Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-20

shares. Today. owing to keen competition,
~ can pay no interest on its ordinary
shares. and probably no more than 4 per
cent on the preferred stock In examining
the statistics with regard TO this line "a wifi
De noted that while In 1887. owing to nom
competition. its working expenses did not
exceed 30 per cent on the gross earnings
In 1892 they had risen to over 50 per cent.
the gross receipts having fallen from 8.
lf1i6s In 1883 to S2.0l4.a52 in 1882
OF Interest 20 This Country.
The article. after referring to the other
reads Of Mexico in some detail goes on TO
speak OF The Mexican Southern railway as
one Of particular interest 10 this country.
The first concession for this railroad was
given to the governor CT the state of OAK
AGA on August %, 1880. by the federal ex-
ecutive. with full powers to organize a
company to carry out the provisions of the
charter. and the governor then transferred
the concession to Senior Matias Romero in
September of the same year. This conces-
sion was subsequently transferred TO Gen.
Grant ex-President of the United States
who sent down engineers TO examine the
line and their report was very favorable.
The concession being deficient in the sd-
vantage subsequently given to railways
IN Mexico. combined with Gen. Grants
failing health, the enterprise failed. Moth
ing much was done until lSSs, when the
oio concessions were reconstructed and
granted to Mr. H. Rudston Read
ms road. when finished, will interest the
commercial and travelling public of the
United States well as of Europe as the
time taken to reach the Pacific ports of
south America will be greatly reduced
The usual time required to get to Panama
Is from twenty-five to thirty days from
England, whereas when the Mexican South
ern road is completed, the total number OF
Gays necessary TO Tehuantepec via New
York and the Mexican National railroad
ana the Mexican Southern railroad will be
hfteen TO sixteen days; that is. allowing
eight days 10 cross the Atlantic from Liver
pool.
The importance OF the Mexican Southern
TO the republic Of Mexico cannot be over
estimated, as IL passes through an entirely
new and comparatively unknown country
IL also carries the great system Of North
American and Mexican railroads 800 miles
farther south.
The line is OF narrow gauge and connects
with the lnteroceanic railway at Puebla
From that city IL runs in a southwesterly
direction to Oaxaca, the capital OF the state
OF that name; The principal towns of i'm
portance touched by this road are Amozoc
Tehuacan, Tepeaca, Tecamachalco. San
Antonio, Quiotepec, Cuicatlan, FL Parian,
San Pablo Huitzo and Eta. The line was
completed to oaxaca and opened TO traffic
on the 4th of November, 1892 and fits ulti-
mate object is to connect with a point on
the railway now being constructed across
the 1sthmus OF Tehuantepec. Ii has a
subvention OF $500 a kilometer five
eighths OF mile) for a space OF fifteen
years. but this subvention was subse-
quietly converted into @ per cent silver
bonds.
The road is being built in a very substan-
tial and economical manner. A large part
of the line has steel sleepers, and the rails
weigh fifty pounds per linear yard, or ten
pounds more than those OF the Interoceanic
and National railways, which are of the
same gauge. This railway Is owned and
managed by a British company. The gauge
of the road is three feet and the distance
from Puebla to the city OF oaxaca is Dds
miles.