The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-09-29
RAILROADS sasexIco.


. 49, 1-''eS saNe tf'ilS " AFNa9e - 81
trsmsly Conservative People.
The American railroads in Mexico have
already done much to arouse the most
stubborply conservative people on the
face ofthe globe from their lethargy,
and in d manner that no other instru.
mentality probably could have etfected.
When the locomotive hrst appeared. 4 Is
said that the people Of whole villages
fed aHrighted from their hahitaliotiS. or
organized professions with religious etn.
blemS and holy water, TO exercise and
repel The monster. During the first year
Of the experience Of the Mexican Central,
armed guards also were considered an
ESSENTIAL accompaniment Of every train,
as had been the case on the Vera Cruz
railroad stneeits opening in 1873. But
al this d now matter q the past and
70 impressed Is the government with the
inportanoed keeping itsraIlroad sys.
tenn safe and intact that the Mexican
congress recently decreed instant execu.
ton, without any formal trial, TO any
one caught In the act Of wrecklng OF
rObbfng q train.
That any improved methods Of inter.
communication between different peo.
pie or countries common roads, vessels,
railroads, or vehicles, or the ilkc-in.
crease the production and exchange Of
commodities, Is accepted as an economic
axiom. But there could he no more
striking and practical illustration Of this
law than Little recent experience on
the line Of the Mexican National rail-
road. The corn crop, which Is the main
reliance OF the people living along the
presen. southern extension Of this rpadfor
food, had for several years prior to 1885,
failed by reason Of drought; and, under
ordinary circumstances, great suffering
through starvation would inevitably
have snsucd. The natives, however, soon
learned that with the railroad had come
a ready market, at from 9 10 to 3 cents
per pound for the fiber known rs "ixtle;"
the product Of q species Of agaye, which
grows in great abundance in the noun.
famous region Of that section Of coun.
try, and which has recently come into
extensive use in Europe and the United
States for the manufacture Of brushes,
ladies corSets, mats cordage, etc. And
so well have they improved their knowl-
edge and opportunities that the quantity
Of ixtle transported by the Mexican Ma
tional RAILROAD has risen from 22i,S
pounds in 1882 to 7OO,3l1 in 1883, to 81
40S,4H in 1884, and 1851, 1O5 in the first
seven months Of 1885; while with the
money proceeds the producers have been
able to buy more corn from Texas than
they would have obtained had their
crops been successful, and have had in
addition, and probably for the first time
in their lives, some surplus cash to ex-
pend for other purposes.
What sort Of things these poor Mexi.
cans wonld buy Il they could was in
dictated the writer by seeing in the
hut of laborer, on the line of the Mexi.
can Central railroad-a place destitute Of
almost every comfort, or article Of furni.
turc or conveniGnce-a bright, new,
small kerosene lamp, than which moth.
ing that fell under his observation in
Mexico was more remarkable and inter
esting. Remarkable and interesting 10.
cause neither this man, nor his father,
possibly, since the world to them began
had ever before known anything better
than u blazing brand as a method for
illumination at night; and had never had
either the knowledge, the desire, or tile
means Of obtaining anything superior
But at last, through contract with and
employment Oh tie American railroad,
the desire, the opportunity, the means to
purchase, and the knowledge Of the
simple mechanism of the lamp, had
come to this humble, isolated Mexican
peasant; mud out Of the germ Of progress
thusspontOneOusly, rs it were, developed
by the wayside, may come Influences
more potent for civilization and the ule-
walton Of humanity in Mexico than all
that church and state have been able to
effect within the last three ccnturies.-
David a. Wells in Popular Science
Monthly,