The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-15

4 new ROUTE TO
PACIFIC COAST
A Projected Road That Will Open.
New Southern Territory.
THE MEXICAN MINERAL FIELDS.
The Line viii Traverse Region That
Will Rival the Lcadvillc and
Cripple Creek District OF
Colorado.
THE MEXICAN MINERAL FIELDS,

BALTIMORE, June 14-Special.-In dis
cuss!ons of the development of the South
attention is frequently directed to the
older portions OF the South to the neglect
of the region west of the MISSISSIPPI
River, thoroughly Identified geosraphlcal-
ly with the South and destined TO become
an enormous contributor 10 Soutlieii,
wealth Industrial commercial ana
TRANSPORTATION enterprises are, however,
being pushed there, and plans for others
are well under way. Among the latter
is the projected Kansas City, Mexico ana
Orient Railway, the construction OF Wh'ch
will mean the opening OF new territory
in the South and new route TO the
Pacific for cotton goods and other South
ern products This is shown in an out
line of the plan published this week in
the Manufacturers Record as follows:
This line starting at Kansas City,
where it will have close connections to
Chicago and the northwest generally, IS
expected to pass through Kansas, through
the center of Oklahoma. and entering
Texas near Quenah, go through sweet
water San Angelo and enter Mexico
about half way between Eagle Pass ana
Ell Paso, and thence almost in an air llne
to TopolobamDo. now changed to Fort
Stilwell, on the Gulf Of California. From
Kansas City to Wichita the distance VIII
be about two hundred miles
FINE GRAZING REGION.
This portion of the line between KAN
sas City and Wichita, as we'll as that
south of Wichita to the Rio Grande
through Oklahoma and Texas. traverses
what is said to be about the finest of the
agricultural and grazing region IN the
southwestern country. In Usage county,
Kansas, the line will pass through extern
siye coal fields sixty-five miles from Kan
sas City 1t will, its projectors claim
bring the cattle grazing districts OF west
Zero. Oklahoma, western Texas. south
western New Mexico and Mexico TO the
Kansas City market by very much
shorter haul than any road IN existence.
In effect, it will be an air line direct to
all that west section. now the great
cattle grazing region of the United States:
From the Rio Grande to the city OF
Chihashua. a distance of $50 miles, the
road follows the Conchos River, passing
through an extensive grazing and min
eral region. Chihuahua, with its popula-
ton of 10000 is one of the important
cities of Mexico. It's commercial ana
mining interests, already large, would be
greatly developed by the building OF this
line About fifty miles east OF Chl-
hauhau the line would pass through
region of semi-anthracite coal WITH a
seven-foot vein. Owing to the, lack OF
transportation this coal has never before
been utilized, but the scarcity Of coal In
Mexico would make its devolopmeEt Of
great commercial Importance.
MINERAL FIELDS.
Between Chihuahua and the Fuerte
River this line will traverse what is clam
ed to be the finest mineral country Ill
Mexico-a region that when opened up by
transportation WILL it is Thought. rival the
sLeadvilIe and Cripple Creek district OF
TFara < y stretch
miles Of lonS-leaf pine, witch It IS esu-
mated will cut from S,Nl0 to 12,oO feet to
the acre Along the valley Of the fuerte
RIVER to Port Stilwell there is fertile
region where sugar, coffee, cotton. tobacco
and fruits yield abundantly, and WITHIN
fifty miles of Port Stilwell a large deposit
OF coal. All of these points as ito the I'M
developed wealth of Mexico, however. are
not the essential things as far as the South
is concerned, except that they furnish the
basis for the construction Of a road which,
in addition to opening up the southwestern
region through Oklahoma and Texas, will
furnish a direct line to the Pacific Coast
by a much shorter route than any now
in existence.
SHORTINS DISTANCE.
"a study of the map will show that this
road will reach the Pacific Coast by a line
500 miles shorter than an other from KAN
sas City to that coast. II will thus give
a vast stretch of country in the South a
short, direct route to the Pacific Coast and
should the Choctaw, Little Rock and Mem
phis or other Southern roads extend to a
connection with this line. as they will
likely do, there will then be direct line
from Memphis, and even from the central
cotton and cotton manufacturing districts
of the South, to the Pacific at Port Still
well BY his road st. Paul, Mimi, would
be the same distance from Port Stlwell
that it now is from the Pacific at Portland,
While, as stated, Kansas City will be 800
miles closer to the Pacific than now, and
as Port Siilwell is on the same parallel as
the Sandwich Islands and Hong Kong.
there would be a shorter ocean haul II adj
dition to the saving of railroad Transport
tation. Port StilweH is about 1900 miles
from Galveston, less than 1.500 miles from
New Orleans, and is 7C0 miles nearer to
New York than is San Francisco.
COAL FOR SPAIN.
In a review of the outlook for coal in
this weeks, Manufacturers Record, Mr.. e.
e. Saward, editor Of the Coal Trades
Journal, brings out as an indication OF the
European demand for American coal the
statement that Cardiff shipping firm has
secured the contract TO carry a hundred
thousand tons OF American coal from
Newport News, Va. to Spanish ports The
freight is said to be on the basis OF about
eighteen Shillings 10 Barcelona It IS cal
cuIated that this will enable the buyers
to place the coal on the markets at Span
Isl. ports at a price not exceeding thirty
shillings. which will mean difference in
favor of about five shillings compared with
the price at w3liet! the best quality Cardiff
cCal could be placed.
STEEL RAIL MILL
Touching the announcement ti-at the
Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com
pany will shortly build a steel rail mill at
EnsleN, Ala, adjoining its steel plant. the
Birmingham correspondent OF the Manu-
facturers' Record says: Arrangements
are being made TO build the rail mill as
well as other works in connection there's
with, and a contract has already been
made for 75,Go0 tons Of steel rails, delivery
to commence in 1901. The building will
a3ioin the steel nlant and will he one
thousand feet in length. lis estimated cost
is from si.01o.0l0 TO $1,000 900. The total
expenditure Of all the contemplated addi-
lions will approximate S2,o0e,cHO. This
latest nave will give an impetus to the
Industrial field, encourage and induce the
a11I * ~ atI er n