eighty years ago termed the
bridge of tho worlds commerce; bound
ed by the United States OF q distance
of nearly 1000 miles; with physical
conformation which enables her soils to
yield the products of every climate and
every zone; with mineral deposits thst
have already yielded more than half OF
the existing stock of silver in the world,
and which are believed by some to be
still the richest on tho globe; without
asingle competing navigable stream, er
one that can even be made navigable 90
advantage; with a physical confgurS
ton which must forever preclude cana3-
ization with population of IL, 0OO,OOD,
or only about one and seventy one
hundredths per square mile less than
the population of the United Statep
per square mile; with twelve citizen
ranging from $4,000 to 100000 inhabis-
ants; and with foreign commerce.
averaging from sc, 1000, 900 to $50, OOOS-
600 year, though conducted with no
better facilities of internal Transporter
ton than the backs of mules and some
$50 miles of railway-such a country
certainly possesses some advantages for
railway Improvement that are not pos
sessed in an equal degree by any other
nation or people.
But to all the blessings Of this world
conditions more or less serious are al
WAYS attached. A country which en-
Joys the climate and yields the products
of every zone within twenty-six de-
grees of latitude can hardly be en-
pected to produce homogeneous pop
ulation, or to enjoy a climate altogether
favorable to the growth and longevity
of a hardy and powerful race of men.
The greater portion OF Mexico 10
from 5000 to 1000 feet above the ieveA
of the sea, and is invested with an an
normally rarified atmosphere. Most Oh
the remainder of Mexico lies along tho
coast, is very hot, and never free fronn
malignant diseases.
Up to the present time no people
that is, no people that deserve to be re-
earded as an active civilizing force-haS
ever fourished in SO high an atmos-
phere as the Mexican plateau, or In SD
high an average temperature as her sea-
board points. People born under bet
ter conditions have frequently invaded
and occupied Mexico, but all have faliea
to maintain themselves therein part,
perhaps, from the difficulty OF doing
SO; in part, also, perhaps. because the
possession was not worth the cost. 1t ls
true that Mexico is the only country iD
which Providence has made such AN
experiment, but it is none the less true
that thus far the experiment has nor
proved that she can ever become the
seat of ruling race.
Mexico can hardly be said to have q
single good seaport, or one capable OK
being made adequate to the exigencies
of modern maritime commerce. Nor
has she single navigable stream. I'm
one sense this may justly be thought
advantageous rather than prejudicial to-
a railway system, as it implies the alb
sence of waterways, usually the most
formidable of all kinds of competition
but that is mistake. No highway has
vet been devised SO cheap as the ocean,
yet to this day it contributes the largest
portion of their business to all the rail-
way system of the globe.
Of the 10000, 900 of people in Mexico
fully three quarters are Indians, two
thirds of whom can not read, nor even
had an ancestor that could, who never
slept in bed or wore stocking, and
who are accustomed to live at less
expense per day than a farm horse
would cost in any New England State.
These are none of them controlling
considerations, perhaps, bnt in study
ing the natural attractions of Mexico
for railway enterprise they must not be
lost sight of.