The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-14

4 Dress xisla FOR shs AnsiQuary - Or
sister Repuhsto.
uev York Stox
4 good many American people aro not
very well informed about our sister repub-
lie, MEXICO They imagine Il IL : SNAIL
country, when, - matter Of fact, Il u one
fourth Tie sise Of our own. and Il larger
than any country in Europe. excepting
Russia II il. however. singularly unds-
veloped. That fact IS admitted by its own
most patriotic citizens. Mr.. Arturo de
ortiega. wealthy planter and landowner
of Chiapas. Who ison . visit 10 tins city. in
speaking Of this fact at the Glenham hotel
yesterday, said:
"Thsre are vast tracts Of mr. country
which have never been explored. and
others which were explored long ago, but
Of which the records hare been lost and
even the memory forgotten. In sonora
and Chihuahua arc valleys, mountains.
lakes and rivera which appear on no map.
There are mineral deposits Is rich a any
In California or Colorado. which were
worked with great profit in the last CEN
tury. bat which are absolutely forgotten
today. This condition Of adairs Is largely
due to the long struggle between the Mexi-
cans on the one side and the Apaches and
Comanches ON the other. While in the
LONG run the Indians were vanquished. and
even driven out Of the country into the
United States. or else converted into peace-
tut inhabitants. yet the struggle made those
states unpopular and drove many Of thsir
best Inhabitants into the states further
south; 20 that il may b questioned II they
have the same population today, within
10 Per cent, - they had . hundred years
ego.
$50 strong Was this feeling and IT, conse-
quent movement that many towns were
abandoned. 80 that IL IL not an uncommon
sight 70 end churches and haciendas utter
" deserted and going to ruin in these por-
tons Of the Mexican republic In the
southern part OF Mexico are still larger
tracts OF land. My own state OF Chiapas
Is good illustration of thia. II Is Z vast
state with . very small population, and
with such varied scenery and such an ina
measurable amount Of vegetation that Il IL
almost Impossible 70 travel more than
mile or suO day unless II - upon the old
roads or along water courses. which are 90
important feature IN our geography. The
Mexican people are not - adventurous nor
e. iuQuisitive as their northern neixhbors.
They have devoted very little time to e.
ploYing Chiapas or the other Southern states
OF Mexico Even with the little that has
been done. it has been found that all these
provinces we're once the seere OF civilixs-
ton whose population. towns and cites
were much more numerous than those OF
today. To what race they belonged.
whether Assee or Toltec. Kitcheau, Kiche-
quilan or Gutilhan. Ne know little or moth
ing.
I'VE do know that they attained 20 3
moderately high civilization, had halls.
piaxas, city walls and great monuments.
and thai their people bad learned 70 work
many Of tbs metals. both precious and
common Thus far in my state the rem
nants Of NO less than twelve cities have
been discovered. each one OF which must
hare represented = population OF 10000.
We have in Mexico . large number Of
scientific societies. which hare done good
work IN studying these remains and col
Letting various objects from the ruins.
Besides these societies large number Of
priests and monks have devoted their
leisure time 70 similar pursuits. and have
gathered collections Of antiques from this
Mexican past. running from one 70 several
thousand in number. The dificuity ia
VOWED IL easily conceived when you re-
member that In : single year the vegetable
growth OF our fertile soil viii form "a i'm
penetrahle . barrier - 10 require the uss
o. heavy knives and hsschess fos . posson
70 make his way through
The descriptions Of fhe awful African
forests made By ssxnssy. dssexsb~ With
equal fidelity Inc forrest formafions II
southern Mexico In the past 6se ysass
- ~ f.-.~. ~>~n~..sskk~. ek.e.~<~ e. 49,