National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1883-04-06
MEXICAN RAILWAYS.
The TOpOlobampO Line, Of Which Senator
Window is President
The Liberal inducements Held Out to
Foreign Investors.
Opinions Of Various Parties in Regard 10 the Fina
Outcome Of These Enterprises.
The Wonderful Wealth OF the Country I'm
Minerals and Timber.

Inc eleCblOn OF CA-DBualOT NluuOh W OhN |
presidency of the Texas, Topolobampo and |
Pacific Railway company will bring that |
enterprise prominently before the coun-
try. The company, which is composed largely |
of Boston and New York capitalists, has done
nothing as yet except to obtain valuable
" concessions from the Mexican government
and do some preliminary surveying.
The charter gives the company
practical railway monopoly of the west
slope between Mazatlin, one Of the terminal
points of the Mexican central on tho Pacific,
and Alamas, town in easy reaching distance
of the Guaymas, the southwestern terminus
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, dis
lance of $50 miles, and the right to construct
an east and west main line from Topolo-
bampo harbor, on the gulf of Caliior,
MIA, to the Rio Grande, distance OF IOO
or 800 miles. Tho eastern terminus has
not been definitely determined upon yet,
but connections can be easily and con-
veniently made with one or more of the
Galveston and New Orleans roads, sew
eral of which are reaching out in that
direction. The Mexican government gives
the company subsidy of $S,06i lMexican
money! per mile for the lines above described
and for branch lines extending back into the
hills for distances not greater than 100 miles,
The charter provides for the payment of these
subsidies directly from the national treasury
or by an assignment of per cottages on duties
collected by customs in the states of Sonora,
Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Coahuila. Inc
charter also includes cession Of lands around
about the bay of Topolobampo, which is said
TO be one of the finest land-locked harbors III
the world. This harbor, near which is to be
built Gonzales City, the future great city OF
the Pacific slope, is situated on the gulf, but
IL is so nearly opposite the southern extremity
\ al hat ~ m
look directly out upon the ocean. The en-
tire length of the main lines will approximate
1150 miles, and upon that basis the subsidy
will amount to over $9,000000 in cash (SleXi-
can money!, which will be very comfortable
margin upon which to build mortgage in
debtedneSs sufficient to insure the consUruc-
ton of the road.
Senator Window does not want to be inter-
viewed with relation to the enterprise, as he
has not inquired carefully enough into Its
merits to Justify him in placing himself in
the attitude Of an advertiser yet. He Is
quietly famliarizng himself with the situa-
ton, however, and will soon have an intelli-
gent comprehension of the subject. That
he has faith in its success is evident in his
acceptance of the office of president and his
agreement to take his first four years salary,
800, 000 in stock.
The Texas, Topolobampo and Pacific must
be built within three years, and the pro-
jectors expect to have the routes all surveyed
and the work of construction under way
before the close of the season. The several
lines are expected to have great local value,
and for the main trunk line, east and west,
important transcontinental and international
features are claimed. The future great
Gonzales City is expected to be the principal
port for the movement Of merchandise to and
from the orient.
The people of the civilized world know in a
general way of the marvellous wealth of north
ern Mexico. Tales OF the fabulous richness and
extent of its mines excited the avarice OF
Cortez and his soldiers and led them to the
commission of horrible atrocities in the con-
quest of the country 800 years ago. The vast
| treasure which was taken back to Spain by
the plunderers established the truth of their
statements, and although mining has been
carried on with greater or less IN
dustry ever since the conquest the
greater part of northern Mexico
is practically terra incognita to nine-tenths
of the people. 1t has never been disfgured
by railways, and only at long intervals have
yenturesome exploring parties gone through
| the land and made a record of what they saw
and heard A great portion of the area has
never been surveyed, and no accurate maps or
tables of distances have ever been made. Re-
ports of the productions of the mines are
sadly at variance, and statistics bearing on
| the subject are little more than "gueSses.'
The sudden fever for developing the country
which has attacked the Mexicans has led
their government to grant enormous subsidies
| for the construction of railroads, and the
opinion has been often expressed that our
sister republic was over doing it," Said a
gentleman who has given this matter consid-
cradle study:
"The Mexican government has virtually
mortgaged itself to foreign mostly American)
capitalists, and it is now giving second and
third mortgages on what is left by pledging its
revenues for years to come for the payment OF
concessions or subsidies. The government
will continue to issue money and give itaway
as long as it will buy anything, build rail-
ways, or pay interest on bonds, or until
the presses break down. Then payment
will cease, and tho holders of the vari-
Gus mortgages, blanket and otherwise
will foreclose and attempt to collect on execu-
ton. By that time the railway will have
been built, and largely with foreign money
and through the fundamentally OF imported
enterprise, home talent having been power
less to accomplish results. When the shoe
begins to pinch the MeXicans may conclude
that the easiest way to rid themselves of the
mountainous load of Indebtedness will be to
stand from under The quickest way for
them to escape responsibility will be to
inaugurate revolution, establish a
new dynasty, repudiate the obligations
assumed by the existing government, and
throw the constables into the gulf when they
come to levy on Mexico for the purpose OF
selling IL to the highest bidder, and keeping
the proceeds The United States will then
have to step in and protect her swindled cti
2ens, or else the swindled citizens will be left
with u $3.50 100000 bag to hold. Nearly
everybody connected with the government Is
interested in these concession schemes, and
the fellows who do the paying may get tired
of the tax and revolt"
1t is almost needless to observe that the mon
who are putting their money into Mexican
enterprises and inducing others to join them
are not of this way of thinking Minister
Morgan and Others who are well qualified tC
give intelligent opinions are said to be well
satisfied that the Mexican government has moi
assumed obligations it cannot and will not dis
charge; that the system of internal improve
ments to which IL stands committed will prove
the making of the country and will enrich
everybody connected Herewith,
gentleman who cntertains rose-tinted
views and who has lived in Mexico many years
comes to the front with the followng
There is no danger whatever of n revolu
ton in Mexico. The ruling class is very small
in that country, and it has way of providing
for men who are dangerous or disposed tC
show their teeth in II way that promises
trouble. Although the government is repub,
can in form, il is in reality almost as much OF
q despotism as Russia. The president and
his immediate party have supreme control
They control the policy of the government
absolutely, debating to congress what it shall
do and what IL shall not do, 1t controls the
army and puts il where il is needed to quell
the first signs of trouble in any of the statcs