, 1884-05-01
ABOARD FOR MEXICO!
Popular Errors Carre1t-d--A'"r- The
Ptntra" tS"ut~---a barren 7rArt-
End Grazing Krgians---In-
portant cities


to the capital OF Mexico is an event wdr.IS
Of celebration. The gap between tie uortu-
ern aud southern sections Of the great AeNi
cau Central line is now closed, and an un-
broken track unites the City Of IeN -" with
he city Of Chicago-the oldest with the
youngest VI the great cities on tue wesiaiu
hemisphere. A few weeks hence, when tho
operating arrangements shall have b-sen, peIs
Eected. the Traveller will be able to leave
Chicago Monday morning and on the follow
iEs Sunday emerge from his hotel in the
beautiful calie del Cincu de Mavn to look
upon the famous "halls OF the MoHtezumas-
II hc can discover any v~estiges Of them,
which is very doubtful.
By cooperative arrangements three great
line, will form one continuous line from Chi.
cngo 10 the Mexican capital-a total distance
Of 5000 miles. From Chicago 10 Kansas
C.ty about 100 miles, the train will Traverse
the lh,e Of the Chicago, Burlington Sc Quincy;
FROM Kansas City 10 FL Pnso, abon l,2 o
miles, by the Atci,ison. Topeka d SAINTS Fe
inc, aud from III Paso 20 Mexico, about
l.aU miles. By the Mexican Central line, Al
together. she western hemisphere contains
TO more interesting line Of truvel-nOne ~
p interesting on account OF the various lands.
zones, climates, attitudes, and people, that l.
iraveiass. 49, Z@ EL
For Americans rs well as for MeXicnns, the
opening Of the Mexican portion of. this greaI
international iine ~ the beginning Of a new
epoch and a new experience. What sort "
country is Mexicoi What maurer Of land
fat that though separated from US only bya
shallow river, nas ~ bong been an ulti mn
thule. known to the bulk Of Americans only
by the accounts they have read Of Its stsmins
perennial revolutions, vet now - brought as
near and iuade as easily accessible as the
Pacific section OF our own laudi
GROSS ERRORS CORRECTED.
la the average American mind. some
grossly erroneous opinions prevail concerning
i. As more than half OF Mexico lies within
the sO-called torrid zone. 1t is popularity
Imagined TO be u land OF torrid heat; and ns
lis people speak u language of which though
IL is spoken by about one-half of all the plo
pie ON this hemisphere the bulk OF Americans
are peculiarly ignorant, there is a popular
Americas idea that 1t Is II land Of some sort
heathen.sh. Both are gross errurs.
The Mexican Central railway. in the whole
length OF its main line, traYerses the great
central plateau that comprises more than
three fourths of all Mexico, and upon which
lime tenths Of the population of the
country L found. Everywhere upon that
plateau the climate Is much the same as
~ found In somewhut lover attitudes 10
New Mexico, affecting humanity with neither
the intense heat of summer nor the rig lrous
cold or winter that reign alternately IL
n the Mississippi valley. This Is owing partly
No ut SITUATION VI ~ NAtnll 1--WE W
great oceans, giving to 1t the character OF al
oceanic rather than a continental climate,
bat chiefly TO it high elevation. The eli
matte difference between the low-lying tierras
calIcutes OF the sea coasts and the great CEN
trul plateau, though separated only by the
slope OF a mountain side. is the difference be-
tween the shores of the Amazon and the
AZORES of Lake Michigan IN midsummer.
THE PLArEAu ROUTE.
mn. -- -. "A .I--t,...,, .... -
Chicago To Mexico nowhere penetrates the
hot region. Crossing the southeastern corler
OF Colorado, it rises in the Ration pass. 10 an
elevation Of 5000 feet ut the boundary Inc OF
New Mexico, and between that point nnd the
Mex eau capital now here descendS to nu eie-
walton 20 low MS $500 feet nbove the sea.
AT the Mexican boundary. where the
line crosses the bravo, the elevation is
about 3.4OU feet: at ouly one point bet tween.
there aud Mexico City does it touch a
l1wer altitude. The average altitu le uf the
line n Mexico is rather over than under
500 feet. The highest point on the line is
at or near the city of Zecatecas. AT that
city, though il is within the line OF the torrid
zone, the traveller. Ia winter, should not be
surprised to see the ground lightly covered
with snow, And in the City Of Mexico,
whose altitude Is between 7,OOn ana S.UuN
feet, frosty mornings ia winter are more
common than sultry days in summer. when
the mercury seldom marks above - degrees
Sahreuheit.
THE GEA21NG UNIT
The country trayersed by the northern
hnlf OF the road is comparatively unsettled,
towns being "few and far between Some
superficial observers nave sweepingiy called
IL a barren desert: but this Is not tho fact.
The road passes through only three absolutely
uarren tracts Tho iiIst aud largest Is en-
tered a few mikes beyond the Bravo
and extends nearly half way to the
city Of Chihuahua. or about eighty miles
Then the journey gradually emerges into II
fair grazing country, that grows better as
the train advances, and nowhere lacks any.
thing but an adequate supply Of water to fit It
for all the purposes Of agriculture. The rnil-
way-builders had little difficulty in iindine
water at a comparatively small depth.
This grazing region stretches southwark
into the state of Durango, where, around
Mapiml. n smaller desert Is crossed, and the
road emerges into che remarkably fertile
laguna region, amply wAtercd by n number
OF large streams, that loss Themselves in isn-
lated lakes. Entering the state Of Zacatecns.
an absolute desert of hare gravel, twenty OF
thirty miles wide, is crossed; but efionifits
southern border, some miles north OF FIRES
milo. 10 the Mexican capital, tho rad truv-
rses II populous country Of great aud uni
form fertility. whose cnnrncter may lie in-
leiINu NAt Ahtb lua III iptul IhhfE VI
the southern part Of the line has, from tia
beginning, shown a satisfactory balance uu
the warnings side Of the company balance
sheet,
ClTIEs on TYR LINE .EIf
A number Of the mos. Important and H.
t~eresting cities IA Mexico ara on the line OF
this road. chihuahua. u beautiful town OF
25, 900 people, il awakening frum a sleep nf ~
couple Of centuries into u new aud modern
nfa lntrnnutp InhDnt IA tHhU .stEn ie fntat-
rsting iron mountain. owned by some enter
prising Chicago gentlemen, will be reached
by a branch road that Is mot yet built Zaca-
tecas Is a picturesaus city Of eO.UO. "Mhosa