The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-26
AMERICANS IN MEXICO
F. i. TORRES ENTHUSIASTIC OVER
BUSINESS OUTLOOK THERE.
Agriculture on Isthmus of Tehuante-
pec-Dredging I'm the HarbOr-
st. Louis Trade.

f. l.. Torres, who has been engaged by a
local company as resident manager of a
coffee plantation on the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, is stopping at the Bates
House. Mr.. Torres is a Spanish-Anlerican,
having resided in New York city UP nine
years ago, since which time he has been
identified with American interests in Next
co. He says there is no better field for the
investment of American capital than that
presented by the Mexico of to-day, and
that this fact is beginning to be recognized
by the business men of the United States.
Prior to 1885, says Mr.. Torres, there
was little thought given to the field by
American capitalists, but since that time
the consular reports show that over $780,
100000 has been invested by American cor
porations. OF this vast amount of capital
S6O0OO,OO0 has gone into mining and smelt-
ing, $40,OO0,000 into manufactures, $40, 900 900
into railroads and $40, 600 into telephone,
electric light and water franchises. The
bulk Of the investments, however, have
gone into agriculture. All of this has been
made possible by the changed condition of
the government under the able management
of President Porfirio Diaz and his Cabinet
Mexico has in the past few years not only
maintained her credit, but has also shown a
surplus in her treasury.
1.-The principal part of the agricultural de-
velopment has been on the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, across which the Tehuantepec
National Railroad was completed last year.
This road has just been fitted out with
Baldwin locomotives and one thousand cars
by a st. Louis firm. The road connects har-
bors on the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific
ocean. These harbors are now being
dredged by an American company, in which
work the largest dredges in the world are
in use. One of these dredges, the Majestic,
raises three hundred tons of sand at each
revolution of it's shoVelS Nearly all the
land on the isthmus is held by Americans,
who are cultivating it in rubber,
coffee, cocoa, tobacco and tropi-
cal fruits. The cultivation of
rubber is destined to become a very prof
liable business, as every year there is
greater scarcity of that article. The In
dams of Brazil have ruined the greater
part of the immense rubber forests of that
country by literally bleeding the trees to
death, and, while the demand for rubber is
on the constant increase, the supply fur-
nished by nature is rapidly being depleted.
Mr.. Torres also says that the goods found
in the market in Mexico all bear the stamp
of American manufacture, and that the
merchants in the United States, in the last
few years, are realizing the Importance or
the trade with the sister republic to Such
an extent that many chambers of commerce
in the leading cities have formed Spanish
American clubs for the purpose of build
ing up this trade. St. Louis has a large
club of this kind, and since it's organiza-
ton three years ago the exports from that
city to Mexico have increased ten-fold. Mr..
Torres thinks that the southern republic is
not only an inviting field for capital, but
also for young men who have yet to make
their way in the world. He says that the
opportunities there are the same as the
pioneers experienced many years ago in this
part of the United States. The Mexicans
are. as rule, without business instincts,
and the energetic American is everywhere.
the successful man.
Mr.. Torres has been to Havana three
times during the last year He says that
the suffering in Havana and MatanzaS is
considerably worse than has been reported
in the newspapers. 1T is simply awful
he says. 1.-THE streets are lined with peo-
pie who are nothing but skin and bones.
The desolation of the harbor of Havana
is difficult to picture. / have seen three
hundred ships lying at anchor there and
a continuous stream of them passing out
to sea, but now there is scarcely a vessel
to be seen and the piers are going to ruin
from disuSe'
Mr.. Torres is confident the Spaniards will
never subdue Cuba and thinks that the
recognition of belligerent rights would not
greatly assist the insurgents.