The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-29
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MEXICAN RAILWAY ENTERPRISES.

MEXICAN RAILWAY ENTERPRISES.
CITY OF MEXICO. Dec. 2S.-Tnere is a
war for commercial supremacy on be-
tween the ports Of Vera Cruz aud Tam
pico. on the Gulf of Mexico The chief
combatants are the Mexican and Interna-
tional railroads. running to Vera Cruz
from this city, and the Mexican Central,
reaching to the port OF Tsmpico. The
former is the old port of entry on the east
coast of Mexico. and has been in use for
many hundreds Of years, but the Mexican
Central, in conjunction witch the Standard
Oil company, the Tampico Terminal COM
pany and other powerful influences. is
making great effort to wrest from Vera
Cruz its ancient prestige as the chief At
lantlc depot for the Mexican trade.
The Central has been observing due Sc.
crecy in its movements to this end, and is
saying nothing of 4 little scheme now on
There will shortly arrive in this city from
New York Christopher Hagan, one of the
chief people of the Ward Steamship COM
pany. 1t is held on good authority that he
comes to close deal by which the steamers
of that line will land at Tampico, making
it the natural outlet to the interior
for all their passenger and freight
business by way of the Mexican Cen
tral. The steamers will touch at Vera
Cruz AS usual, but will only do so enroute,
thus relegating that port to the back
ground as of secondary consideration.
This will! serve to throw an immense car
rying trade over the rails of the Central,
with a corresponding loss to the line reach
lug the other port.
The Waters Pierce Oil company, which
is merely the southwestern branch of the
Standard Oil company OF New York, with
maiu offices i'll st. Louis, is in on the deal
to the extent of building large ware.
hnt md vat yhnr
The company has not admitted it, but it
is known that it is about to remove its oil
refinery from San Luis Potosi 70 Tam
pico. giving it works Of ciarfication at
both this place aud Vera Cruz One
steamer, with Carrying capacity OF 1,000,-
900 gallons, Is already serving the Mexican
trade of the company by water. and an
finished and will soon be bringing the
crude petroleum from the United States
to Mexico. The Mexican trade of the
Standard organization Is reaching i'm
mense proportions, and if the concern will
not quite give Tampico the preference
over Vera Cruz. it will at ary rate help
things along by locating heavy interests
there
Another great trade inducer which the
Mexican Central management has sue
ceeded IN locating for its own aggran-
diZement Is the business of the Tampico
terminal company, composed OF we'll
known northern capitalists, among whom
are L. f. Mccarthy, Of Ashland. Wiscon-
sin, and J. w. Porch Of Baltimore The
company enters upon the business of i'm
porting coal and coke into Mexico from its
extensive coal fields near POcahontas.
Large storage houses, Il wharf and other
improvements will be employed and line
OF whaleback steamers put ou to do the
carrying trade from the connection with
tie Baltimore and Ohio railroad at Balti-
more to the connection with the Central
line at Tampico.
This movement means much for the
manufact uring and industrial future of
Mexico, as the scarcity and high price of
fuel Is a serious drawback to the enter
prise OF manufacturing in Mexico The
company has lOng-tim contracts with the
great smelters at Monterey aud others
are being negotiated.
The Mexican Central company is pre-.
pairing to materially change its present
route from the City of Mexico to Tam
pico, and when this is completed will be
IN position 10 make d lively bid for pas
senger and freight trade by a short water
route from the south to the north and
east.