The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-02
THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILROAD.

AaE AE11IA@ AAALE9AU.
The biggest railway system in Mexico is
that Of the Mexican Central. Ii is owned
principally by Boston capitalists. and ii
runs from e Paso along the backbone Of
Mexico for |, 225 miles 10 Mexico City. 1t
has two branches, one Of which reaches
out 10 Tampico. on the gulf. and the other
OF which viii extend TO the Pacific. It is
a broad gauge, it is well ballasfed and il
has American cars and through carriages
from New York and Chicago 10 the City of
Mexico. 1t is connected with the Atchi-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe railway, and II is
one of the great trunk lines OF the world.
1t taps population of about 4, 0o0, 900 peo-
pie, and there are twenty cities along its
route, the inhabitants of which
would aggregate 10000 Cutting across
the great desert of Chihuahua, it
strikes into the garden of Mexico AT Aguas
Calientes, and from there on the ride for
hundreds of miles 10 Mexico is through
perpetual green Some of the grades of
the route are very steep, but il has not the
picturesqueness of the Vera Cruz line,
which Is one of the most picturesque rail-
WAYS of the world. This Vera Cruz line
has some grades SO steep that sort of
Siamese twin engine has been constructed
to mount them, and this engine
has two heads and two boilers in the GEN.
ter TO make ii go. With il the train climbs
$50 feet upwards IN twelve miles, and
over 400 feet in twenty-five miles, and
you go from the tropics 10 the temperate
zone in the ascent. The branches
of the Mexican Central promise
TO be very profitable. The scenery of the
and picturesqueness that of the Den
yer * Rio Grande, and il is said there is no
road on the American continent that will
compare with il. Ii viii be the same with
the road running from Irapuato TO the Pa
cific, some Of the gorges Of which are said
TO be 5000 feet deep, and the walls of these
gorges are perpendicular. 4 short strip of
the Tampieo road cost $1,000, 900 for con-
srruction. and the Pacific branch promises
TO be equally expensive.
oUR NARROW GAUGE THROUGH LINE.
The Mexican National road is the name
of the narrow gauge line which runs from
Mexico City TO Laredo, Tex This is also
owned nv the United States, and II is the
shortest line from New York to Mexico.
You can get into the ears in Mexico City
on Monday. and Saturday morning you
will find yourself in New York. The road
is now on 3 paying basis. and il is beconl-
ing more and more profitable II passes
through some of the best parts of Mexico,
and ride on Il from Mexico CITY TO Celaya
is ike going through part of Switzer-
land married 70 the most picturesque re-
gIons Of the Himalaya mountains The
road winds in and out through the beauti-
full valley of Mexico. passing the great
castle of Chapultepec as il leaves
the capital, and dsshlng ont of the
wales and into the mountains a few
miles distant The mountains come upor
you abruptly and you plough your way
right into them. You skirt wide gorges,
z.s-f
streams cutting the earth below YOU You
shoot out Of the rough hills into smaller
hills covered with green, and a second val
lev gives you pictures that make you think
OF Italy Yoa 90 by = rose-colorei church
which was built hundreds of wears ago
upon a hill, ard down in q valley below
il you see village that makes YOU think
or the Austrian Eyrol You whiz through
the village Bare-heade1 women with
frowsy-headed babies on their hacks stare
at you Little girls clad only in blankets
wave their hands, and a Teon porter who
is CARRYING a great bundle on his
back. scowls at the train IS we dash
through You notice that this part of the
country is well cultivated The valleys
are patchwork OF crops, and the little, Old
fashioned towns seemed 10 be filled with
workers What queer towns thew are. and
how curious the houses They are more
like huss than homes. and their low ridge
roofs OF boards are tied on with rOpes and
kept steady with great rocks placed here
and there upon them. There are few win
dows and no ehimneys, the doors
are low, znd the people, Is a rule,
are dressed IN cotton. Now you 90 Ut the
mountain. The road winds shout in
horseshoe curves and loops and an hour
later Won are looking down thousands of
feet upon the villages Won have Just
passed through. You stop ~ IoIuca, one
81 the cleanest. pretIiest little cities in
Mexico, and then so on through q rich
farming country till you come 10 Ceiava.
The road from here 10 san Louis Pot0si IS
less interesting. bat al this city von nd a
great future trading center % the republic,
and yoa 70 on northward 10 Monterey.
which is 3 Mexican town n she noun
talnS nov much doomed oy the Americans,
and day later ron and yourself in Texas
and on your wsv 10 New YORK Every
railwavI have passed over IL Mexico I
have found vel buliE and well man
aged. The cars run slower than
ours do. but the roads are well
ballssied and Ehe sleeping cars and Pas
senger coaches are good. All the roads
have see5ad and th5r61-claSs carriages. and
the last are patronixed by the Mexicans
only- They are Of the same size IS the
ordinary passenger co@cn, save that they
have long uncushioned benches running
through them Just under the windows and
another long bench with two seas. and
enc back rams lengthwiSe through the cen
ter o. the car froEl ore end 10 the other.
al of the men scar big n4Es. and 81 Of
the women and girls have Shawas Of cotton
90 silk about their heads. They are by sll
odds the most picturesque travellers you
SEE IN Mexico. and the ONLY travellers who
represent the Mexican people