The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-15
IN SUNNY MEXICO.
San Franciscans Are Making the
Desert Bloom.
An American City in the Heart Of Coahuila
Progress Made by Enterprising Cap
italists-Local Features.

Ignatus Douglas, who has large manu-
featuring interests in Mexico, arrived in
this city Rst week. He was seen yesterday
in the Palace Hotel Office by CALL re-
porter and chatted very agreeably about
the sister republic After short stay in
California he will go to ST. Louis. Mo-, and
then back to Mexico by the Central Rail-
road.
the course of conversation with the re-
porter he alluded frequently to the posi-
biities of building up an extensive trade be-
tween San Francisco and Mexico, which
would mean many millions of dollars more
in the merchants and manufacturers
pockets yearly.
Mexico has just passed through the
most prosperous year it has ever ex-
perienced," said he. "and her income now
far exceeds her expenses. This surplus is
all going in Improvements, which, accord
ing to the policy of President Diaz, go on
without intermission. And to add to this,
the Government is reducing expenses in
order to increase the surplus for this pur-
pose, and paying off the national debt
SIT is tie country for enterprising capital
lists. / tell you Americans cannot realize
the prospects and possibilities of Mexico.
l have recently been in the States of Goa
hula and Chihuahua, and am therefore pre-
pared to speak with certainty of the healthy
appearance of everything down there. Mills
and mines are springing up on all sides. In
short the country is having an experience
similar to what California had in changing
out of the hands Of the old Spanish settlers
and filing up with an industrious race, who
built factories, railroads, mines and-y0u
know the rest.
AN OASIS OF INDUSTRY.
I'm Torreon, Coahuila, a large cotton-seed
ol-mill, a soap works, a big roller Touring
mill with enormous capacity, and a cotton
spinning mill American and English me-
chanics are employed there by the hundreds,
and earn much more than in the States.
ut is quite an American town, its popula-
tion consisting almost entirely of Amerl-
cans or Englshmen, with some Germans.
Water is plentiful in the beautiful valleys
surrounding, and consequently. rich coun-
try and luXnriant, semi-tropical vegeta-
ton incloses TorreOn. Cotton grows in
abundance with little trouble and attains
perfection seldom seen in other countries.
Within a radius of four miles there are
three cotton-mills, one with 100 looms, the
others seventy-ive each; three extensive
cotton-seed oil-mills and one building two
four-mills and soap factory. The town
reminds one OF a manufacturing village in
Lancashire or in Massachusetts.
Remember, this is not mining district.
People here imagine that Mexico has moth
ing but mines. 1t is bad mistake bad
mistake; for English capital is creeping into
most enterprises, to the certain detrlment of
the United States
ENGLISH CAPITAL BUSY.
''We. from our close relatioDs-we are
neighbors of Mexico-should have the right
of way, as it were, there. But no. We are
letting others get in ahead of us, and will
lose in the end. | fear, if we do not look
with more serious consideration into this
country of vast possibilities.
I'm the mining districts, more to the
north things ere booming, too. Only few
months ago an English syndicate bought the
Los Hermanos mine in Batoplas. Chhua-
hua, for SS0O.000 The Industrial Company
in chihuahua City-an American concern,
and mostly conducted and worked by San
Franciscans-is forging ahead with the
corresponding progress and DEVELOPMENT of
the mines. TO meet demands a ro!ling-mill
is to be erected there. Ground is broken
fof the mill and Q c-.ay share of the ma
cbinery. understand, IS Going nade here
and at the Potrero.
"A local firm of architects has completed
designs for coast guard and life-savlng sta
tions for the Mexican Coast, and are now at
work on metal music pavilions for interior
cities. The coast stations have nearly all
been made in this city for shipment piece
dfal and the pavilons, which are after the
sh and Romanesque styles, and are
large and handsome structures, will be built
in Mexico from fllll-siZe model drawings de-
signed in this city.
Did you hear OF the grand hotel in the
City of Mexico? No. Why, they are build
ing a hotel there the most magnificent of all
hotels. Its walls will be lined with topaz,
onyx and the precious stones of Mexico"