The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-05-25
Other Op,a,oss About AIexies.

dams Of the public service,
-
Other Opiaioss Absst AIexies.
To THE ED1ToR OF THE SuN-Sir: I have
read with great interest your interesting and instructive
article in TIE suS Of Maya. While agreeing with you
In all but two stntemcnts gladly avail myself Of your
courteous wish TO be corrected where accuracy may
require It," You say Nnstenths Of Mexico consists Of
vast plain elevated from 900 to 5000 feet above the
sea enclosed on the east and the west By lofty
ranges OF mountains . The chief business prots
cuted In Mexico to-day 10 mining. It Ia not an
agricultural country; It Is mining country with little
agriculture thrown in Nature made 1t such, and such
1t rsniains"
is these assertions which desire to answsr. they
totally at variance with those Of "Appetons Guide
10 Mexico" Of which am the author;
rirst-Having carefully studied tho topography Of
the republic. state that Mexico consists for the
greater part Of an elevated plateau having . mean
height of about 5000 feet above the level THIS
plateau extends from the frontier Of the United States
nearly to the rshmus OF Tshusntepso 1t Is widest in
tho latitude OF the natonAi capital, being about $50
miles at this point and contracts gradually toward the
south"
On the authority Of Humboldt, wislssenus. Gezcr.
and tho surveys Of the able engineers employed by the
several American and English railway companies In
Mexico affirm that the portion OF the country having
elevation Of 900 to 5000 feet does comprise
more than fvetenths Of the whole republic. Entering
Mexico you did at 81 PAso. with altitude Of $500
feet above the level travelling southwark and
nnng your journey mostly to the great plateau TO-
perhsps natural to form the impression that the hyp
sometry and agriculture Of the entire country Elm
liar the portions which under your immediate
observation Permit to state that the greater part
Of the peninsula Of iucatan and the States OF Campeh
Tabasco. Vera Cruz aud Tanaulpas composing a. they
do the terra cdlente Of the east does not rise higher
than OOO feet above the Gulf Of Mexico except the
vicinity of the volcanoes of rux,ia orzsba and Psros
The tropical region. terra cden OF the east which
ranges to feet above thu has OF about
sixty miles In width by nearly thousand in length. II
TO this be added the terra teR,ddd which ati
tude varying from 1850 to 500 feet. shall have
aggregate extending about eighty i've miles from
east TO west and lying below q. ~ feet.
Next ~ TO the west coast state trustworthy
thority that the TERRA caent from forty
enty miles in width the Pacific. Griaer gives his
map strip of average breadth Of thirty miles
on this coast where the altitude 10 less than 900 feet
In fact the pluin Of which you speak 10 of
elongated zone enclosed. - you state by lofty
Of mountains but confined only to the general course
Of the Sierra Mndre. Even In this going
from the Rio urande tho elevation does reach
5000 feet according to the railroad surveys until the
city OF Durango. about go miles distant 10 reached
Furthermore. tho eastern half Of the great plateau Is
but little more than 1900 feet above tho level Villa
Lerdo Is 1900 feet and Psrrss 10 800 feet altitude
Its only in tho vicinity OF Presniilo ZacAtecas Mar
ques rouca, Mexico, Amscxnecs aud EsreranIa form.
Of tho table land that the elevation equals 800 feet
The States Of ansloa aud Sonora. the west. and
those Of coshuia Nusro Leon, on the east mostly
below 5000 feet Thus much for topography.
notwithstanding 10 the statements OF Mexican
stasticans mining not the chief busnesa prosecuted
In Mexico to-day Sshor Busto in his able and elaborate
work. entitled "Estadlatica Ia Republca Mrxcana"
gives the value of the annual agricultural products Of
tho country " SIT Isl 9ss wha the most recent ON
cial records Of the Msxican Treasury show that
the annual yield Of the gold aud silver
mines 10 but SSOO0oOOo In the absence Of
trustworthy data US to the production OF the
base metals 10 perhaps safe to say that the amount Of
ore extracted annually from thu mines II copper IRON
tin lead and mercury, we'll those Of coal does not
exceed 81 OOO) In value Hence It sppenrs that tile
business of mining yields yearly sum Of s3i.ooouOo
which. It will DO seen 10 hut little thsa sixth
OF the value Of the agricultural productions have
seen no statistics In regard to the proportion OF the
population engaged respectively In mining and sgrcu
tura pursuits hut after extensive the republic
am Of the opinion that agriculture gives employment
TO the more numerous class
Its true STATE that except In the river bottoms
agriculture only possible through the aid artificial
irrigation" but by dammng up the barrsncss or "a.
vnss and adopting the system OF tanks which has
in use long In Hndustan aud with which am fsmil-
lar from personal observation abundant supply OF
water could be obtained for Of drought and the
soil Of various portions Of the grand plateau might be
made to yield hundred fold more grsin than nav.
Referring TO the harvests It may be said that three
crops muixe and two Of wheat are grown annually
49, =, ,h 60. =, c.I 80. 800 ""' :"
single year.
Tho .ysr,v. v,.,a NJ, ~. ..-..,. mat
h,,h.r n. An f., m. Ir,,,.d 49,. w.. :. ~. '''o
elevation Of quo feet above tho sea- and Indian corn
and tho mssuey. which Prescott calls miracle of ns
ture." are cultivated ~ nearly the same altitude
In the terra emp,ddd and terra cntfrnt, suvnr cana
coffee cocoon tobac,o co,ton y.niu. ,r,,, ..n
s.eo"' 'IoA.''' eo's'"' 'Ah'" 'hu'so' sstsaps'
r's anu great variety OF fruits grow almost spouta
neoualy in abund Anna In fart ~. r,v al 90 .,
''~.' '" s''s"'s' "i"o'' "es'D ~ OF these COM