The Washington critic., 1886-02-02
THE TEHUANTEPEC SCHEME.
An OId-Timer Who Made a Survey oi
4I.a L. ~ ~. n.. N uuIa

An Olu-Itmer VINO MADE u survey OI
the Isthmus on a Mule.
EDITOR CRITIC: As was connected with
Colonel Sloo's Tehuantepec Company,
nearly thirty years ago, which was estab-
lishod in New Orleans, with the late Hon.
j. p. Benjamin as president of the com
pany, obtained considerable experience
and familiarity with that country called the
lsthmus of Tehuantepec, which am will
ing to give the Government the benefit of.
1t seems the Secretary Of State reports
that no map showing an instrumental sur
vey of the Isthmus has ever been filed in
his Department. The surveys that have
come under my observation have all been
made by engineers who were paid for their
services, either by companies or interested
parties, and it is hardly presumable that
those anglers for free pass to the United
States Treasury, though weighted to the
bendsn with public spirit, or any other
kind of patriotic fluid, would impoversh
themselves to obtain a report except such
as their servants, Government officers,
were paid for making.
The report of a survey by Messrs. Sidcl
and McCloud Murphy, contained in a
volume Of two or three hundred pages,
made IN 1857 or 1855, is probably the most
reliable. But that report does not disclose
the objections which were in the path of
Captain Eads' plan of success. "Look well
to your title" is an old caution which the
Secretary of State would do well to OBJ
in real estate on foreign soil as long as
Colonel Sloo's grant has still the vitality of
existence. But, regardless of "instru-
mental'' or any other Tehuantepec SURVEYS
which have been framed up and gilded for
purpose, and which If stripped to con
dition too nude for public exhibition would
be dismissed at once from further consid-
Grafton, we should not encourage Mexico
to make profitable concessions to visionary
speculators, as she has done since the days
Of Cortez; for, doubtless, she will con-
t!nue so to do while our glorious country is
| favored with two crops Of irrepressibles an
nually who are ready to attempt miracles
or grapple with impossibilities so long as
| they can deceive and hoodwink Others into
| shoudering the expense OF their wild ex-
| periments.
| Government, If 1t be possible to call mule
an ''instrument," that have made an Sin
| strumental survey" Of the Isthmus of Tehu-
antepec and am fully posted In all particu-
| lars. Myself and mule found that by rea-
son of the Chavela Pass In the mountain
| range, and six or seven streams which sud-
| denly become irresistible mountain tor
rents, the whole country, from the Atlantic
| to the Pacific, was malarial waste with
| out vegetation enough to sustain a dwarfed
| gopher. From this "instrumental survey
every foot of which my mule traversed 1t
was found wholly impracticable that any
scheme could make 1t a successful CONNER
cial highway, even II II were possible TO
meet the expense necessary to construct
suitable harbors on both oceans.
A map and plan Of "Tehuantepec city,
with its 10000 inhabitants, may yet be
found somewhere IN New Orleans. Why,
| lsthmus. ! made speech there when in
the employ of the Sloo Company, on the
I'D Of February, 1859, in honor of Presi-
dent George l., who whipped George Ill.
The crowd consisted of about twenty of our
people who were then working on the
road, possibly 100 "Dagoesh and Huehataka
"lniuns,n and, should judge, some SOC
"dorg' frames, all too famished to bark
beyond feeble whine ! thought my
speech good one, but the natives were too
near starvation point to give applause, eX-
cept once, which was when closed aud or.
dercd ''pulca' for the crowd. Then the
alcalde shouted 'bravo!" and out came
| gourds, cocoanut shells, old tin pots, skill
lets and everything. that would hold
| "pulca," and u drunkener set OF sons OF
Bacchus never before disgraced the earth.
This part Of the ''instrumental survey
however, was not included in my report.
With my experience, it strikes me that I
the Government would pay some Of it
claimants before their Wills are probated, OF
increase the pensions In the Mexican
Veterans bill from eight dollars to siXteel
dollars per month, 1t would do more sen
sible, honest and patriotic thing than TO eX
pend millions in bonds and money TO tr,
costly experiments in foreign country
But drawing money out Of Uncle SAM
| pockets by means Of bill In Congress, IL
such case, is attended with more homo
and safety than making a draw on bank
and being compelled to reside in Canada
| Iird Ia RepUbliquo!
Stamford, Conn, Jan. 90. W. NJ, II.
Mr. Ira ID. Sankey, the singing evangelist
gave lot in New Castle, Pa, TO the Flrs
Methodist Church OF the place, and fuuC
Is being raised TO build new ediflce there
| \ German professor is said to have dis
covered process by which nutritious bread
can be made out of a deal board. 10 must
be intended for clearinghouse board.