The record-union., 1895-06-22

by adequate means of communication TO
insure his peaceful invasion. And these
means have been abundantly provided.
Four distinct gateways to Central Mexico
have been opened within comparatively
few years. Vera Cruz, of course, has
| been open for centuries. 1t was used as
| port for Mexico when there was only one
other port OF the Spanish possessions in
Americaopen to the trade of Europe, which
meant the trade of Spain. The other port
was Porto BelIo on the Isthmus. For
generations the only trade that existed
| between Spain and it's American colonies
| passed between Seville, in Spain, and
Porto Bello and Vera Cruz, in America.
| Once a year the tub-like ships of the
| Spanish, popularly known as the stately
galleons. anchored off Vera Cruz, dis
charged their cargoes of European wares,
and took on board the products of Mexi-
co. Then they sailed away, and the port
slept for another year till the return of
| the fleet.
In contrast with this isolation of the
colonial days, mark the present relation
| of Mexico to the rest of the world. The
port Of Vera Cruz is open to the vessels
of all nations, and two railways connect
1t with the Capital and the other interior
towns. By system of jetties, constructed
by the Mexican Central Railway, the bar
that closed the harbor Of Tampico has
been secured away, and ocean vessels
now ascend the river Panuco seven miles
to the ancient town of Tampico. Here
they may anchor i'll perfect safety and
discharge their cargoes and passengers
without lghterage or transfer, Thus
there has been opened to Mexican ship
ping an inland harbor on the eastern
coast, free from the storms which make
the roadstead of Vera Cruz sometimes
inconvenlent and dangerous. And the
new port of Tampico has already regular
lines of steamers connecting it with New
York, Mobile, Havana and European
ports. While this Is the first inland port
that has been opened on the Eastern
coast of Mexico, the western shore has, it
Is true, good harbOrs; but they are of
comparatively little advantage for two
reasons: they are not readily accessible
TO the markets of Europe and the eastern
part of the United States; and they have
as yet no means of communication with
the important cities of Central Mexico,
except the pack mule and the burden-
bearing Indian. But by the Mexican
Gulf Railway, running northwestward
to Monterey, and by the branch of the
Mexican Central, which runs through
San Luis Potosi, the port of Tampico IS
brought into immediate communication
with the great internal system OF Mexi-
can railways.
Tampico is clearly destined to be the
strong rival of Vera Cruz, which has
long had practical monopoly OF Mex
ico's external trade toward the east. The
New York and Cuba Mail Steamship
Company's line of steamers make direct
weekly sailings between New York and
Tampico. Conspicuous among the other
lines rendering regular service to and
from this port are the Hamburg Ameri-
can Packet Company, the Harrison
Steamship Company. the West India and
Pacific Steamship Company, and the
New York, Mobile and Mexican Steam
ship Company. The growth OF the inn
port and export business of the port may
De seen in the following statement