Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1892-02-03
THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO
ITS CONDITIONS, PRESENT
AND PROSPECTIVE.

Prof. J. M. Tiernan, a Former
resident Of Asheville, Now I-iv-
ing I'm Mexico, Talks of His New
Home to "The Ciiizen."
Several years ago Prof. ]. M. Tiernan,
who had been engaged for some time in
scientific work in Western North Caro-
lina with Asheville as his base of opera
tions, accepted an invitation to take
supervising charge of series of rich sill
yer mines in the republic of Mexico. He
left soon after the acceptance of his ap-
pointment for the scene of his duties, ac-
companied by his bride, the well known
and universally admired Christian
Reid" of the Land of the Sky,"-in more
familiar name, Miss Fannie Fisher, of
Salisbury.
Mr.. Tiernan has now lived between
four and FIVE years in Mexico, and is now
at home on briei visit, proposing to re
turn about the middle of this month.
He spent two or three days in Asheville,
and it was our good fortune to meet
him and obtain from him much of inter-
esting information regarding the coun-
try in which he now lives, it's people,
their character and pursuits, its mineral
wealth, its general resources and it's ttl-
ture prospects.
| .asu,. SNT InA Nfr~,
The portion of Mexico most familiar
to the experience of Mr.. Tiernan is that
long, wide and relatively level table land
which is encountered on entering the
republic at FL Paso, and extending down
nearly to the City of Mexico. Its eleva-
tion is about 1000 feet above the level
of the sea, and its uniformity of surface
offers no obstacle to the construction of
lines of railroad from north to south.
But the construction of lines east and
west is attended with enormous difficult
ties for, independent of the difficulties OF
the descent to sea level, enormous ranges
OF lofty mountains interpose; and to
these obstacles must be added the sud
den and deep descent of the barrancas
or canyons, which, running from north
to south in continuous line of from sixty
to eighty miles, split the level plain into
chasms of from few yards to several
hundred yards in width, and sometimes
to the depth OF two thousand feet. These
riffs have heretofore detied the skill and
daring OF engineers.
Agriculture.
Along this great longitudinal plateau
extends the great farming area of Mexi
co. The soil is of volcanic origin, light
and friable. and of great fertility. 1t is
J without stone or other distractions to
: the plough. This is bare of forest, abso-
lutely treeless, except the artificial
growth of ornamental and fruit trees.
7 The crops in cultivation are the grains OF
= the temperate zone and coffee, cotton and
tobacco, the crops of which are all ex.
uberant. Fruits of great variety and
excellence abound through the year. The
, oranges of Guadalaxara are highly es.
teemed, and are largely cultivated; and
since the construction OF railroads arc
now exported in large quantities, the
under the control OF a Chicago syudi
cate.
Farming.
In Mexico there is NO such thing as
country or rural life, as we know it; nc
small farms or isolated dwelling places
The hacienda system is universal. The
lands are owned in large bodies by
wealthy proprietors, and are divided
into holdings Of from 5000 to 10000
acres These holdings are called hacien
das; and at convenient point on eacl
is the mansion of the proprietor, sur
rounded by the farm houses, stables, cat
tie sheds; and also by the habitations o
the peon laborers. These consist ex
clusvely of the Indians, descendants o
the original Aztecs. differing from th
North American Indian in the fact tina
they are subordiuated to the habits o
labor, patient, Industrious, painstakink
- orderly and cheerful. Peonage is onl,
another name for a modified form Q
slavery; for the poems never or rarel
leave the service in which they engage
and humane and pleasing patriarcha
relation continues through lite betwee
master and emplove. A pleasing expires
sion of this kindly relationship betwee
the two is the perpetual custom of tn
peon laborer, every morning before goln
off to the daily task, OF serenading tn
master of the estate, if he be at home
with the simple music of the guitar, an
of repeating the same at night at tn
hour of retirement.
These Indians constitute the laborei
% of all Mexico. There are no negroes
and there is a hostile feeling again:
their introduction. The Mexican India
is shorter in figure, stouter in body,
greater muscular development, of create
endurance than tine ln,ian of our repu
lie. Their complexions are darker, wit
X out the typical copper tinge of our. Ii
dians; and though unquestionably CO.
is nate races, present certain marked d
er' ferences, mentally as well as ply:
in callv.
ng Education.
ok Mr.. Tiernan surprised us by the info
'ur nation that education is more general
an diffused throughout Mexico than in t
Of United States, and the Indians are 1
familiar with the rudimentary brancht
. Among the higher classes education
carried to its highest limits; and the pr
;E, fessions are filled with men as fully a,
well equipped as any where amol
ION civilized people. The judiciary and t
bar are quite equal to that of any countr
- The people have anatural aptitude
= the fine art and excel in painting, scu
] ture and music.
Il The language, even of the Indians,
- Spanish, except in some of the me
remote or mountain provinces, VIII,
the native Aztec, or older Toltec tong
survives. Englishis taught in the schoo
indicative of the friendly feeling exist
towards the United States perhaps,