Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12

think that the chances for money making were
greater here than anywhere else in the world,
and hundreds of Americans are taking advan-
tage OF the situation and making fortunes. As
to climate, there is no better climate in the
world than that of the Mexico plateau. We
rush for the White mountains in the summer
and we consider ourselves happy it We can live
during July and August the top of Mount
Washington. Still all this Mexican plateau,
which makes up. ! should say. more
up In the air than Deer Park or
Cresson, and much of it is higher than Mount
Washington. Here you have perpetual sum-
mer the year round. The air Is always pure
and Is one long June day, sum mer and winter,
spring and autumn. Vegetables of all kinds are i'll
the market all the time and strawberries in parts
OF the country are always ripe. For people
troubled with diseases OF the lungs or the di-
gestion the climate is cure-all, and / have
met a score OF heaithy-iooking Americans who
told me they had been sent to Mexico to die.
1 am no heavy weight myself and my average
is about 100 pounds. Still have never feat
better than during the weeks have been in
Mexico, and the air braces up, as If over
charged with champagne. This country is
about oae-fifth the size of the United States.
1t has until the last twelve years been torn up
with revolutions, and the people have not had
time to look into their own poverty and see
what they have. No good geological survey
has ever been made of Mexico. Its agricul-
tural resources have never been estimated and
its mining territory has never been fully pros
pected. There are now more than two thou
sand lines OF new railroad being built in the
country. These roads go into states which
heretofore have been penetrated only on mule
back or by stage lines and they open up what
is said to be richer part of Mexico than that
now known.
MANUFACTURING FIELD.
Take, for instance, the field of manufac-
lures. At Monterey some Philadelphia capi-
tailsts. and not very large Capitalists, either,
started a knitting factory about year ago.
They got concession from the goveror of the
state providing that they should be the only
knitting factory in it for twenty five years.
ana they are now turning out zoo dozen pairs
OF stockings per day. The duty on stockings
Is SO great that they can sell at high profit.
Ihey use Mexican girls to work their ma
chimes and they making lots of money.
There are two big American smelters in
Monterey, which are both making money, and
l understand that Seagur. Guernsey Il Co.
have established pillow foundry near Pueblo
and are doing well. There is furniture fac
tory at Monterey run by Americans, which is
doing well, and the furniture field is one that
can be worked with profit all over Mexico.
lon have here the finest wood in the world.
Still. all furniture is imported. Where ebony,
mahogany andali kinds of hard wood are found
In the forest there is no reason Why Mexico
should not export furniture instead of import
1t. The cost OF any kind of furniture is enor-
Hous. DteAS WHICH cost go IN the JnlleU
States sell for 500 i'll Mexico City, and the
cheapest OF school desks are 80 apiece. Furni-
ture imported into Mexico pays duty by weight,
and am told that all kinds OF hardwood fur
nitlre have to pay 20 cents pound before they
can cross the frontier. Then there is "a state
duty. the heavy freight rates and other items
which double the cost of almost any article i'm
ported There Is an American furniture store
III Mexico City which Is making great deal of
money by importing American furniture and
go trFr 4 4txra l..
who has gotten rich out of furniture selling.
he sells parlor suites all the way from $500 10
$500 Il set. There are a number of cotton fac
tories III Mexico and large mills near OTiZaba
which makes print goods. Everything is pro-
tectcd here by the highest of duties and almost
any kind OF a factory ought to pay.
CATTLE AND PACKING INTERESTS.
Mexico City will soon have one of the biggest
pork packing establishments in the world. This
is built with Mexican capital, but is being engi-
neered by Americans, and it promises to con-
troll the meat market of Mexico City. 1t is called
the Mexican Packing Company and its head is
an Aztec millionaire named Serano who started
life as meat peddler and who is now one of
the richest business men in Mexico City. The
American end OF this establshme mt is the firm
OF Morris Il Butte. bright young fellows who
own packing house at Kansas City and who
are managing this big establishment here. They
have constructed a vast house on the American
plan with machinery Of the latest kind, and they
propose TO make soap and ice and a half dozen
other articles in addition to supplying the
capital with all kinds of meat. Their building
consists Of an old church containing a vast area
and they have added to this and remodeled ur-
I'll they have a wonderful establishment. They
nave their own cars for the shipping of the pigs
from the United States to Mexico. and they will
probably E1ake big fortunes for themselves and
Tor the Moxicans who are connected with them.
The discovery of the new coal fields and of the
iron mines in Oaxaca opens up big field of
manufactures of all kinds of iron work and
there is big feldhere for the making of paper |
All KINDS OF stationary are imported and the |
prices are exorbitant The only kinds made
are the coarser varieties of printing paper and |
with Its great number of fine fibers there is no
reason why Mexico should not make as beau
tliul paper rs they turn out in Japan. There
are now eighty-four cotton factories in the
country and dozen WOODEN mills
MONEY II MINES.
The mining possibilities in Mexico have
discussed briefly in former letter. There is
no doubt bat that it is the greatest mining
country in the world and the precious metals of
the next twenty years will come largely from
here. There are thousand abandoned mines
which could b worked with profit by the aid of
modern methods and modern machinery and
the new railroads are opening vast fields. some
OF wEl"h nave never been prospected There
IL silver and gold and other mines and down in |
the stale of Vera Cruz near Iampico there are |
vast beds OF asphalt and asphalt fountains
which have been bought by two Young Ameri- |
cans, and the product of which will soon come |
into competition with the Trinidad asphalt |
his asphalt does not need to be dug L. bub-
Lies up out OF the ground and can be turned
into barrels. and by the time this letter is pub
lished the agents of the company will be Offer
ing IT for sale to some of the big American
cities. Mexico has vast forests which are now
about to be opened up SO that their woods cal
be exported, and. III the field OF agriculture,
there Is so much to be said that will reserve
II Tor another letter. FRANK q. CARPENTER
FREAKS OF MEMORY
They Seem To Attach Ihcnsc;Xes Chiefly tn