Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-01-16
A GREAT ENTERPRISE.

The Proposed Railway Between San
Diego and tho City of Mexico.
The greatest railroad enterprise now
in progress or in contemplation. is the
Mexican Pacific railroad, from San
Diego, CAL, to the City of Mexico.
The line will be 1900 miles in length,
and when completed it will begin q
new era of development to the great
region it is designed to traverse. To
San Diego it will DO of especial i'm
portance, enabling that city to draw
upon the rich mines Of semi-anthracite
coal in Sonora aud upon other natura'
wealth in the interior of Mexico
From San Diego to Mazatlan the road
will run along the coast through {
well-peopled country, Astounding il
ebony. mahogany and other valuable
woods.
Mazatlan, the most important Mexi
can city on the Pacific coast, contain
ing $4,000 inhabitants, has already
four steamship lines to San Francisco
Panama and New York. It has othe,
ship lines to England. France, japan
and Australia The first part of the
railroad to be completed is from Mazat
Ian to Guadalajara, distance of 81!
miles, and thence direct to the City
Mexico, q further distance of 2S(
miles.
Guadalajara, moro renowned thar
its ancient namesake, has now more
than one hundred thousand inhab
itants. It is a busy town, with cotton
WOODEN and paper mills and other man
ufactures, most of which, however, are
in the hands of Englishmen. French
men and Germans. The annual impor
trade of the city amounted ten years
ago to $3,500,00O, and it is steadily in
creasing with the growth of popula
ton. Most of this commerce is with
Europe. but when tho great railroad
line to San Diego shall have been com
pleted the enterprising merchants
and business men Of the Unite1 States
will compete moro vigorously for a
portion of the desirable trade of Qua
dalajara and the fertile region in which
it is situated. There are other towns
of Importance on the route, among
which is Rosario, with $4,000 inhabit
ants and stamp mills producing ST.
10000 a year.
A great railroad like this would bind
the United States and Mexico with ties
Of mutual interest and friendship more
closely than could be accomplished by
any paper scheme Of political union.
Such union of peoples with diverse
sentiments, modes of living and social
institutions would be moro aps to cause
friction and mutual discomfort than tt
promote harmony. The Mexicans
though very temperate race, would
regard as intolerable tyranny those so
cial and legislative restraints that are
congenisll to the inhabitants of New
England. On the other hand, some
the institutions of Mexico would b.
extremely repugnant to the people
of this country. But the liberia
mission of commerce is to soften in
ternatisnal prejudices and antipathie
by bringing widely-separated peoples
into closer relations with each other.
The republics of the United States ant
Mexico can best accomplish their po
litical destinies on separate lines, until
in the tullness of time, they both shall
recognize the reciprocal advantages
union under one government and one
flag. It will probably be long before
either side shai. regard such unio,
as desirable. In tho meantime the
railroad line that already connects tn.
United States. with Mexico and tn,
new enterprise that is preparing tt
penetrate the territory Of our neighbo,
republic in another direction will con
tribute nightly to knit the two nation,
together by strong ties of mutual inter
| est. philadelphia Record.