The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-05

mainder In tho tofrid. The census Of 1905
showed 1850. ieS people. but for various
reasons It was inadequate, and Mr.. ROMERO
feels sure that there are not fewer than
$4,000, 900. The most ~populous State is
Jallsco, On the Pacific. although many are
larger in area. The slow growth Of Mexico's
population Is ascribed to the fact that the
people are "not 30 we'll prepared as are the
people Of the United States TO bear the dis
comforts OF life and climate" and hence
there is great mortality among the children.
Mexicans are born In the Catholic Church.
"Some Of them, like the Indians, do not
know much about religion, and keep their
old idolatry, having changed only their
idols, that is, replaced their old deities with
the images OF the saints of the Catholic
Church" The Protestants have, however.
worked hard in Mexico, and have obtained
q foothold. The public schools number
1876. attended by 485, s53 pupils. at an
snpual cost Of s5,455,55O Parochial
schools and others number 3.129. with
1921 pupils. There are I36 technical
schools, attended by 1e,sO9 pupils. Mr..
ROMERO thinks that the education Of the
indian is an urgent problem. There are
only 25S newspapers In the country.
The Valley Of Mexico is one Of the finest
spots in the world. Surrounded by high
mountains, It has q very rare and clear
atmosphere, which makes hills forty miles
away seem, when viewed from the capital,
only at the end Of the city. It is q centre Of
magnificent scenery, the view from Chapul-
tepec Hill being among the most beautiful
on earth. The City OF Mexico contains
340,000 people, and among It's many fine
buildings is the Cathedral. which took near
ly q century 70 build. although sometimes
10000 men were working upon 1t.
That Mexico IL one Of the very richest
mining countries in the world is we'll
known. Mr.. ROMERO puts the present
product OF silver above $780, 0O, 900. The
Veta Madre lode Of Guanajuato alone
produced s252. 600, 900 between 1855 and
1903. Gold Is sometimes found with
silver, and formerly, when the amount
was small. II was not separated, for which
reason old Mexican dollars in China arc
worth more than new ones. But Mr.. Ro-
NERO expects that Mexico will soon be one
OF the worlds largest gold producers. The
total coinage Of gold up to 1896 Is put at
s125, $3.50 8 and that OF silver at s3.4OO,-
05S,410. This would give Mexico one
third of the total worlds coinage since
the discovery Of America. But for various
reasons much OF the silver produced is not
coined, and Mr.. ROMERO would place the
total production at from -four billion to five
billion dollars.
Tit total length Of Mexican railways was,
in 1895, close upon 1000 miles. The total
exports for ls95-86 were. OF precious met
ais, $64, S3S, 500. OF which S5l, OF ,66l
were to the United States; OF commodities,
$40, l7s, 3o6, Of which s2s, $50, os4 were
TO our country. Mexico's total imports
were for the same year SAG, 253, 93s,
OF which SEQ. LAG, 1873 came from the
United States. Banking is shown by Mr..
ROMERO to DO very profitable in Mexico,
although still In its ~incipient state. The
dividends earned and paid BY the National
Bank are very high, those for 1895
being 1sH and Ii per cent, respec-
lively; and a short time ago q sur
plus Of 81, 200. 900 was issued to the
shareholders as a stock dividend. and then
$1,000, 900 OF stock was offered to the
public, for which the subscriptions amount
ed to s22, o00, 900.
Such arc facts presented in regard to our
sister republic by the statesman who has 30
long and so ably represented her In the
United States.