The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1893-04-28
THE 1EHUAN1EPEC RAILROAD.
THE LAST SPIKE WILL BE DRIV-
EN- IN AUGUST.
Jefties to Be Built at the Pacific
Terminus to Permit Ocean
Steamships to Reach
the Wharves.
THE LAST SPIKE WILL BE DRIv

The New York Times of recent
date contains some information
concerning the Tehuantepec 18TH
mus railway line. A dispatch from
the City of Mexico is printed which
says that the last spike will be
driven in August of this year. The
principal contractor for the work is
E. L. Corthell of Chicago. The
Times says:
"The work of building the Te-
huantepec Railroad is only of min
or importance to Mr.. Corthell, who
holds the r-,sr more important con-
tract of building for the Mexican
Government an elaborate system
of ietties on the Pacific terminus
of the road. The harbor at the
Gulf end of the new line is an ex-
celle1lt one, and ships drawing
twenty feet will have no difficulty
in riding there. At the Pacific
side, however, there is only thirteen
feet of water, and Mr.. Corthells
contract, which involves $4,000
600, provides for deepening the har-
Dor by means of the jetty system
to eighteen or twenty feet. These
jetties will be built of igneous lime
stone, of volcanic origin, from the
interior of the isthmus. The walls
will be forty feet wide at the base,
built in with cement. Mr.. Corthell
already has considerable material
on the ground, aud it is said that
work will proceed at once"
The recent corporate history of
the enterprise is also given by the
times. Simon Stevens of New
York was a prominent mover. The
Times says:
"The Tehuantepec Railway Com
pany, which was the corporate de-
signation of the Stevens Company,
continued in existence for several
years, in spite of the withdrawal of
government favor. In 1887 the
original company sold out to syn
dicate, in which were Edward
Learned of Pittsfeld, George S. Coe,
Mr.. Stevens and a few others. The
syndicate raised about 100000
and began work of actual construc-
tion. 1t had built forty miles of
railway when Mr.. Learned became
involved in difficulties with the
syndicate. In consequence of this
trouble some of the syndicate op-
posed an application that had been
made to the Mexican Government
for an extension of time within
which to complete the enterprise.
As the final outcome of this matter,
a proposition was made that the
Mexican Government buy out the
syndicate and build a railroad it
self. The Government agreed to
this proposition and refunded to
the syndicate the expenditures it
had made for construction and
took upon itself the work of com
pleting the road"
The concession under which the
Stevens company was to operate,
provided for inter oceanic commu-
nication across the isthrnus by rail
road, carriage-road and telegraph
line. The company was to be ex-
empt from all taxation or imposts
of any kind, except the payment ol
8 per cent. of the net profits of the
enterprise when ever dividends
might be declared for the stock.
| holders, and IL cents for each
through passenger across the 18th.
mus. The right was conceded to
the company to collect portages
and transit fees, wharfage, storage,
fees for freight and passengers, and
for kilograms. But the tariff was
limited to so cents per league fol
each passenger, 3 cents per league
for each arroba (twenty five
pounds) of merchandise, 1 pei
cent. on the the value of precious
metal and jewels, and 10 cents pei
word for kilograms. The Govern
ment agreed not to exact any i'm
post or contribution other thar
stated for a period of seventy years
All the concessions are Cancelled
now by the assumption of the work
by the Mexican Government.
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