The herald., 1897-03-01
Observations Of j. G. Harvey
During a Recent Trip
THE DELIGHTS OF JALAPA
Exceptionally Favored by Nature = A
Quaint Old Town
The Fertile Area Of San Juan Evangellsta
American and English Capital pro.
tects Foreigners

]. C. Harvey, OF the Standard OIL
company who has recently returned
from q visit to the tropical portions OF
Mexico, talked about his trip to re-
porter yesterday. He said:
my itinerary included visit to
Jalapa, as in this district is grown some
OF the finest grades Of Mexican coffee,
and being peculiarly desirous Of study
ing conditions of soil and climate, for
purposes of comparison with other dis
tricts not yet well developed and where
lands are for sale at more moderate
figures, gave special attention to this
s ection There Is little inducement for
the planters as the best lands have long
since been taken up, and improved prop
critics are held at their full value, re-
turning most liberal interest upon the
investment.
live In, lying at an elevation of several
thousand feet above the sea with an
equable climate, neither too hot nor too
cold, blessed by an abundant rainfall,
and directly on the line Of the Inter-
oceanic railway between Mexico City
and Vera Cruz.
"Jalapa was an old town before the
conquest and until Pueblo was built the
only place of note between the coast and
the captain. The town presents fin
ished appearance. Built Of stone or
brick succeed. and the roofs tiled, 1t
has all the distinctive characteristics of
an old Spanish town. Vegetation is
abundant, as there Is rain more or less
all the year. Old walls are covered with
ferns and mosses and before the advent
- tAA x.Af h..v, ftx.er dc
could be gathered on the outskirts of
the town. A tramway connects the city
with Its suburb, Coatepec, a few miles
distant. In this vicinity nearly all the
coffee of the district is produced. Chiri-
moyas or mountain custard apples are
particularly good here. 1t is too cool,
however. for mangoes. The region is
volcanic; the soil almost entirely scoria
mixed with decayed vegetation. The
fertile area is, however. very limited.
as the indigenous vegetation indicates.
Returning to Vera Cruz I decided
upon some further Investigations Of the
river systems lying to the south. My
approach to the isthmus of Tehuantepec
was made by river steamer up the Pap
aloapam and San Juan rivers to San
Jose Evangelista and thence up the
Trinidad. traversing the wonderfully
rich country thereabouts on horseback
or by canoe where possible. Many young
and promising coffee plantations were
visited, nearly all In the hands of Amer
leans. Here, by a peculiar comDina-
tion of soil and climatic conditions, cof-
equally we'll Two crops of we'll ripened
corn are produced annually. Stock.
hogs and poultry flourish almost un-
cared-for. while most tropical fruits
occur. no irrigation being needed.
''In order to approach this region from
another direction l took steamer at
Vera Cruz. running down by sea in
fourteen hours to Coatzocoalcos. the
Atlantic terminus of the Tehuantepec
railway. which traverses the isthmus
to Salina Cruz, on the Pacific side. Great
expectations are aroused, as a break
water harbor at Salina Cruz is gener-
ally considered a work shortly to be
commenced. In fact. the dredgers are
now at work deepening the water at
the bar of the Coatzocoalcos river. In
due time the traffic via Panama must
come largely by this route.
las one penetrates to the interior the
country becomes more hilly and the
soil is of the richest possible character
One can only wonder how a man with
moderate capital and some energy could
fall to make a comfortable competence
for himself with cheap labor and ac-
feasibility to river, rail and seaboard.
Orange growing is much talked Of
even with heavy impost. 1t would seem
that cheap labor. low transportation
charges to Galveston by sea and land
and land at a few dollars an acre with
out irrigation might prove a formidable
competitor against our high-priced
lands. Considerable stock is raised up
on the low or savannah lands, which are
perennially covered with grasses. This
stock Is driven to the river banks and
shipped by steamer to Yucatan and
Guatemala.
"The question is often asked, how
about security to life and property? The
best answer to that is this: The i'm
mense investments already made by
foreign capital will insure perfect safe
ty to all foreigners Peace and order
are now too much priced by both high
and low in Mexico to make revolution
possible"